MEDICAL & NURSING BOARD HEARINGS

When you’re facing a medical and nursing board hearing, it can affect your state license and your entire career. The uncertainty involved with the hearing can also make it difficult for you to focus on the day-to-day of your profession until you know what the verdict will be. Thankfully, there are several steps that experts agree are worth your time.

5 Do’s When Being Investigated by the Board

The Zur Institute, which provides innovative resources and online continuing education provides five strong recommendations to medical professionals facing a board hearing:

• Contact your malpractice insurance carrier. Do this as early as possible after hearing from the board that you have a hearing. In many cases, this step is even required by your policy. This step can also protect you down the line.

• Contact a knowledgeable attorney immediately. You don’t want to leave your fate in the hands of just any attorney. Look for one with experience that’s directly related to your case and, ideally, one that’s worked with this specific board before. One great way to find such an attorney is to ask other professionals in your field who have been through a board hearing.

• Help your attorney identify top experts. In certain cases, having an expert weigh in on your hearing can be beneficial and can greatly improve your chances of keeping your license. If you and your attorney decide that this is true for your case, take the time to find the right expert as an uninformed or unhelpful one can do more harm than good. Zur Institute recommends going online, carefully reading the expert’s articles, and making sure that their experience is closely related to your specific case.

• Be active in your defense. While having the proper attorney and expert witness definitely helps, that doesn’t mean that you should take a passive approach to your hearing. The right attorney will guide you through the steps and handle much of the preparation, but it’s still important for you to actively work with them to help them understand your case and help them locate relevant information that only you may know.

• Be intentional about self-care over a long period of time. You worked so hard to earn your state license, and just the thought of losing it can be incredibly stressful. On top of that, some hearings can take a long time to pan out. During this stressful time, it’s important that you continue to take care of yourself by exercising, relaxing, keeping up with hobbies that you love, and establishing a reliable support system to help you through.

One of the best things you can do as you prepare for a board hearing is to find an attorney you really trust. Working with a professional who is diligent, experienced, and caring will help give you peace of mind throughout your case.