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Prepared by: Jeffrey Fortkamp, Esq.

Back in July 2025, we shared with you Finally, a Path Forward: Ohio Board of Nursing Opens the Door to Lifting Permanent Practice Restrictions. As a new associate with the Firm and having recently assisted several nurses with their application to remove permanent practice restrictions, I want to share a couple insights. And, if you currently have permanent practice restrictions on your Ohio nursing license, I want to encourage you to pursue this path towards lifting those permanent restrictions.

We work with many nurses, especially those who, for numerous reasons, have had their license suspended and then restricted. The Ohio Board of Nursing offers many nurses who have had their license suspended a path to progressively reinstate their license, which is good public policy: supporting both professional rehabilitation and advancement; and sustaining and building nursing capacity at a time when Ohio and the nation face critical nursing shortages, without compromising public safety.

I have many friends and family members who are nurses and I know the passion they have for their profession and the individuals they serve. And, I also know that life is complicated and sometimes events happen because of substance use disorders, among other factors, that lead to poor choices by professionals.  For some nurses, those poor choices result in the suspension of their license to practice, which is not only a loss of income, but of their joy and passion.

For decades, the Ohio Board of Nursing would suspend a nurse’s license when necessary to protect the public.  For example, a suspension would be imposed if the nurse engaged in illegal behavior or had a substance use disorder. The Board would then establish requirements for granting reinstatement of a license, followed by a probationary period with additional terms and conditions for the nurse to follow. As part of the initial suspension, the Board would occasionally place permanent practice restrictions on the nurse’s license. Those restrictions prevented the nurse from providing in-home care, doing volunteer nursing, and working as an independent contractor or for a staffing agency. Other restrictions include not being permitted to serve in nursing management or supervisory roles. For cases involving drugs, the Board would also restrict the nurse from administering, having access to, or possessing any narcotics, which greatly limits the types of nursing positions those nurses could hold.

Until recently, nurses who had served their discipline, satisfied monitoring conditions, and proven rehabilitation could have their license reinstated and be released from probation, but they were still left with these career-long permanent practice restrictions. That has now changed.

The Ohio Board of Nursing recently acknowledged that nurses who have demonstrated long-term compliance, abstinence, and professionalism may be ready to return to unrestricted practice even though the Board had imposed permanent restrictions on their Ohio licenses. However, there are some things nurses need to do before being released from any permanent practice restrictions.

Read our Finally, a Path Forward: Ohio Board of Nursing Opens the Door to Lifting Permanent Practice Restrictions article to learn about the specific criteria and process to be released from permanent practice restrictions – and how we can help you.

There is no guarantee that permanent practice restrictions will be removed, but our goal is to help present to the Board why YOUR permanent practice restrictions should be removed. Not only will we help you prepare a complete and professional-looking application; we will also ensure that if you do in fact meet all the requirements to have your restrictions removed, that the application uniquely, clearly, and authentically demonstrates that.

This is your application.  We want to help you show how the permanent restrictions have impacted you, and how you are a much different and better person and professional than when your license was suspended and saddled with permanent restriction by the Ohio Board of Nursing. We also want to help you show the Board that you are ready and able to return to the full, unrestricted practice of nursing.

The Nursing Board meets six times a year (in January, March, May, July, September, and November), so an application needs to be submitted the month before a scheduled Board meeting to ensure timely consideration.  Please know that it typically takes us a couple hours spread over days and sometimes weeks to collect, organize, and prepare the application.

This all may sound overwhelming, but we are here to help you navigate this process.  We have the knowledge, experience, and commitment to help you return to the full, unrestricted practice of nursing.

Contact us today to begin the process of reclaiming your full license.