If the nurse licensing board summons you to a disciplinary hearing, take time to think about what that means. As a school kid you may have been summoned to the principal’s office, yet, as a child, you still keep the right to an education. As a nurse, you do not have the right to a license.
It is something you earn, by meeting the necessary requirements and qualifications. Yet it is also something you need to show you are worthy of keeping. If the board decides you have not lived up to the professional standards they expect of nurses, they may take your license away forever. This could be true for things you do while on duty, as well as for something you do outside work.
Could I lose my license?
Losing your license is the worst-case scenario. If the board finds you breached the professional code, it has several lesser options available. For example, if the hearing is for drug or alcohol issues, they could insist you get treatment.
Even if you are allowed to continue nursing in the state, disciplinary action may affect your ability to get jobs or to work in other states in the future, as you have to mention disciplinary charges on license application forms.
If you are called to a disciplinary hearing, understanding more about the potential consequences is crucial. As is understanding your license defense options. When there is so much at stake it is easy to get nervous and make mistakes. Having experienced guidance before and during the hearing reduces the chance of this.