NURSING LICENSE DEFENSE

Have you received notice that there a complaint against your Missouri nursing license? If so, you may have been told "you don't need an attorney" during the investigative process because it is only "fact-finding." You worked hard for your license, and your livelihood depends on keeping that license in good standing. When something so important is at risk, do you really want to represent yourself? 

It is not at all uncommon for nurses to represent themselves in Board of Nursing disciplinary investigations.  When you submit a statement to the board in response to a complaint filed against your license, meet with an investigator for an investigative meeting, appear before the board, or agree to be interviewed in-person or via phone by an investigator from the Board of Nursing, you are providing information that could later be used to discipline or even revoke your nursing license. Board of Nursing disciplinary investigations are administrative cases, and even though they are often not associated with any criminal charges, they are adversarial in nature. From the very early stages of an investigation, advice and assistance from an attorney can make a big difference in the outcome of your case.

Remember, the role of the Missouri State Board of Nursing is to protect the public, NOT to advocate for your best interests as a licensed nurse. Before you decide that you don’t need an attorney to represent you in a Board of Nursing Investigation, contact an attorney to discuss your case. 

Jill Turner is licensed to practice law in the state of Missouri. She is also a Registered Nurse in the state of Missouri and previously worked as a bedside nurse for ten years.