Dedicated Riverside Nursing License Defense Attorney
California nurses may be disciplined by the state nursing board following patient complaints or other allegations of misconduct. These accusations can involve medication mistakes, poor patient care, substance abuse, criminal activity, documentation issues, or other professional misconduct. A Riverside nursing license defense lawyer can assist nurses with their response to board investigations and disciplinary actions against an RN license.
These matters are unique because they involve California administrative law and rules that apply specifically to nurses and other health care professionals. A Riverside professional license defense lawyer can help make sure requirements are met at each stage of the disciplinary process.
Riverside is home to hundreds of healthcare employees. Nurses work at hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and medical offices located throughout Riverside and elsewhere in the Inland Empire. For assistance with defending your nursing license, turn to legal representation familiar with the local area.
Professional License Representation You Can Trust
Century Law Group, LLP, represents health care professionals across California in professional licensing and other legal matters. Our small firm only takes a limited number of cases each year, and our lawyers focus on strategic options tailored to each client’s situation and goals.
Attorney Edward Lear is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates®, which honors accomplished trial attorneys through a rigorous invitation process. At Century Law Group, LLP, we pride ourselves on practical solutions and efficient legal representation.
Registered Nurse Regulation in California
The California Board of Registered Nursing, or BRN, regulates registered nurses across the state. The Board is responsible for licensing qualified RN applicants, setting standards of practice for nurses, processing complaints against licenses, and initiating disciplinary action. A patient or anyone else who notes misconduct can file a complaint against a nurse. Some events may be reported to the Board based on mandatory reporting laws.
Public complaints to the California BRN increased from 4,674 in fiscal year 2023–2024 to 5,330 in fiscal year 2024–2025. That represents about a 14% rise in just a single year. The filing of a complaint does not necessarily mean that a nurse did something wrong or that disciplinary action will take place. The BRN may investigate the complaint, and this process may include obtaining:
- Employment records
- Patient records
- Witness statements
- Criminal history
The Board may dismiss the complaint if it does not find sufficient evidence of misconduct. Otherwise, they may attempt to discipline the license.
Conduct That Can Jeopardize an RN License
A nursing license defense case may arise from events that occur while providing patient care at a hospital, clinic, nursing home, private physician’s office, or any other medical facility. Some charges may involve misconduct outside of work. Many of the common reasons nurses lose their licenses in California show up in both settings. Examples of actions that could lead to an investigation include:
- Prescription errors
- Neglecting a patient
- Sexual misconduct
- Violence towards a patient
- Falsifying records
- Stealing medications
- Being convicted of a crime
- Misrepresentation
- Performing a job while impaired by drugs and/or alcohol
California Business and Professions Code § 2761 lists many of the reasons for which the BRN can take disciplinary action against a nurse. This includes misconduct, incompetence or negligent performance of typical nursing duties, and felony or misdemeanor convictions that relate to nursing.
Drug-related offenses are covered under California Business and Professions Code § 2762. This section addresses nurses who unlawfully obtain or possess a controlled substance. California nurses should familiarize themselves with these and other nursing license defense laws.
Understanding a BRN Investigation
If enough evidence is found during an investigation, the BRN may refer the case to the California Attorney General’s Office. The Attorney General can file an Accusation, which officially begins the licensing disciplinary process. From that point on, what happens after a BRN accusation follows a set path with firm deadlines.
The Accusation serves to outline the evidence and the legal framework supporting potential discipline against the nurse’s license. A nurse may contest the allegations by filing a response, but failure to comply with procedures and deadlines may forfeit the nurse’s ability to dispute the charges.
If no agreement is reached on a stipulated disciplinary order, the case may proceed to a hearing before an administrative law judge in Riverside. Each side can present documents, records, testimony, and other evidence they wish to be considered by the judge. Consequences might involve a public reprimand, probation, suspension, or even having the license revoked entirely. Conditions of probation can impact how a nurse works, such as requiring additional monitoring or supervision.
FAQs
What Is the Most Common Reason Nurses Are Disciplined by State Boards of Nursing?
There is no single most common reason that nurses are disciplined by state boards of nursing. This is because the reasons vary from state to state and from year to year. However, patient-care complaints are a common cause of disciplinary action. Patient-care complaints may include medication errors, abuse of patients, unsafe practices, or failing to provide needed care.
What Criminal Convictions Disqualify You From Being a Nurse?
In California, having a criminal conviction does not necessarily disqualify you from being a nurse. The BRN reviews each conviction that’s relevant to nursing on a case-by-case basis. If the crime is severe, recent, or if there’s evidence that you haven’t been rehabilitated, you could have trouble obtaining a license. Criminal acts closely related to the field of nursing are likely to cause licensing difficulties.
What Can Cause You to Lose Your RN License?
There are many situations that can cause you to lose your RN license. A California RN may be disciplined by the BRN for violations of the Nursing Practice Act.
Examples of conduct that could put your license at risk include gross negligence, incompetence, abuse or neglect of patients, drug or alcohol abuse, fraud, theft, various criminal offenses, practicing while impaired, or violation of existing probation terms. Discipline may range from probation to license suspension or revocation.
Are Nurses Allowed to Defend Themselves Against Violent Patients?
Yes, nurses are allowed to defend themselves against violent patients. California’s workplace safety rules allow employees to exercise lawful self-defense or defend someone else. This applies to healthcare workplaces, too. If you’re attacked by a patient, you don’t have to accept any form of violence or abuse. Healthcare employers should have workplace-violence prevention plans in place to protect employees from patient and customer assaults.
Hire a Nursing License Defense Lawyer
Nurses who hire a nursing license defense lawyer don’t just get advice about their case. Nurses can get comprehensive help with the practical details of an investigation or disciplinary proceeding. A Riverside nursing license defense attorney can speak to the investigator or opposing attorney on your behalf.
Whether you are a nurse at Riverside Community Hospital, Kaiser Permanente Riverside Medical Center, or any other medical facility in the area, Century Law Group, LLP, can help. Contact us today for more information.
