By Barbara Forshier on December 12th, 2025 in
Many nurses assume personal issues won’t impact their career, but this isn’t always true. Often nurses think they can compartmentalize and leave their personal issues outside of work. Unfortunately, whether you recognize it or not, your personal life can impact your practice. If you are under stressors at home, it could cause you to be distracted at work, or cause you to lose sleep. Coming to work when you have not had adequate sleep can negatively impact your practice. If you are unable to sleep or feeling overly stressed about personal issues, consider taking a leave of absence and seek professional assistance.
What Personal Issues Can Lead To a Nursing Board Investigation?
Some examples of personal matters that could trigger Board of Nursing attention include:
- Failure to pay child support will lead to an automatic suspension
- Criminal charges, depending on the charge, can lead to the Board requesting that you cease practice until the criminal matter is resolved. Be sure you speak to a professional nursing license defense attorney before you agree to anything
- Substance abuse, including both drug and alcohol addiction
- Mental health issues
An investigation begins with a complaint being filed or by answering “Yes” to certain nursing license renewal questions. You may then receive a Letter of Inquiry or a Notice of Conference from the Board of Nursing that will detail the allegations, as well as specify a date by which you must respond and/or appear for a conference.
Why Personal Problems Can Matter to the Nursing Board
The Board’s mission is to protect the public, our patients. Nurses have a duty under the Nurse Practice Act to provide safe, competent patient care.
Not all complaints lead to discipline. You will have the opportunity to present your side to the a Board of Nursing Review “Panel.” (Unfortunately, the Review “Panel” is often only one Board member, who may not even be a nurse.) A nursing license defense attorney will help you prepare by advising you on steps to take prior to appearing for a conference or responding to the Board. The advice may be to seek a therapist or other professional to demonstrate to the Board that you are taking care of yourself.
How a License Discipline Could Affect Your Nursing Career
Some potential outcomes of a complaint include:
- Probation under a Stay of Suspension: Under a stay of suspension, you will be allowed to continue practicing, but may be subject to certain restrictions. This can involve limitations on your controlled substance access, professional substance abuse or mental health monitoring, or required reports from your supervisor.
- Education: You may be asked to take on additional training or a mandatory education course in order to continue to practice.
- Fine/Civil Penalty: If the allegations against you are determined to be true, you may be ordered to pay a civil penalty.
- Suspension: Suspension can range from one to several years.
- License revocation: In some serious cases, your license can be revoked. To return to nursing after the time period ordered, you must retake the NCLEX.
- Dismissal: Of course this is the best outcome. There will be no public record and the entire investigation will remain confidential.
What Should You Do If You’re Under Investigation By the Minnesota Board of Nursing?
Take steps as soon as possible to protect your nursing license. You should:
- Review the Board’s initial notification: The initial Complaint Notification Letter is supposed to be sent to you within 60 days of the Board receiving a complaint. However, often the Board fails to notify nurses as statutorily required.
- Keep records and notes: If the complaint is a result of an employment action, be sure to have the termination letter. If the complaint involves an arrest, make sure you have the court documents, police report and any other important documents related to the charge.
- Contact a nursing license defense attorney: The sooner you contact an attorney the better. The attorney can guide you on actions to take, documents to obtain and discuss the situation prior to you having to respond to the Board.
- Avoid any actions that can make matters more complicated: Do not confront the colleague or patient who has accused you. Do not post about the situation on social media. If you can avoid conflict, complications, and any kind of escalation during the investigation, do so whenever possible. Avoid anything that might add another layer you would need to address before the Board.
Contact Forshier Law for Help Defending Your Nursing License
Don’t wait until the situation escalates before you contact an attorney. Forshier Law is owned by Barbara Forshier, who spent 40 years in the nursing field in addition to 17 years as an attorney dedicated to defending nurses. If you need help handling a personal problem that has become a matter of scrutiny for the Board of Nursing, get in touch today. We offer flat-fee legal defense.
