BY Jorie Zajicek
You’re a Registered Nurse and you've been contacted by a Department of Health or Board of Nursing investigator; now what?
If you are contacted by an investigator that means a complaint has been filed against you and the complaint has been deemed serious enough to investigate. You will likely receive a phone call or letter addressed to you. At this point, you should contact an attorney, as you have the right to be represented by counsel.
The Department of Health investigator is charged with interviewing anyone deemed relevant to the complaint, including other nurses, doctors and patients. The investigator will also review your charts. Even if you do not think you have done anything wrong, the complaint has been deemed credible and what you say or do not say during the investigation can ultimately determine whether formal charges are brought against you.
The Tennessee Board of Nursing can subject a nurse to discipline for any unprofessional conduct, unfitness, or incompetency by reasons of negligence, habits or other causes. In other words, the Board of Nursing has the authority to discipline a nurse for any reason. However, the most frequent areas of discipline involve drug or alcohol abuse, patient neglect, and causing harm to a patient.
If you or someone you know has been contacted by an investigator your nursing license and your livelihood is on the line. Contact our firm at 615-649-0110 for a free consultation with one of our qualified Nursing Licensure Defense attorneys to discuss your case.
