How Long Does an Arizona Nurse Have to Report a Criminal Charge? | Criminal Reporting
In reporting a felony, people often ask how long an Arizona nurse has to report a criminal charge.
ARS 32-3208 requires that nursing licensees and applicants for a nursing license must report misdemeanor criminal charges involving conduct that may affect patient safety or a felony to the Arizona Board of Nursing within ten working days after the charge is filed. A working day would be considered Monday through Friday.
Links of Interest:
- Can a Nurse Work While Under Investigation with the Arizona Nursing Board?
- Is a Letter of Concern from the Arizona Board of Nursing Public?
Failure to Report is a Violation
Failure to report a reportable criminal charge within ten business days violates the Arizona Nurse Practice Act and could result in disciplinary action.
What Crimes Must Be Reported?
A nurse must report a felony within ten days of being charged. The following types of misdemeanor or other criminal offenses/charges are crimes that the Board has determined to be reportable pursuant to A.RS § 32-3208:
Types of Criminal Offenses
- Assault and Related Offenses
- Theft and Related Offenses
- Fraud, Deceit, and Related Offenses
- Abuse, Neglect, Exploitation of a Child or Vulnerable Adult, and Related Offenses
- Sexual and Related Offenses
- Drug and/or Alcohol Related Offenses
- Arson and Related Offenses
- Animal Abuse, Cruelty, and Related Offenses
How quickly do you need to report a DUI?
Self-Reporting a DUI for an Arizona Nurse is important. All DUIs must be reported to the Arizona Board of Nursing within ten days of being charged. Besides handling a possible conviction in a criminal court, nurses must also quickly notify the AZBON in writing.
If you’re facing a DUI, avoiding reporting the violation is not a good idea. Should the Board find out by other means, the discipline you would face would be more extensive. If you have been arrested, we recommend contacting an attorney immediately.
Any nurse needs to know. If you’re facing charges, you must report them to the AZBON within ten working days. It includes misdemeanor and other criminal charges, offenses, or citations.
Drug and alcohol-related offenses include driving under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs, the sale of or the use of drugs, distribution, growing, or manufacturing of drugs, and possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia.
There are some cases the nurse does not need to report to the Board. It is because they are low-risk and do not involve patient care. These cases include:
- Co-worker disputes or personality conflicts
- Tardiness
- Rudeness to peers
- Labor/management disputes and more.
But of course, anything related to drug or alcohol charges would not come under this heading.
Criminal Charges for Nurses with the Arizona Board
When a professional applies to the Arizona State Board of Nursing, they must disclose a felony criminal court conviction (and other similar offenses) on their application. A nurse must self-report a felony no matter how much time or years have passed since the conviction.
After self-reporting occurs, the Board contacts the nurse and initiates an investigation utilizing the law of the AZ Nurse Practice Act.
The investigation helps to determine whether the nursing professional is a danger to the public, has any medical or mental health problems and whether the nurse has rehabilitated since the criminal incident occurred. Simply put, the Nursing Board wants to know whether the RN, LPN, or NP applicant can provide safe nursing care.
Arizona Nursing Mandatory Reporting
Current nurses who have received a conviction (or have been charged) since the time of licensing must self-report to the AZ Board of Nursing Examiners. When self-reporting, remember to include all facts on the criminal charges.
No matter the type of felony, you will be better off self-reporting to avoid severe penalties (like continuing education). These penalties could appear on your license verification with the scope of the offenses listed, including some details.
Protecting Your License During and After Criminal Charge Reporting
For direct legal help, contact us today or see our Nursing License Defense Attorney page.