Unfortunately, this is the stage of the disciplinary process that most nurses do not seek legal advice when they need it the most!
A nurse may be reported by the public, a peer or an employer and in Illinois, there is a provision that requires nurses to report themselves. In any case, a file is opened at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and an investigator will start the investigative process. The investigative process includes requests for interviews with you and any individual included in the complaint, as well as requests for written statements and requests for relevant documentation. Please be advised that anything you say or any document you provide will be put into a detailed report that will be used against you at your evidentiary hearing. Members of the Investigative Unit of the Department are very savvy when it comes to eliciting information as they are mostly former detectives or investigators from state and federal agencies.
