It takes years to secure a nursing license. Nurses have to attend college and pass state tests. They have to commit to continuing education and consistently uphold best practices while working with patients. Unfortunately, the license that represents the investment of so much time and effort is quite vulnerable. People can lose their nursing license in a matter of seconds in some cases.
Gross negligence, major mistakes on the job and conflict with patients can all result in complaints against a nurse. Those complaints may lead to disciplinary action that might culminate in the loss of a nursing license. The language nurses use when talking with or about patients could affect their careers.
If patients take offense, they may complain
There are many ways in which nurses could endanger their licenses with the way they speak to or about individual patients. In some cases, a disagreement with a patient could spiral out of control. A nurse who has spent 12 hours at work already might lose their cool and make harsh or accusatory statements that offend the patient.
Other times, they might unknowingly use words or phrases that have negative racial connotations. Even the failure to use someone’s preferred pronouns might result in complaints that spiral out of control. Angry patients might file complaints with employers or may go so far as to report their issues to the state board. Nurses can protect their careers by prioritizing calm communication and learning about terms and words that could be offensive to certain groups of people.
Those facing disciplinary action may need help responding to protect their nursing licenses. Mounting an effective defense during a disciplinary hearing can help people avoid outsized penalties for relatively minor workplace issues.