I Think my Colleague Violated the Nurse Practice Act: Am I Obligated to Report it to the Minnesota Board of Nursing?Nov. 29, 2017

By Melissa Heinlein, Esq.

If you are a licensed professional in the state of Minnesota and you believe that a colleague has violated the professional rules of practice, you may be required to report that information to your licensing board immediately. Although you may have developed a friendship with this colleague, and reporting their violation may be uncomfortable for you as a licensee of a Minnesota health regulatory board, you may be obligated to alert your licensing board about the violation.

Your reporting obligations to your Minnesota licensing board are outlined in Minnesota Statutes Section 148.263 and Minnesota Rules Part 6321.0500 and can be accessed here.

According to the Minnesota Board of Nursing website, "Persons licensed by any Minnesota health regulatory board, including nurses, physicians, pharmacists, nursing home administrators, psychologists, social workers, dentists, marriage and family therapists, optometrists, podiatrists and dietitians are required to report personal knowledge of a nurse's conduct reasonably believed to be grounds for disciplinary action by the Board."

If you are unsure if you should report an incident to your licensing board, contact an experienced license defense attorney for a free consultation regarding your obligations to report the conduct. It is important to know that a failure to report when required to do so may result in discipline from your board and/or civil penalties.

We have proudly represented over 100 licensed professionals before their licensing boards and have the experience to guide you through the process while also protecting your own license and livelihood. At Lord + Heinlein, we are your powerful legal voice.