Trust in your ability to get through the process and be happy.

In the West we have great value for justice and people's right to work and yet I see a trend with nurses who go through the investigation and disciplinary system with the Board of Nursing unable to get these rights met. People often prejudge nurses who are put under investigation resulting in being marginalized in their personal as well as professional lives.  Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) has recently posted information regarding how the system works for most people who are ten times more likely to be tried by an agency than a court.  The rules are different as information is withheld from the person who is accused.  Many nurses are unable to pay the fees for legal representation or are unaware that they can and surrender their licenses.  The fear factor plays an enormous part and if they are unused to being approached in a manner which is forceful from my own experience they succumb to their fear.
I have a more positive vision for how this process can be done if nurses will stand up for themselves and their right to protect their license and ability to work.  Rep. Tony Shipley (R-TN) has recognized that there is a need to protect licenses and he passed a law to have the SBRN report to a committee within 74 hours of any suspension or revocation.  This means that the agency has then to explain and provide grounds for this level of intervention.  I will be interested to see if there are changes in the number of licenses that are suspended or revoked since this law was passed.  He also introduced a law which has the SBRN report any fines over $1,000.  For most people this is a lot of money especially during a time of crisis and not being able to earn income.  Most of the state board of nursing websites do not report fines but ones which I have visited have fines ranging from a few hundred dollars to ten thousand!
I advise any nurse to contact his/her MP or State Representative to disclose the charges and how you were approached.  All details are important for politicians to learn how the process is handled and the impact it has had on the individual nurse.  Many I think are in fear and are shamed by being on a list that is mailed out to all license holders statewide.  For most people this type of public humiliation is overwhelming and degrading.  I encourage nurses to come out of the corner and be strong and confident in his/her ability to go through the process and stand tall.  Florence Nightingale shone a light and I want you to keep shining yours. Florence Nightingale is considered the Mother of Nursing and in fact did not want licensing bodies.  Perhaps seeing a powerful establishment that is removed from the realities of nursing practice which would not have been the case if those responsible who were closer to the nurse and environment in which he/she worked were decision makers.  The trend for revocations has increased over the past five years and with the present care setting it is unlikely to reverse.
Some practical and supportive advice for nurses undergoing state board discipline:
1. I always have to make it clear that I have great faith in One Creator and to turn to the One you know and call Him by name to assist and guide you through the process.  Sometimes it is during times of stress and personal challenge that we become clearer about our relationship with God and rely totally on Him to help us through a crisis.  This is your time to learn that and accept who you are and trust in your ability to draw upon this inner strength and power.  Don't let go and give up but know each day you will go a little further and deeper because the Power that you are drawing from is far greater than any human factor.
2. On the metaphysical level see the situation as being of equal size or smaller than yourself and breath deeply to abate any fear.  Learn to enjoy life with this hanging over your head because you will learn to trust your ability to move forward.
3.  Fear is about as negative an experience as we can experience and it doesn't serve us at all.  We are far removed from the evolution of man when the fight or flight mode of response reacted as quickly as our knee jerk response does today.  We have a higher brain and if we retrain our thoughts to pause and train our mind to think positive thoughts we shall be less likely to continue to feel fear.  Write down what you think and if that is true.  Ask yourself what your Higher Power's teachings are for the content of your thinking and what he/she would do in the same situation.  Pray and write down what comes up from your inner intuition about the situation and rest assured that you are being guided.
4.  I highly recommend that nurses connect by way of www.meetup.com  Mother Teresa said that it is better to connect person to person than to wait for leaders.  Studies have shown that supporting others improves well being through increasing certain hormones.  Once you befriend someone you can share the experience being mindful to make sure that you don't disclose details that should be kept between yourself and your lawyer.  Perhaps small groups will be able to help stabilize any nurses who are more vulnerable because of the investigation period being prolonged for instance.  It will be interesting to hear from nurses and share stories about how lives are changed and uplifted because of this experience.  Transcendence is always possible despite how tragic and stressful the situation is.
5.  Make sure that you do the very practical things that will help you survive the process.  Legal advice and representation is a must and researching for a lawyer who is specialized in license law is essential.  Keep a notebook with you to got down any information where ever you are is helpful to your case.
6.  Rest and relaxation are important.  I recommend that you meditate daily.  There are instructions on the website that I follow that I find works very well www.TonySamara.org  Attend Church or any other type of spiritual meetings you are draw to.  Take up yoga which helps to relax the body and gain an inner equilibrium.  Walk in nature and enjoy time in solitude.  Perhaps you have been used to being around people everyday and now find that you are alone.  Turn the experience into a positive on by viewing it as a time for self contemplation and journaling.  Keep a daily journal and note thoughts and feelings that arise.  When a negative thought arises jot it down and the feeling that you experienced.  You will then become aware of how negative thoughts bring you down and start to have positive thoughts.  It's a choice we have and we can either be unhappy and feel bad or work on ourselves until we get it right.
7.  Sleep is necessary and I recommend that you don't turn to pills to make you sleep but rather set up a routine such as bathing before bed and drinking hot milk which has a natural sedative.  Daily exercise should help make the body tired and ready for rest also.  You can meditate as you are going to sleep and that helps focus the mind and let it calm down.  Repeat the name of God inside and focus your attention between the eyes.  You will find the instructions on the above website.
8.  Don't worry, be happy should become your motto.  Repeat it as you walk around.  Feel and believe that you don't have to worry and feel the difference when you choose to be happy!
My thoughts are with each and everyone of you are you learn to adjust and stand up for your right to defend your license and work.
Please feel free to contact me lawrencerita511@gmail.com as I am always happy to hear from those who are undergoing state board discipline.  Always in my heart and prayers.

Laws for nurses Rep. Tony Shipley (R-TN)

The one politician who is very much awake to the fact that there seems to be no oversight of the State Board of Nursing is Rep. Tony Shipley.  When he saw that the state board of nursing had disregarded state laws he took action to protect nurses who undergo state board discipline by writing two laws that a) any nurse who has a license suspended or revoked must be reported to a committee within 74 hours and b) any fines above $1,000 must also be reported.  I have checked various state web sites and some don't mention fines or the amounts they asked nurses to pay, others have listed up to $10,000.

I have heard that nurses are not supposed to be investigated while at work but whether this is an actual fact I really don't know.  I know from my personal experience that I had my license reinstated and then the case was sent out of state without notifying me.  I just happened to come across the charges when I applied to an agency I had previously worked for in that state.  In the meantime I had to find a lawyer who specialized in license law who responded within the allotted time frame, otherwise the whole thing would have been over with before I would have known about it.

My lawyer advised me to put together a portfolio to portray my professional experience and character with references etc.  I had signed up with a nursing agency I had once worked for and for months was unable to get an assignment.  One of my contacts on facebook asked me for a copy of my resume because he had a connection at a local mental health center and I presumed that he wanted to help.  Following this the agency offered me a three day assignment at a free standing hospital.  There were two building opposite each other housing three units.  Medications were missing on many of the patients and when I faxed orders to the pharmacy they didn't arrive until the following evening at 9 p.m. which is way to late to help.   On the second evening I followed a professional looking lady into one of the buildings and stood close by as she spoke to the staff at the desk.  She actively ignored me and I wondered why she was there and why she didn't want to acknowledge my presence.  The person whom she had spoken with said she was from the "Board,"  She went on to tell me that the Dept of Health & Environment was due to give an inspection the following morning.  My third shift was cancelled the next day.

I felt very uneasy about the whole experience and talked it over with a friend who was in disbelief too.  It seemed very odd that the agency had only ever offered me this one post and that I had sent my resume out just prior to this to someone with the same connections on facebook.  One in particular was appointed to head the Board of Healing Arts which essentially oversees the nursing boards and had been the Chair of the hospital.  All very odd!

I felt manipulated by the agency because I was only given this one assignment during the legal process I had to go through.  It was the timing and the events that took place that made me feel that there was collaboration between agencies.  Maybe they are allowed to do this but when you are one nurse up against such massive entities it is a little overwhelming to say the least.

Nurses will relate to this kind of experience and feel perhaps so overwhelmed and embattled and confused that it makes it harder to stand up for oneself.  But I want to encourage anyone who is going through the process to just do that and not let events side line you.   If you can put into writing what you know about the charges.  Unlike a charge from a court for instance, a nurse is not told what the charges are or who brought them about.  

When I was contacted initially by the Board of Nursing someone literally yelled at me over the phone.  I recommend now that if you are approached to be courteous and professional and state that you will give them your lawyer's contact information.  If you can hand them a card just do so, otherwise tell the person on the phone that you will have your lawyer contact them within 24 hours.

During this time of waiting and responding to charges try to do things that build your inner self up.  Do the things that support your physical well being such as good nutrition and rest.  Meditate daily by simply closing your eyes and sitting still.  Focus your attention between your eyes with your eyes closed and repeat whatever name of God is meaningful to you.  Ask for divine help and know that you will receive the guidance and protection that you pray for and take the necessary steps to find a good lawyer.

There are alternative careers for nurses and you might look into some of the areas of interest that would work for you and spend your time transitioning and choosing a different career while you go through the legal process.

In life we have so many opportunities to grow and part of that growth is letting go and expanding into new areas of interest.  Trust yourself that you can make it through the changes and look at ways of materializing the lifestyle and money that you need.  www.MargaretMLynch.com  Try tapping for money as demonstrated by Margaret Lynch who helps people get rid of lower self blocks to achieving wealth and success in life.  Don't feel that you have been stripped of your power to earn money.  It just means that you will have to reorganize your life and give something else a shot.

I always recommend that you contact your local state representative and give as full an account of what happened and how the boards approached you and handled your case. 

Good luck and speed with your process and changes that you need to make for yourself.  You can do it and you will find the right path for you even though you may not have chosen to have to do it.

www.TonySamara.org or www.DharmaDialogues.org  The one site that I find has the best information for those seeking spiritual growth.  I hope you enjoy meditation and follow the advise given on this site.

Please feel free to contact me lawrencerita511@gmail.com 

Developing Strength

Being human is  the greatest gift.  We have the ability to connect with our soul and connect our soul with God and through knowing and experiencing His love we can expand that knowing and celebration of life to others.  That is what motivates me to reach out to other nurses who experience the challenge of facing a state board investigation or discipline.  It takes time to recover from the initial shock and the way in which the board investigator may contact and relate to the nurse.  There can be a calm reaction if the nurse is aware of how to handle such a situation and that is what this is about.  Letting nurses know to become proactive by having a prepaid insurance plan and to find a lawyer who specializes in license law.  It is proper and appropriate to give this information to the board when approached and ask the person to contact your attorney and set up an appointment where you can be present.  

I would like to see a 24/7 hot line for nurses so that they can have someone to turn to so that they feel supported during a very scary ordeal that leave many who do not know how to approach the situation through a lawyer feeling that their only option is to hand in their license.  

It is often during times of stress that we grow and in that process we need support because as anyone who has felt the pressure of stress: for the nurse it may involve paying a fine, having his/her career interrupted for a prolonged time and even indefinitely.  This is particularly difficult for those who are head of households.  I like many American's would like to see the economy improve and for there to be jobs.  It is a difficult time for people generally and nurses need work to support themselves and their families.

Rep. Tony Shipley (R-TN) has written two laws to provide oversight by requiring the state board of nursing to report any license that is suspended or revoked within 74 hours as well as any fines over $1,000.  I would like to see these two laws duplicated in each state as I believe that nurses will benefit from this oversight and protection.