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Based upon public records obtained by the nursing license defense attorneys at Graff & McGovern, the Ohio Board of Nursing, following its July 2017 Board Meeting, mailed 133 Notices of Opportunity for Hearing to its licensees. This is the fourth set of Notices issued by the Ohio Board of Nursing for 2017; and it appears as though the Board is keeping up with the pace at which it has issued Notices during 2017.

The July 2017 Notices of Opportunity for Hearing alleged numerous types of violations of the Ohio Nurse Practice Act. Out of the total 133 Notices mailed, the most common alleged violations related to: 1) reciprocal/sister state discipline, with a total of 37 Notices mailed; and 2) failure to follow restrictions imposed on nursing licenses (including probationary terms) with a total of 22 Notices mailed.

Other common alleged violations, ordered below based upon the number of Notices mailed (highest to lowest), include: 1) felony drug related offenses (such as trafficking, possessing, consuming, distributing and theft of drugs); 2) other felony or misdemeanor offenses that are not drug related (including theft, possession of illegal tools and burglary); 3) substance abuse (drugs and/or alcohol); 4) false claims, misrepresentations or falsification of document; and 5) failure to practice within safe standards reached a total of eight Notices.

The least common alleged violations, ordered below based upon the number of Notices mailed (lowest to highest), include: 1) unlicensed practice after failing to renew a license; 2) failing to maintain professional boundaries with patients; and 3) impairment of ability to practice safe nursing care because of the usage of drugs / alcohol and/or physical / mental disability.

Any nurses receiving a Notice of Opportunity for Hearing from the Ohio Board of Nursing should strongly consider consulting with an experienced nursing license defense attorney to protect their interests; and they should be mindful of the need to submit a written hearing request to the Nursing Board no later than 30 days from the date the Board mailed the Notice. The failure to comply with the 30-day deadline will leave a nurse with none of the rights afforded by Ohio Revised Code Chapter 119; and it will enable the Nursing Board to sanction the nurse’s license without obtaining any input and/or agreement from the nurse.

If you need a nursing license defense lawyer to assist you in defending against charges in a Notice of Opportunity for Hearing received from the Ohio Board of Nursing and/or if you have questions about the Ohio Board of Nursing, please call Jim McGovern at 614-228-5800, x2 for a no charge initial consultation.