Another disciplinary question

About 10-years-ago, I was arrested for stealing prescription drugs. The charges were dropped. I received a notice from the BON for an evidentiary hearing. I was told to admit guilt, which I did not. They said something about my taking an "ethics" class. I said that I did not want to do this because I felt that that was an admission of guilt. I never heard from them again.

Now that I am volunteering in a psych hospital, I have been urged to renew my license so they can hire me.

This was the lst week of this August 2004. I started contacting the BON to inquire about the status of my license. I never got a response until someone answered the phone on 8/25. (I had since found out that my license was suspended by looking on the internet.)

I was told by the Director of Discipline and Rehabilitation to write her a letter requesting that my license be reinstated.

Since I never received any paper work, I started contacting this office again.

On 9/9, I was promised by the secretary of the DIS & REHAB that the paper work would be out the following Monday. Nothing happened.

I started calling every member of the DIS & Rehab until I got a call from the Director who told me that she would send me Certified board copies surrounding the facts of the suspension in a week by DHL. I told her that I was never contacted before by the board and had no knowledge of it. She acted surprised. She also told me that happened before she was working there.

I also asked her if she could tell me anything else about the facts. She said something about "then you were on probation, a kind of mumbling of facts that she wasn't quite sure of.

My first question is, how could I go from "suspension" to "probation" without even knowing about it?

My second question is, the documents that she promised me on 9/21 to be sent by DHL a week later, never arrived, even after sending her a certified, restricted delivery letter.

On October 10, I sent the same certified, restricted delivery letter to the Director of the BON. No answers yet from anyone.

I was able to contact the Director of Dis & Rehab, but the secretary only said, we have received your emails, etc and I will put you through to her voice mail. Of course I have never gotten a reply of any kind since the promise on 9/21 to send me the Certified documents.

I don't understand the confusion about the documents stating I was "suspended" and then was on "probation," and the absolutely nonresponse to any of this.

Also, I will be retaking my NCLEX exams again in about a month because it has been after 8 years.

My next question is, the questions they ask you on your application such as "what have you done to rehabilitate yourself?" How can I rehabilitate myself for something I did not do?

The situation was a retaliatory issue with someone putting 4 drugs in my purse where every employee had keys to the med room. 1 Darvon, 1 Halcion, and don't know what the other 2 were.

I emailed a person from my original state of licensure and asked about the rehabilitation question if I was guilty of nothing. Her response "just tell the truth."

I would like and appreciate your feedback.

Thank you very much. I write because I see your kindness in helping other nurses.

mv