Working as a nurse is a very challenging career. Nurses must complete extensive education and pass state testing. They must maintain a license and adhere to very high professional standards while on the job.
Nurses often work long shifts and have to accept very stressful working conditions. Dealing with people who fear losing a loved one or who are in intense pain can be difficult. Nurses are professionally vulnerable if they make mistakes while providing patient care that lead to poor outcomes for their patients.
They are also potentially vulnerable to allegations of misconduct. Patients or their family members could accuse nurses of discrimination or abusive behavior. They may blame the professionals providing hands-on support for a poor medical outcome. Could the complaints brought by patients or their family members lead to a nurse losing their state-issued license?
Filing a complaint has never been easier
Patients who feel dissatisfied with the standard of care that they received generally have two options. Most choose to report their issues to the employer. They speak to the practice manager in a medical office or communicate with someone in patient relations at a hospital. Their complaints could lead to a review of a professional’s job performance, employment-related disciplinary action and even a requirement to undergo sensitivity training.
Other times, those filing complaints may choose to reach out to the state Attorney General, who can investigate and turn the case over to the Indiana State Board of Nursing. What was once a complicated and confusing process is now relatively accessible to people.
A simple internet search can lead angry patients to a website where they can submit complaints against nurses. Allegations that a nurse discriminated against a patient because of their protected characteristics and mistreated them could lead to an investigation. So could claims of negligence, incompetence or professional misconduct, such as the intentional diversion of a patient’s medication.
The Indiana State Board of Nursing may investigate and could pursue disciplinary action against a nurse accused of misconduct by a patient. Disciplinary hearings can lead to a variety of consequences, including the loss of a state license.
Registered nurses and other professionals facing investigations and disciplinary hearings have the right to legal representation throughout that process. Securing appropriate support can help nurses protect the licenses that allow them to continue their careers.