Health care professionals may find they are in need of criminal charge reporting assistance. If you are facing who charges for a misdemeanor involving conduct that may affect patient safety, you must notify the appropriate licensing board (Board). To do this, you must provide notification in writing after the charge is filed and within ten working days. Being charged with a crime simply means a police officer has issued an arrest or citation and has sent copies of their report to the prosecutor’s office for review.
Failure to report the criminal charge within ten working days can result in an act of unprofessional conduct. The Board may also impose a fine of not more than $1000, in addition to disciplinary action.
Why Nurses Need Criminal Charge Reporting Assistance:
- You cannot rely on your criminal defense attorney to advise you in matters regarding licensing board matters.
- A licensing board attorney will facilitate communication between themselves and your criminal defense attorney.
- Did you know you should not contact any representative from the Board in regards to your criminal matter?
- An attorney who will assist you in protecting your license will explain the importance of not discussing your criminal matter with supervisors, administrators or colleagues.
- Document everything in detail. Your memory regarding the incident will degrade over time, so it is important to document names, dates, places, etc. These documents will help your attorney represent you and possibly lessen the disciplinary action you’re facing.
- Withhold past crimes or failing to list new convictions on your re-application is a bad idea.
There are a large number of crimes that must be reported to the Board if a licensee has been charged. However, most licensed behavioral health professionals tend to conceal the charge rather than self-report. If you hide the charge from the Board and they discover it you will face discipline not only for the charge itself, but also for concealing the matter. Remember, a charge is not a conviction and it is better to reveal the charge at the beginning rather than face a sanction from the Board for failure to disclose. Many individuals are told they must only report a conviction, but this is not true. Don’t be the recipient of bad advice from a criminal defense attorney. Contact a professional license attorney if you are unsure.