Discipline

While the vast majority of nurses are competent and caring individuals who provide care according to the standard, violations of the nurse practice act do happen. The board of nursing (BON), through its statutory authority specified in the nurse practice act, is responsible for reviewing and acting on complaints in order to fulfill their mission to protect the public. If the after a thorough investigation, the BON determines there is sufficient basis that the nurse violated the act or regulations, the BON may take disciplinary action on the nurse’s license. Currently, the annual rate of discipline on a nursing license is less than one percent.

From Complaint to Resolution

The graphic below demonstrates the disciplinary process from receipt of complaint to resolution and reporting. The process is also summarized in the NCSBN video Board of Nursing Complaint Process: Investigation to Resolution.