Just as with any other professional license, a nursing license can be taken away. But there are more ways to lose your nursing license than you might think. Not all of them are directly involved with your professional conduct or how you work. A professional license attorney can give more direction if you are concerned.

1. Drug Addiction

Drug addiction can be considered both a psychological and physical illness. Because of this, nurses who have a drug addiction but are in a management program will not lose their license. But nurses who are not in a management program for their addiction and have not revealed their addiction to their employer may be considered a risk. An attorney can help a nurse in disclosing their illness and procuring help. 

2. Opening Mail

At-home nursing staff often assist with daily tasks. One of the most common mistakes a nurse can make is opening the mail of the person they are currently taking care of. It's important that they not do this because interfering with mail is a federal crime. If an individual is not healthy enough to open their mail, there is generally another relative who has power of attorney and should be capable of doing this task.

3. Getting Too Close to Patients

It's easy for nurses to have some level of familiarity with their patients. Nevertheless, they need to be very cautious when establishing personal relationships. In particular, nursing staff should generally not accept gifts or money from their clients. In many cases, this can be considered elderly abuse or abuse of the disabled; financial abuse is considered a legal type of abuse. Further, nurses should avoid seeking out contact with their patients outside of a medical environment.

4. Getting Arrested

Getting arrested will not necessarily threaten a nursing license, but it can if there are certain ethical boundaries that have been crossed. In particular, many licenses have ethical guidelines depending on the state, and the severity of the arrest may affect a nurse's ability to keep a license. For example, a nurse who has a drug arrest -- even if the drugs were not procured from a clinical environment -- may have their license taken away.

Professional license attorneys are specialists in helping nurses maintain their licensing and even appeal if their licensing is taken away. Even if you have already had your license restricted, you may be able to reverse the decision if you appeal in time.  Talk to legal experts like those at Lord & Associates Law Office if you need assistance.