This is the first post in what will be a series on issues Arizona nurses face when defending their licenses at a disciplinary proceeding. I am writing this series due to the fact that the loss of one’s license can be devastating to their future. It can mean the loss of one’s ability to earn a living, the loss of professional dignity, and a feeling that one’s hard work of building a career has gone to waste. My goal with this series is to help Phoenix area nurses understand what their options are as any disciplinary proceeding moves forward.
I will be addressing a number of topics over my coming posts. Subjects I will be looking at will include:
- The process an RN faces during a disciplinary hearings
- Preparing a defense against the allegations
- Dealing with accusations of drug use, drug abuse, or a criminal charge or conviction
- Appealing the decision
These are important topics as, too often, nurses make the mistake of thinking that their license is guaranteed to be suspended once they are informed of a disciplinary hearing. The fact of the matter, however, is that nurses and other Arizona professionals are entitled to due process rights and that their license cannot be arbitrarily taken away. In addition to these due process rights, one may have defenses which they did not realize were available.
I cannot stress enough that, if you are a nurse in Phoenix or elsewhere in Arizona, then do not consider your disciplinary hearing to be a “do it yourself project.” I assist professionals throughout the state with such issues. Contact my office today to schedule an initial consultation. I also represent defendants in other Maricopa County cities such as Mesa, Glendale, Scottsdale, Chandler, and Gilbert. We also assist Pima County residents in Tucson.
