Can we remove the "return authorization" button from the Sales Order?

We prefer to do our "return authorizations" from the "return authorization" button on the cash sale and NOT from the sales order?  This is because the cash sales sends forward the right "P/N Ref." number (in the payment tab) for us to process the return of funds to the customer's credit card.  If we do the return authorization from the "sales order", then we have to manually correct the "P/N Ref." before we can return any funds to the customer's credit card.

People at our company keep doing it the wrong way and they get stuck trying to finish their return.  So, I figure that an easy fix is to remove the "return authorization" button from the Sales Order.  Can that be done?