Why an Arizona Nurse Should Not Voluntarily Surrender

Why should an Arizona nurse not voluntarily surrender?

A voluntary surrender will place a permanent mark on a nurse’s record. Thus, a nurse must absolutely ensure they are making an informed decision.

What is A Voluntary Surrender?

Voluntary surrender is when a licensee voluntarily surrenders a professional license or voluntarily agrees not to renew one’s license, usually to resolve an outstanding complaint instead of going through the investigatory process that could lead to discipline, suspension, or revocation.

Voluntary surrender is considered formal discipline. Any formal disciplinary action from the Arizona Nursing Board gets reported to NURSYS and the National Practitioner Database.

What is NURSYS?

NURSYS is a comprehensive national database that enables nurses to gain access to information about their practice privileges and the state board they registered with. Employers can also use this service because it helps them verify whether someone meets the necessary requirements on licensing, discipline history, and past employment records from one source.

Under current Arizona law, once a disciplinary action is reported to NURSYS from the Arizona Nursing Board, one can never remove it. They used to remove the disciplinary actions from the Board’s website after five years. However, that policy has changed now that the Board no longer hosts its own license verification.

Administrative Penalty by the Arizona Board of Nursing

In Arizona law, nurses can receive an administrative penalty from the Arizona Board of Nursing for a few reasons.

These Arizona Nursing Board Administrative Violations include:

• Failure to renew a nursing license or nurse assistant certificate. Nurses must renew their licenses on time while continuing to practice nursing or face consequences.
• Failing to notify the Arizona Board of Nursing in writing within thirty days after an address change.

Penalties in Connection to Administrative Violations

When a nurse receives a fine from the Arizona Board of Nursing, it can be as much as $1,000.00.

The amount the Board can impose upon a nurse depends on the violation. For example, if a nurse fails to notify the Board of a change in address, the nurse will most likely get a warning or a small fine. Another example is when a nurse is practicing without a license. But they haven’t intended to deceive the Board of Nursing by failing to renew. In this instance, there are specific fines. RNs and LPNs have fines ranging from $100 to $500, while a Certified Nursing Assistant can see penalties ranging from $25 to $75.

It is important to note when there has been a violation, the Board of Nursing will refer the employer of the violating nurse to the Arizona Department of Health Services (DHS).

It generally happens when the nurse fails to renew for two months or more. After being referred to the DHS, the employer can also sanction the nurse.

Arizona Nursing Board Discipline

When a nurse faces a complaint or investigation by their nursing board, they may face the Arizona Board of Nursing disciplinary actions. Facing disciplinary action can have vast repercussions on a nursing career. It can include license probation, suspension, or revocation. It can also jeopardize employment.

A nurse under investigation can face termination at their current job after receiving a complaint or after the Board initiates an investigation.

Allegations that Could Lead To Disciplinary Action

Certain allegations can cause a nurse to receive disciplinary action. These include:

• Improper record keeping
• Reporting false information
• Negligence
• Physical abuse of patients
• Sexual abuse of patients
• Criminal convictions
• Substance Abuse
• Disruptive Conduct

AZ Nurses Complaint

Any discipline a nurse receives from the Arizona Board of Nursing depends upon the violation. There’s a whole range of disciplines that can occur. Not only can a license be revoked, but there can also be a denial of certification or licensure.

There can also be civil penalties. Sometimes the Board requires a voluntary surrender of the license or a probation period.

Arizona Nursing Regulatory Journal Disciplinary Action

The Arizona Board of Nursing publishes a report detailing Arizona Nursing Regulatory Journal Disciplinary Action of all disciplinary action regarding licensed nursing assistants (LNA), registered nurses (RN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), and Nurse Practitioners in the Arizona State Board of Nursing Quarterly Regulatory Journal (Journal).

The report lists currently licensed, or certified nurses and any applicants or re-applicants denied certification or licensure. 

The Arizona Board of Nursing publishes a report every time a disciplinary action takes place. It happens with any RN, LPNs, and CNAs, including applicants, denied their certification or licensure. 

This report goes into the Arizona State Board of Nursing Quarterly Journal.

The report lists in detail the following:

• The effective date of the disciplinary action
• Nurse’s name
• Certificate number
• Discipline taken
• Nature of the violation

Using a Nursing Title

In Arizona, some laws regulate who can use certain nursing titles. The nurse must follow these Arizona Nursing Title Restrictions restrictions strictly. If they’re not, they can lead to severe consequences with the Arizona Board of Nursing.

Individuals who use a title they have not legally obtained can face disciplinary actions. People who use a title of a license or have had their license revoked also fall under this category.

Consultation with Chelle Law

If you’re interested in learning more about our Arizona Nursing Board Discipline services and how to protect your rights, set up a consultation with Chelle Law and our Arizona Nursing Attorney. Reach out to us today.