Professional Conduct, Ethics, and Unprofessional Conduct Grounds
This section covers the conduct grounds that support Nevada Board discipline and the ethical duties behind them.
What counts as unprofessional conduct
NRS 631.350 lists grounds that support discipline: gross or repeated negligence, incompetence, fraud or misrepresentation, practicing beyond scope, abandonment, failure to maintain records, confidentiality breaches, impairment by alcohol or drugs, aiding unlicensed practice, fee splitting, and false advertising. The Board need not prove intent; the conduct itself can violate the statute.
Ethics in practice
Put patient welfare first, obtain informed consent, keep competence current, and avoid conflicts of interest. Refer when a procedure is beyond your skill. Do not abandon a patient mid-treatment without notice and an opportunity to transfer. Protect confidentiality except as required by law or authorized by the patient.
Worked example
A dentist agrees to pay a marketing company $100 for every new patient who books a crown. That is fee splitting for patient referrals and is unprofessional conduct, even if the marketing company is not a dental practice. Paying for advertising is different from paying per patient referred.
Traps
"Everyone does it" is not a defense. Don't confuse a legitimate employment bonus with fee splitting. Don't discuss a patient's care in a public area or on social media without authorization. A single act can support discipline; the Board does not need a pattern.