Nurses: Advanced Practice May Mean Advanced Legal Issues
From George Indest’s Nursing Law Manual The advanced nurse is a registered nurse (RN) who has completed some form of advanced nursing education and training. Two types of advanced nurses are the advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) and the certified nurse specialist. In Florida, there are three types of certified nurse specialists: certified registered nurse […]
Hydrocodone Combination Drugs Could Be Reclassified to Schedule II Category of Controlled Substances
By Lance O. Leider, J.D., The Health Law Firm, and George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee voted 19 to 10 in favor of moving hydrocodone combination drugs from schedule III into the more restrictive schedule II category […]
The Ins and Outs of Florida’s 2015 Legislative Session for Health Care Providers
George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in the Legal Specialty of Health Law Committees are busy in Tallahassee as the 2015 Legislative Session is set to begin on March 3, 2015. For Florida physicians and other health care providers, now is the time to review the legislative bills […]
Nurse: Please Talk to an Attorney Before You Talk to an Investigator
By Lance Leider, J.D. In Florida, You DO NOT Have to Speak to an Investigator! Despite mailing out hundreds of thousands of postcards and letters to nurses throughout Florida, we continue to receive calls from new clients and from potential clients, after they have already spoken to and made critical harmful admissions against their own […]
Will Florida Senate Be Pressured into Expanding the Authority of Nurses?
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On April 28, 2014, the Connecticut House of Representatives approved a bill giving nurse practitioners greater autonomy to diagnose and treat patients without doctors’ oversight. Connecticut is one out of 17 states and the District of Columbia to […]
Florida Bill to Expand Authority of Nurses Flatlines During 2014 Legislative Session
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law The 2014 Legislative Session ended May 2, 2014, with the death of an omnibus health bill. House Bill 7113 would have provided provisions to expand the power of nurse practitioners to work independently of physicians’ oversight. This extension […]
The 25 Biggest Mistakes Nurses Make After Being Notified of a Department of Health Complaint
By Lance Leider, J.D. The investigation of a complaint which could lead to the revocation of a nurse’s license to practice and the assessment of tens of thousands of dollars in fines, usually starts with a simple letter from the Department of Health (DOH). This is a very serious legal matter, and it should be […]
Florida Senate Delays Broadening Baker Act Powers for Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants-Calls for a Study
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law Florida’s nurse practitioners and physician assistants were hopeful the Senate would vote to allow them to have the authority to order the involuntary commitment of a patient for mental-health evaluation under the Baker Act. However, instead on April […]
Nurses Fight for Lawmakers to Relax Laws Requiring Doctors to Oversee Their Work
By Carole C. Schriefer, R.N., J.D., The Health Law Firm and George F. Indest, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law There’s a controversial tug-of-war in the health care industry. According to The Washington Post, in 11 states nursing groups are pushing legislation that would permit nurses with master’s degrees […]
Florida Nurse Practitioners Fight for Autonomy
By George F. Indest III, J.D., M.P.A., LL.M., Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Health Law On February 18, 2014, a bill that would expand the authority of nurse practitioners and would allow some to practice independently of physicians was approved by the Florida House Select Committee on Health Care Workforce Innovations. Despite opposition […]