Trying to find a job while under a Board Order
I have heard from another nurse who is having a difficult time obtaining a job while under a Board Order. This is an ongoing problem especially in this economy. Some employers are refusing to hire a nurse no matter what the basis for the Order. Most nurses cannot afford to fight an Order in court or the facts of the nurse’s case are such that there is a definite violation and fighting in an administrative law court may not gain the nurse much. There are some solutions that can help:
1. Make sure you have malpractice insurance so that you have the financial resources to go to a hearing if you do not agree with the BON’s decision in your case.
2. When looking for a job, ask everyone you know for help in finding a job. It tends to be easier to get a job if someone is on the “inside” vouching for you and your skills. There are also employers out there that understand that most nurses with a Board Order are not “bad” nurses; that the nurse just made a mistake, or was overworked/understaffed, or had a disease relapse etc. These employers recognize that most nurses that have had a Board Order become extremely cautious nurses and become definite assets to the facility.
3. Make sure that you have an experienced and BON knowledgeable attorney assist you with your case before the BON so that you get the best outcome possible.
4. You must present a professional appearance (this includes your resume, your social networking site pages, and any application you complete).
5. Contact your state senators and representatives and ask them to make some changes for the next legislative session in 2011. Some areas that need changes: expand the corrective action provisions to apply to minor practice violations, allow non-public orders for mental health issues and substance abuse (these are diseases, so why allow the publicity?), allow deferred adjudications to be just that and not be considered a conviction by the BON, and change the language in the NPA from shall to may to allow the BON leeway to make determinations based on mitigating factors. As 2010 progresses, I will probably think of more…
I also have more info here: http://nursinglaw.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-explain-past-board-orders-to.html