Citation

AbuDagga A, Wolfe SM, Carome M, Oshel RE. Public Health Nurs. 2019; 36(2): 109-117.

Affiliation

Retired from Division of Practitioner Data Banks, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, Maryland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/phn.12567

PMID

30556923

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine nurse sexual-misconduct-related reports in the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and to compare them with reports for other types of offenses. DESIGN AND POPULATION: We analyzed NPDB's reports of adverse state nursing board licensure actions and malpractice payments for all nurses from January 1, 2003, to June 30, 2016.

RESULTS: Overall, 882 nurses had sexual-misconduct-related reports. Most were aged 35-54 (63.2%), male (63.2%), and registered or advanced practice nurses (61.5%). The disciplinary actions noted in the 988 nurse sexual-misconduct-related licensure reports were more frequently serious than those noted in the 207,023 reports for other offenses committed by nurses (90.8% vs. 74.8%, respectively; p < 0.001). Of the 33 nurses with sexual-misconduct-related malpractice-payment reports, 48.5% were not disciplined by any state board of nursing for these offenses. Three-quarters of the victims in the 47 sexual-misconduct-related malpractice-payment reports were female, with "emotional injury only" reported as the severity of injury in 91.5% of these reports.

CONCLUSIONS: Very few nurses have been reported to the NPDB due to sexual misconduct. We welcome a zero-tolerance standard against sexual misconduct involving patients by all types of health care professionals, including nurses.

© 2018 Public Citizen Foundation. Public Health Nursing Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language: en

Keywords

National Practitioner Data Bank; nurse; nursing ethics; sexual misconduct; zero tolerance