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The Arizona Board of Nursing (“Board”) is given wide-ranging investigative powers when determining whether to discipline licensed or certified nurses practicing in Arizona. The Board has the power to suspend, revoke or limit a nurse’s license or certificate after it has completed an investigation.
If the Board concludes, after an investigation, that reasonable grounds exist to bring disciplinary action against a nurse, the Board will serve the nurse with written notice of the possible disciplinary action. The written notice will contain:
- The facts gathered by the investigator along with the specific rules or statutes that the Board believes were violated.
- A request that the nurse rebuts or explains why the Board should not take disciplinary action.
A nurse must submit a written request for a hearing within 30 days from the service of the notice letter or the Board will consider all of the allegations admitted and the Board will take disciplinary action.
No nurse should fail to ask for a hearing to explain the facts surrounding the investigation. Arizona law allows anyone under investigation before the Board to have an attorney present at the hearing. The hearing will give the nurse and their attorney an opportunity to explain their side of the story and hopefully minimize any disciplinary action taken.
Know your rights! Contact an attorney and request a hearing. Do not let the Board pass judgment without hearing your side of the story first.
If you have any questions about investigations by the Arizona Board of Nursing contact Attorney Robert Chelle.
