
Whether you work at Hoke Hospital or Duke’s Children’s Hospital, or any other hospital in the Fayetteville area, if you are a nurse with an impending complaint investigation, you may be concerned about its possible impact on your career. When you hire a Fayetteville nursing license defense lawyer from North State Law, you can help ensure your career stays on track and your reputation remains intact.
A nursing license defense lawyer can gather evidence, interview witnesses, and represent you before the North Carolina Board of Nursing (NCBON). Having solid counsel by your side is critical to defending your rights and protecting your license.
According to the North Carolina Health Talent Alliance, one in three LPN positions remains unfilled, while one in eight RN positions are vacant in North Carolina. Although this statistic is down from 2024 in Fayetteville, turnover (or churn) rates are higher, and this may indicate that NCBON would be more open to preventing nurses from leaving the Southeast region. An adept nursing license defense lawyer may be able to use this to a client’s advantage.
North Carolina is a mandatory complaint state. Any person who suspects a nurse of acting contrary to the laws in the Nursing Practice Act (NPA) must report them to the NCBON. The complainant could be a peer, an administrator, a law enforcement officer, a relative, or even a patient. An anonymous complainant may file a complaint, but they must provide specifics of the issue.
Once the complaint is filed with the NCBON, they decide if the complaint falls under their jurisdiction.
Complaints fall under NCBON jurisdiction if they violate the NPA or the North Carolina Administrative Codes (NCAC). If NCBON decides the complaint is legitimate, it protects the complainant from any kind of criminal or civil prosecution.
Once the complaint is declared legitimate, the Board assigns an investigator to take your case. The investigator will then inform you that a complaint was made against you in Fayetteville.
We highly recommend hiring a Fayetteville nursing license defense lawyer once you learn a complaint is under investigation. NCBON may fine you if you delay your response to the investigator. Speaking to the investigator without an attorney, however, increases the likelihood of answering the wrong questions or giving too much information.
At North State Law, our Fayetteville nursing license defense attorneys provide trusted counsel to nurses in Cumberland County and all over North Carolina. As they have their own professional licenses, they understand that protecting your license is protecting your livelihood.
North State Law has extensive experience safeguarding North Carolina nursing licenses. Our lawyers are ethical, professional, and dedicated to protecting your future. When you hire a Fayetteville nursing license defense attorney, they can work with you to prepare for your investigation, follow the complex NCBON regulations, and, if necessary, appeal any undesired outcomes.
The North Carolina Board of Nursing can impose disciplinary actions called Published Consent Orders (PCOs). A PCO can require that a nurse be subject to:
Disciplinary actions can be reported to the national nurse licensure and disciplinary database (NURSYS), the NCBON website, the National Practitioner Data Bank, and the Office of the Inspector General. An attorney can help you before it becomes a disciplinary action.
While every case is different, there are a few strategies that a nursing license defense lawyer can use to respond to substance abuse or diversion allegations.
Arguing that patients and the public were never in danger is a response that may sway investigators or the Board. Asserting that mistakes were isolated incidents is useful, or showing witness testimony that the incident did not occur as stated in the complaint. At North State Law, we tailor your defense to your circumstances.
Yes, a nurse can appeal or negotiate disciplinary actions imposed by the Board. A Settlement Committee allows a nurse to present any mitigating circumstances in an informal process that is not public. A Fayetteville nursing license defense lawyer can help you have the case referred to an Administrative Hearing, which includes a public trial and witnesses under oath.
A Fayetteville nursing license defense lawyer from North State Law can help protect a nurse’s career and professional reputation by gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and negotiating with NCBON.
Our effective and compassionate attorneys work with nurses to protect their licenses, never with boards. Our nursing license defense lawyers have experience in both negotiating for less harsh penalties and defending nurses’ professional careers. We believe nurses are already in a high-stress field and don’t need the additional stress of facing the Board alone.
At North State Law, our Fayetteville nursing license defense attorneys know the law. We are well-versed in the Nurse Practice Act and the North Carolina Administrative Code, and we understand the variety of complaints that can be better argued in a Settlement Committee or in an Administrative Hearing when necessary. Our years of experience and satisfied clients show proven results for nursing professionals.
When an investigator notifies a nurse that they are investigating a complaint, the first call should be to North State Law. Hiring a Fayetteville nursing license defense lawyer may be the easiest way to put a complaint and any danger to your career behind you.
Contact us today for a free discovery call to see how we can help you retain your license or mitigate any consequences. Our dedicated team can also communicate with you in Spanish.
