Nursing License: Failure to Inform

Is your Florida Nurses license being investigated for failing to provide patients with information about their patient rights and how to file a patient complaint? Have you received a letter or been contacted by an investigator with the Florida Department of Health concerning a complaint or investigation of your license? Continue reading this article on what could possibly happen to your health care license if found guilty of this charge and what options you may have to combat it. Often times we recommend not contacting the DOH investigator until you have spoken with an experienced health care attorney.

You see a patient at your practice but forgot to notify them of their rights under the law. A patient has a complaint, but you don’t tell them they can file a complaint or give them information on the process. Several weeks later, an investigator with the state sends a letter to you saying the state is investigating your actions. The Florida Department of Health has vast resources to come after your nursing license if they are investigating you. You don’t want to be the losing end of an administrative complaint with your livelihood on the line. There are penalties that could be imposed on your license with severe complications on your ability to make a living. Those include the following:

	Minimum Discipline	Maximum Discipline
First Offense	$100 fine and continuing education	$250 fine and probation
Second Offense	$500 fine and probation	$500 fine and suspension

For a first offense, you could face a fine between $100 and $250. You will also be ordered to complete continuing education. You could face probation in addition to the fines. If it happens a second time, you risk a higher fine of up to $500. In addition, your license can be placed on probation; even suspended! Hiring the right health care law attorney can help you in determining the course you should take. It could also help you save your nursing license.

However, it is important to note these penalties are not set in stone. The Board of Medicine can take into account any number of aggravating or mitigating factors to increase or lessen the penalties set forth in the rules. When you have an experienced health care attorney defending your license, you stand a much better chance of receiving a lower penalty, or even of getting the complaint against you dismissed.

Should you have any questions or would like additional information about the Board of Medicine investigation/disciplinary process,  please feel free to contact the law firm of Howell, Buchan & Strong, Attorneys at Law at 850-877-7776 to set up your FREE no-obligation consultation with attorney Jeff Howell or attorney Rickey Strong today.   DOH and the Board of Medicine have experienced attorneys on their side.  Shouldn’t you!