BON mandated order,can i ever get another job

[rnlife365]

In my first job out of nursing school, I was caught up in a work environment that promoted "pranks" and "humor" and I made a mistake I deeply regret.

I sprayed a patient once on his bicep using a can of "pain ease" lidocaine while they were sleeping once discharged in the waiting room. I know it sounds horrendous, but at the time, it seemed harmless. my supervisors had earlier been spraying me with cans of "pain ease" and it was often a common theme amongst employees on our floor.

a coworker had recorded me spraying the patient on a smart phone. i was turned in by another coworker who had witnessed the event. I was immediately terminated and turned into the board of nursing.

At the time, I didnt want my coworker to get in trouble and I knew I was already going to be suspended or fired so i took the blame and said it was me who had recorded the incident in addition to performing it. Had i known that I was going to get reported to the board of nursing, i would have said that I wasn't the one who recorded it, because now it looks significantly worse on my part and to the BON.

I sought legal advice who told me not to tell the board that I wasn't the one who recorded it. they said that i shoudl have reported her to begin with when I had been terminated. Because now, after having waited to get reported to the board, I can face further punishments and be held responsible for NOT reporting another nurse in the wrong doing to the board. So i said nothing.

Now 8 months later, after review of my case from the board, they have given me a board which will be official if I choose to sign it. That is, UNLESS I refute or request an informal conference to be held for me to express my side again etc.

It doesn't make sense to me, I know what I did was wrong. But I am also 22 and have a lot to learn. Since then, I have changed and matured, and can assess that as a new nurse you are a product of your environment. My environment was one in which this behavior happened all of the time amongst SEVERAL if not all of the nurses. I KNOW that I possess the moral character and requisites to continue practicing nursing and that something like this won't ever happen again. I don't want to pay for this mistake my entire nursing career because of a momentary lapse of judgement I made so early on.

it seems like people who receive DUIs can continue to hold their license and eventually have it expunged from their record.

My question to ALLNURSES is, should i refute my order to the board after they already reviewed my initial response and drafted the board order? Or should I accept my fate and have this ding on my license forever. Would the board be willing to expunge my case eventually after an appropriate amount of time?

ANY response or feedback no matter what would be greatly appreciated!

[CoolKidsRN]

Unfortunately per TOS, we cannot advise whether or not to refute your BON order. It is in your best interest to seek advice and help from a lawyer that specializes in handling BON cases (TAANA Executive Office - Home).