I recently wrote in my blog, that effective October 17, 2015, the Pennsylvania Nursing Board rules were changed to require all Pennsylvania licensed RN’s, LPN’s, CRNP’s, LDN’s and CNS’s to report any misdemeanor or felony criminal charge, regardless of which jurisdiction the charges originate in. These same practitioners must also report within ninety (90) days any discipline from another jurisdiction.
As a result of this new law, I expect the Nursing Board to aggressively investigate all arrests of nurses. This may begin with an inquiry from an investigator from the Bureau of Enforcement Investigation. You may receive a letter or a phone call from an investigator asking you about the circumstances of your arrest. Under no circumstances should you speak with that investigator without first retaining a skilled healthcare licensing attorney.
Additionally, I expect the Commonwealth to request a physical/mental exam of any nurse arrested in an effort to see if there are any mental health or drug and alcohol concerns.
If you are arrested, you should immediately contact a healthcare attorney experienced in dealing with the Nursing Board.
I have represented hundreds of nurses in disciplinary actions before the Nursing Board and in many of the instances, I also represent the nurse in the criminal charges. I have represented criminal clients in over a 1,000 cases in various counties throughout Pennsylvania.
Do not make the mistake of speaking to an investigator or producing documentation for the Nursing Board without consulting an experienced healthcare attorney.
Feel free to contact me to discuss your case.