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Crossing the line: Sexual misconduct by nurses reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank
Azza AbuDagga1, Sidney M Wolfe1, Michael Carome1
1Health Research Group, Public Citizen Washington, District of Columbia.
Public Health Nursing (Boston, Mass.)
|December 18, 2018
Summary
Few nurses face reports for sexual misconduct in the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB). Disciplinary actions for nurse sexual misconduct are more severe than for other offenses, highlighting a need for zero tolerance.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Nursing Practice
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- Sexual misconduct by healthcare professionals is a serious concern.
- Understanding the prevalence and nature of nurse sexual misconduct is crucial for patient safety.
- The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) is a key resource for tracking professional misconduct.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze nurse sexual misconduct reports in the NPDB.
- To compare these reports with those of other nurse offenses.
- To assess the severity of disciplinary actions and malpractice payments related to sexual misconduct.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of NPDB adverse licensure actions and malpractice payments for nurses.
- Data collection period: January 1, 2003, to June 30, 2016.
- Comparison of sexual misconduct reports with reports for other nurse offenses.
Main Results:
- 882 nurses had sexual misconduct reports; most were male, aged 35-54.
- Sexual misconduct reports led to more serious disciplinary actions (90.8%) compared to other offenses (74.8%).
- Nearly half of nurses with malpractice reports for sexual misconduct faced no state board discipline; most victims were female with emotional injury.
Conclusions:
- Nurse sexual misconduct reports to the NPDB are infrequent but involve serious offenses.
- A zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct involving patients is recommended for all healthcare professionals.
- Further investigation into disciplinary actions for sexual misconduct is warranted.
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