Why an Arizona Nurse Should Not Voluntarily Surrender
A voluntary surrender will place a permanent mark on a nurse’s record; thus a nurse must make absolutely certain they are making an informed decision. A voluntary surrender is when a licensee chooses voluntarily to surrender 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.
A voluntary surrender is considered formal discipline. Any formal disciplinary action from the Arizona Nursing Board is 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 are registered with. Employers can use this service as well because it helps them verify whether someone meets necessary requirements on licensing, discipline history and past employment records all from one source.
Under current Arizona law, once a disciplinary action is reported to NURSYS from the Arizona Nursing Board it can never be removed. Disciplinary actions used to be removed from the Board’s website after 5 years; however, that policy has changed now that the Board no longer hosts their own license verification.
Administrative Violations
In Arizona law, nurses can receive an administrative penalty by the Arizona Board of Nursing for few reasons. These Arizona Nursing Board Administrative Violations include:
- The failure to renew a nursing license or nurse assistant certificate. Nurses must renew their license in a timely manner while continuing to practice nursing or face consequences.
- Failing to notify the Arizona Board of Nursing in writing within thirty days after a change in address.
Administrative Penalties
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 hasn’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 fines 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). This 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 if they so choose.
If you’re interested in learning more about our Arizona Nursing Board Discipline services services and how to protect your rights, set up a consultation with Chelle Law and our Arizona Nursing Attorney reach out to us today.