Nursing jobs and healthcare workers affected by Florida law designed to crackdown on fraud

A little-noticed provision in the 160-page measure is preventing doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians and others licensed by the state from working in Florida if they have old felony convictions for fraud or drugs.

The law, which went into effect July 1, prohibits applicants who’ve had such convictions – even if unrelated to Medicaid or other government programs – from getting new or renewed licenses until at least 15 years after they’ve completed their sentences, including probation. The ban also applies to no contest pleas and cases where judges have withheld findings of guilt. More than 30 license applications have been denied or withdrawn because of the law.

Here’s the irony: The provision covers only those who have violated Florida or federal laws. Applicants convicted of the same crimes in other states can still be licensed in Florida.

“To favor people who commit their crimes out of state doesn’t make any sense,” said Anna Small, legislative counsel for the Florida Nurses Association. Read full story.

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MADISON, Wis. – A nurse was called out of surgery so a manager could tell her she was being laid off. Dean Health said the surgery was minor and the patient wasn’t affected, but the manager who summoned the nurse from surgery violated medical protocol. Dean Health spokesman Paul Pitas said the incident happened at Dean’s West Clinic in Madison on Wednesday or Thursday.

Pitas said there was a period of time in which a nurse wasn’t present during the procedure. He said while there were other clinical staff present, the absence of a nurse is a violation of patient care procedures.

The Madison-based health care provider announced Wednesday that it planned to “immediately” lay off 90 employees.

Pitas declined to name the employees involved or what type of surgery the nurse was attending when she was called away.

His wife, Kate, is a doctoral student with a National Institutes of Health fellowship has a limited income, and two more years of schooling left. Gabe abd his wife had budgeted for him to be without a job until April, but he’s up against the deadline.

“We budgeted for us to get that income now, but I’m still looking,” he said. “We sure would love not to draw on savings.”

More experienced nurses who might have chosen to retire are staying, and those who worked part time have moved to full time, squeezing out new graduates.

Gabe feels that like the country, he and his wife are building their foundation now, and although their finances, and the national economy, might be gloomy, things will improve soon.

“I have no worries about our long term prospects,” he said. “I trust that sooner rather than later I will land a job in the field I want to work in.”