As a nurse, you work hard to get your license. You put in tireless hours and money, going through intense school programs, training and more. Because of this, the idea of a suspended license may leave you reeling.

Fortunately, you can prepare yourself for this potential unpleasant outcome. Understanding what happens if your license gets suspended can help ease the way toward getting it reinstated and rid yo of some of your anxieties surrounding the matter.

Board reevaluations

Nurse.com examines the possible outcome of a license suspension and how it may manifest. First, there is the written order of suspension. The board will give you this if your license gets suspended. Within this letter, it will also contain instructions on what you need to do to get your license reinstated.

The applicant’s character and their fitness to be re-licensed will often get analyzed by the board. This is especially true if the reason for suspension related to a crime you got convicted of, or a clinical error that occurred while you were treating a patient.

Further requirements and steps

You may also need to complete other steps, such as attending and completing a nursing education program. Depending on the reason for suspension and what you must do to get reinstated, the reinstatement time can take anywhere from one month to several years.

If the period of suspension lasts a long time, you may also need to finish a clinical update course. This ensures your knowledge is still up to date with the current medical community when you re-enter it.

Completing these requirements, you may then petition the board for reinstatement. They might interview you or place you on probation after reinstatement to monitor you. This process is long and potentially complex, so it might help if you have legal aid on your side throughout.