Rivas Goldstein, LLP

Call Our Austin Office: 800-761-5190

Celebrating Our 20th Year Representing the Interests of Health Care Professionals and Entities

An Austin Firm Dedicated to
Health Care Law

Attorneys Image
  1. Home
  2.  → 
  3. Nurse Licensing
  4.  → 3 ways for nurses to lose their license

3 ways for nurses to lose their license

Nurses play an integral role in the health care industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently over 200,000 nurses in the state of Texas alone. Many nurses worry about losing their licenses and no longer being able to do what they love.

Luckily, most of these fears tend to be unfounded. It is extremely rare for nurses to lose their licenses. Many times, the only way to do so is for the nurse to commit a serious offense.

1. Negligence

Medical professionals are not always going to be able to save everyone. However, they still need to try their best and take action when opportunities present themselves. If a nurse was in a situation where she knew about a patient’s risk to a certain illness and neglected to inform the patient of available options, then she could be liable for injury or death. Even failing to report something minor could result in substantial consequences.

2. Breach of privacy

There exists nurse-patient confidentiality. Nurses cannot tell other people unaffiliated with the patient about a diagnosis or condition. There may be some leniency if the breach was accidental. However, all nurses should err on the side of caution and not divulge any information they should not.

3. Diverting medications

Some nurses steal hospital medications for their own personal use. This is a serious crime and can land a nurse in severe hot water. The repercussions may be more severe if there is evidence that the nurse stole the drugs with the intent of selling them. In that scenario, the nurse could potentially be looking at jail time.

To reiterate, it is extremely rare for nurses to lose their license. Many of these professionals are dedicated to their jobs and would do anything for their patients. However, if nurses find themselves in an unpleasant situation, then they should seek legal representation immediately.