Filing a Complaint Against a Nurse in Florida: A Step-by-Step Guide

Nurses are committed to patient care and understanding. But sometimes nurses are not the smiling picture seen in the media. In such cases, an intervening board may be required. In Florida, the Department of Health oversees the Board of Nursing. The Department of Health handles all complaints against doctors and nurses, and other licensed medical professionals; there is a protocol to filing complaints.

Instructions

• 1

  Verify the date of the event(s) for which complaints are being filed. Events after July 1, 2006, have a six-year window for filing. Any event before that date has no time limit. However, if the event is alleged fraud or concealment, the complaint must be filed within 12 years.

• 2

  Download the appropriate complaint forms from the Department of Health website (see Resources). Or by call the Department of Health offices at 888-419-3456 or 850-245-4339 to request the forms by mail.

• 3

  Include the following item in your complaint: medical records, other pertinent documents and the completed complaint form.

• 4

  Sign the completed form and verify that it is clearly written. Have the signature notarized by a notary public.

• 5

  Mail the completed complaint and attached documents to the Florida Department of Health Consumer Services Unit at:

  Florida Department of Health

  Consumer Services Unit

  4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-75

  Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3275