Professional licensing is a must for the nursing profession. There are more than 3.1 million registered nurses in the United States, making nursing the nations largest health care profession. Of those licensed to be practicing registered nurses, 84.8% or 2.6 million are actually employed in nursing. The Licensed Practical Nurse or LPN is a lesser number, currently there are 690,038 LPN’s in the United States. This nation has an ever increasing percentage of older citizens and as this continues, the health care profession has a greater need for more licensed professional, especially nurses, to provide care to those who are older and ill.
There are many reasons why nursing professionals want their license to be up to date and without blemish!
Prior to being hired for any nursing position, the prospective employer checks with the professional licensing board to ensure the license is in effect and up to date. A nursing license also has periodic updates or classes to be taken to maintain licensure. A nurse that wants to be employable will be sure to keep his or her license in good status.
The board of nursing maintains professional licensing of nurses. Each state has their own nursing board and these boards manage and record licensing and renewals. Complaints against a practicing nurse go to the board and are considered for penalty which can include the nurse having the license suspended or taken away. There are lawyers for nurses. If a nurse has a complaint filed against them, they have the opportunity to hire a professional license defense attorney to assist him or her in the legal process.
Being cared for when you are ill can be a highly charged emotional experience!
People become ill, some very seriously ill and that can be a very frightening time. Sometimes the medical professional does not fully explain the types of care that are available or sometimes the person who is hurt or ill or the family member of the sick person does not agree with the kind of treatment being given to the person. As these situations unfold, there is opportunity for complaints to be filed against the nursing professionals.
The Nursing Practitioners Database reported that between 2003 and 2013 that there were a total of 67,368 adverse actions taken against LPN’s while there were only 49,543 LPN’s in the United States. However the claims only resulted in 399 medical malpractice payments and 10,579 LPN’s were reinstated after the actions. When illness and sometimes death are involved, emotions are part of the situation and claims or accusations are made, sometimes simply due to misunderstanding. However the professional licensing board is there to ensure that nursing practitioners are qualified and capable of providing correct and competent care to those who are ill.
The population of this country is getting old. More and more senior citizens require care and there is a shortage of nurses in this country. Almost all, up to 91% of nursing homes indicate they cannot find or keep adequate staff to properly care for their patients. This increases the importance of the appropriately licensed professional.
Why do you want the most professional and highly skilled nursing staff to care for your older family members?
Senior citizens are not as able to communicate their needs. They can be easily frightened and confused. They are not able to do the research and find out if their caregivers are the best or if any complaints are filed against them. They are usually in a confined facility where they do not have the option of choosing different nurses or nursing staff. The senior citizen sometimes does not have a clear memory and cannot explain to their family what happened or what care they need or did not get.
This is why there are professional licensing boards. Professional licensing ensures professional and effective nursing staff are there to care for the ill. Professional licensing in each state ensures each nurse has the licensure required to carry out the medical procedures and malpractice is handled appropriately and according to licensing guidelines.