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All complaint pathways
State Board of Nursing complaints
The concern involves an RN, LPN/LVN, or advanced practice nurse.
Best for
- • Nursing care concerns
- • Medication errors
- • Conduct or boundary issues
Step by step
Follow these in order — skipping a step is the most common reason a complaint stalls.
- 1Locate your state board of nursing through the NCSBN member board directory.
- 2Complete the board's complaint form and include the nurse's name and license number when known.
- 3Attach the medication administration record or nursing notes if you have them.
- 4Cooperate with investigator follow-up requests promptly.
What to expect
Acknowledgement in 2–6 weeks; investigations typically 6–12 months.
Avoid these mistakes
- If the event happened in a hospital, file with both the hospital and the board — they investigate different things.
- Request your nursing notes before filing; they are often the deciding evidence.
If nothing happens
Board review → state health department facility survey.
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Educational purposes only
Phoenix Health Compass does not provide legal advice or medical advice. This content summarizes publicly available government and nonprofit resources and is cited throughout. Always confirm requirements, deadlines, and forms with the official agency.
Last reviewed by the Phoenix Health Compass editorial team.