National Council of State Boards of Nursing

I had the pleasure of speaking at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) – Attorney Investigator Conference last week in Chicago. The NCSBN has sixty member boards covering all of the United States. Their collaborative mandate is to ensure public safety through the regulation of the nursing profession. I was very impressed with the attendees of the conference and their keen interest in their own professional development and trends in nursing regulation. I spoke to the group on investigations practice and guarding against pitfalls that may call into question the competence and ethics of an investigator. This is a very important issue as there has been a trend in regulation for process, accuracy, and integrity of investigations and those who conduct them to be called into question. There are many ways to avoid negative issues and ensure the success of an investigation. This begins with an  understanding that success in an investigation is getting to the truth through a fair, consistent and timely process.