{"title":"Risk Factors for Recidivism in Nursing Practice: A Criminal Conviction Case Review Cohort Study","authors":"Elizabeth H. Zhong PhD, Brendan Martin PhD","doi":"10.1016/S2155-8256(22)00067-9","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Boards of nursing (BONs) investigate complaints and take disciplinary actions against the licenses of nurses in order to maintain patient safety. For nurses with prior criminal convictions, the potential risks to patient safety have not been formally evaluated.</p></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><p>This study aims to assess the impact of a nurse’s prior criminal conviction(s) on the risk of recidivism in nursing practice and to investigate whether nurses who were disciplined by BONs for a crime but retained an active nursing license posed a subsequent risk to public safety.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>We reviewed Nursys discipline data from 2008–2018 to compare the risk of recidivism for nurses sanctioned for criminal convictions between 2012–2013 and those disciplined for other violations. The type of crimes and disciplinary actions taken by BONs were recoded and analyzed.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The 5-year recidivism rate of nurses who received disciplinary actions for criminal convictions between 2012 and 2013 was 38%, which is comparable to the recidivism rate among nurses in the control group (36%). Overall, among those who had a criminal conviction history yet retained an active license, 4% committed a practice-related violation or crime within the 5-year postdisciplinary period. Three factors correlated with recidivism: (1) committing a crime related to substance use disorder, (2) committing a crime related to nursing practice, and (3) committing multiple crimes.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The majority of nurses who were disciplined by BONs for a criminal conviction and allowed to remain in nursing practice did not receive additional disciplinary actions by BONs for committing subsequent practice-related violations or crimes during the 5-year post disciplinary period. The current study suggests that the licensure and discipline procedures used by BONs in response to criminal convictions help to reduce the risk of patient harm in nursing practice, thereby aligning with their mission of public protection.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":46153,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","volume":"13 2","pages":"Pages 34-39"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2000,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Nursing Regulation","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2155825622000679","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
Background
Boards of nursing (BONs) investigate complaints and take disciplinary actions against the licenses of nurses in order to maintain patient safety. For nurses with prior criminal convictions, the potential risks to patient safety have not been formally evaluated.
Objective
This study aims to assess the impact of a nurse’s prior criminal conviction(s) on the risk of recidivism in nursing practice and to investigate whether nurses who were disciplined by BONs for a crime but retained an active nursing license posed a subsequent risk to public safety.
Methods
We reviewed Nursys discipline data from 2008–2018 to compare the risk of recidivism for nurses sanctioned for criminal convictions between 2012–2013 and those disciplined for other violations. The type of crimes and disciplinary actions taken by BONs were recoded and analyzed.
Results
The 5-year recidivism rate of nurses who received disciplinary actions for criminal convictions between 2012 and 2013 was 38%, which is comparable to the recidivism rate among nurses in the control group (36%). Overall, among those who had a criminal conviction history yet retained an active license, 4% committed a practice-related violation or crime within the 5-year postdisciplinary period. Three factors correlated with recidivism: (1) committing a crime related to substance use disorder, (2) committing a crime related to nursing practice, and (3) committing multiple crimes.
Conclusion
The majority of nurses who were disciplined by BONs for a criminal conviction and allowed to remain in nursing practice did not receive additional disciplinary actions by BONs for committing subsequent practice-related violations or crimes during the 5-year post disciplinary period. The current study suggests that the licensure and discipline procedures used by BONs in response to criminal convictions help to reduce the risk of patient harm in nursing practice, thereby aligning with their mission of public protection.
期刊介绍：
Journal of Nursing Regulation (JNR), the official journal of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN®), is a quarterly, peer-reviewed, academic and professional journal. It publishes scholarly articles that advance the science of nursing regulation, promote the mission and vision of NCSBN, and enhance communication and collaboration among nurse regulators, educators, practitioners, and the scientific community. The journal supports evidence-based regulation, addresses issues related to patient safety, and highlights current nursing regulatory issues, programs, and projects in both the United States and the international community. In publishing JNR, NCSBN''s goal is to develop and share knowledge related to nursing and other healthcare regulation across continents and to promote a greater awareness of regulatory issues among all nurses.
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