DHHS Internet Website - Public Health

Registered Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse
Unprofessional Conduct

Professional conduct for nurses is nursing behavior (acts, decisions and practices) which through professional experience, have become established by the consensus of the expert opinion of practicing nurses as conduct which is reasonably necessary for the protection of the public interest. The Nebraska Board of Nursing has an Advisory Opinion on Accountability for Professional Conduct of Nurses.

RNs and LPNs are expected to provide safe and effective care for the patients they serve. Examples of behavior that would be grounds for discipline against a nurse’s license include the following. All disciplinary actions taken against a nursing license are in accordance with the Uniform Licensing Law:

• Failure to utilize appropriate judgement in administering safe nursing practice;
• Failure to exercise technical competence;
• Failure to follow policies or procedures implemented in the practice situation to safeguard patient care;
• Failure to safeguard the patient's dignity or right to privacy;
• Violating the confidentiality of information or knowledge concerning the patient;
• Verbally or physically abusing patients;
• Falsification or intentional unauthorized destruction of patient records
• Failure to maintain an accurate patient record;
• Misappropriating medications, supplies or personal items of a patient or agency;
• Committing any act which endangers patient safety or welfare;
• Delegating and/or assigning nursing interventions contrary to the standards set forth in  172 NAC 99 Regulations Governing the Provision of Nursing Care;
• Failure to exercise supervision over persons who are authorized to practice only under the direction of the licensed professional;
• Leaving a patient care nursing assignment without notifying personnel so that reasonable arrangements for continuation of care can be made;
• Failure to seek consultation, collaboration, or direction from another licensed health care provider when warranted by patient condition;
• Accepting an assignment when he/she does not have the competence to safely perform the intervention required by the assignment;
• Practice of the profession without a current active license or temporary permit;
• Failure of a licensee, who is the subject of a disciplinary investigation, to furnish the Board or its investigator with requested information or requested documents;
• Falsification or misrepresentation of material facts in attempting to procure nursing employment;
• Altering a license or temporary permit by changing the expiration date, certificate number or any other information appearing on the license;
• Intentional falsification of material facts in a material document connected with the practice of nursing;
• Violating any term of probation, condition, or limitation imposed on the licensee by the Board or Department;
• Kissing, fondling, touching or engaging in any other activities of a sexual nature with a patient.
• Failure to meet the repayment provisions for a loan received pursuant to the Nursing Student Loan Act.