The Nurse Practice Act in the State of Ohio (R.C. 4723) sets out certain instances when the Nursing Board can take a disciplinary action against a nurse. In most instances, the Nursing Board will issue a Notice of Opportunity for Hearing to the nurse that addresses the allegations against the nurse, note the Code section that the nurse is alleged to have violated, and offer the nurse an opportunity to request a hearing prior to the Nursing Board issuing any sanction against a nurse.
However, in instances when the Nursing Board believes that allowing the nurse to continue to practice presents danger of “immediate and serious harm to the public,” the Nursing Board can suspend the license prior to offering the nurse a hearing. In previous blog posts, I have noted instances when a nurse has been convicted of a serious crime (aggravated murder, murder, gross sexual imposition, etc.) in which the Nursing Board automatically suspended a license prior to offering the nurse a hearing.
The Nursing Board has automatically suspended a nursing license prior to offering the nurse a hearing though in less seriously instances. For example, if a nurse is under probation with the Nursing Board and subject to terms in an Adjudication Order or Consent Agreement and violates any terms of the Agreement the Nursing Board will automatically suspended their nursing license prior to offering them a hearing. Violations of Consent Agreements (such as testing positive on a random drug test or failing to notify the Nursing Board of their employment) has triggered an automatically suspension.
Once the license has been automatically suspended, the nurse can request a hearing and present evidence in their defense. However, during the hearing process or while negotiating terms of an Amended Consent Agreement, the nurse’s license remains suspended. It is imperative when entering into any Consent Agreement with the Nursing Board that the nurse understands the terms of the Consent Agreement, because failure to comply with the terms, limitations or conditions of the Consent Agreement can result in an automatic suspension of their nursing license.
As always, if you have any questions about this post or the Ohio Board of Nursing in general, please feel free to contact one of the attorneys at the Collis Law Group at 614-486-3909 or email me at beth@collislaw.com.
Ohio Legal Counsel to Professionals 
Can the public sit in on a nurses “notice of opportunity hearing”? Are these notices listed on the OBN’s website? Are you familiar with what nurse refresher courses the BON will accept and what is their specific criteria for “extensive orientation”?
Yes. All Notices for Opportunity for Hearing are public records and are listed on the Nursing Board website or can be accessed on line. The actual hearing is also open to the public and anyone may attend. In terms of the nurse refresher course, the Nursing Board has a list of courses that have been pre-approved. You should contact your Monitoring Agent to obtain a copy of the approved list. Then, contact each course to check for cost and length of the course as the courses range in price from $300-$1500. Good luck.