Fired from my first RN job after only 2 weeks.

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I am a new grad who graduated this summer with my BSN. I was let go from my first nursing job only after 2 weeks. I graduated with honors and had my capstone in a busy Emergency Department. I started my first nursing job on a busy orthopedic floor at a trauma 1 center. It wasn't what I was passionate about but wanted to give it my all. My real passion is ED, but I knew that I needed to get ICU experience before I get to the ED. The orthopedic floor would help me get my foot in the door for a trauma 1 ICU. I was hired along with 5 other new grads. Are orientation was only 5 weeks long but the director told us that if we needed longer that it would be okay. All other new grad started out with taking care of one patient at a time while my preceptor gave me 5 my first day. I found it difficult to find a routine and I was penalized for even asking questions or not knowing the answer to question. One of nurses on the floor noticed that I was being criticized more than the other new grads and that I should request another preceptor. Director told me it wasn't possible and the next thing I know the education department is following me around. They suggested that I spend another week on days, (I was hired on nights) and that I go down to two patients. I agreed, thinking it well help me develop a routine so I can provide safe care for my patients. The whole orthopedic unit moved from 20 bed unit to a 40 bed unit and nurses were taking on 8 patients at a time. They pulled me into the office last week and gave me some recommendation which I truly took to heart and made myself a whole new brain sheet and even came in an hour early to prep for the day with permission from the director. Yesterday they pulled me into the office and said that I have two choices, either I was going to be terminated or I could send her my letter of my resignation. The director told me that didn't have time to teach new grads how to real nurses and that I would never make it any hospital. She said I would be better off in longterm care where there is less critical thinking. She said I shouldn't bother applying to new grad programs because I would fail at those too. I don't feel like 5 weeks of orientation is enough to provide safe care for patients especially for new grads. I don't want to believe her but I feel like a failure and wasted my time becoming a nurse. I really am passionate about being in the ED nurse one day. I was an EMT/firefighter for 6 years before I went to nursing school. I'm not sure where I should go from here. I also moved to the city for this job. Any advice would be appreciated.

I was insulted by it too, just because one works in a hospital in acute care setting does not mean that they are better than nurses who do not work in hospital setting.

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I got a interview already for a pediatric home care agency. It one patient per day and they are 10 minutes from my home. I have always loved pediatrics and emergency, I know one day I will combine the two but i am very happy now to be out of there.

They also are going to pay me more, no holiday work and I make my own schedule and own hours.

Things are looking up because I can't stay in bed and eat bon-bons all day and feel sorry for myself. Life goes on whether we like it or not. I'm choosing to make the best out of a bad situation and I will be the best nurse I know I can be.

Thank you to everyone for the advice, really do appreciate it.

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Specializes in Hospice, corrections, psychiatry, rehab, LTC.
I swear they only hire supervisors and management people that are either sadistic or have no conscience.

I was four years into a charge assignment when one of my former subordinates was appointed nurse manager for my unit. She put all of the problem employees on my team, then told me that if she heard any more complaints, I would be removed from my position. She also told me that I didn't have the requisite skills to be a supervisor - a role that I have held for the past 11 years, the last nine of it as an administrator. The grief that she gave me pushed me into a relocation that I had been talking about for a long time but hadn't acted on. Best move that I ever made.

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Apply for jobs at a teaching hospital. Even the ERs take new grads. I went into the ICU as a new grad years ago. Make sure you don't step on anyones toes. Nursing can get clique but if you don't make enemies and go out of your way to help your colleagues, they will back you up when you need it most. Good luck!

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
Yes, an orientee has their own license. But during orientation, the orientee is operating under the license of the preceptor.

No, she's not.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.
This seems like good advice, and I hate to sound naive, but why is this? I'm still a student nurse and still far off from getting my first nursing job, but I'm very curious about what you've said..

Essentially because it tells your hiring manager that you already have one foot out the door. It may also hint to your peers that you're not going to be fully invested in them or the floor. The hiring and onboarding (training) process for the more reputable companies can be very expensive and is an investment that they would like their return on...a return they lose if the new hire leaves within the first year.

Does this explanation make sense and cover your questions? :-)

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
Yes, an orientee has their own license. But during orientation, the orientee is operating under the license of the preceptor.

My NM made this very clear just few weeks ago, when she sent out an e-mail discussing the importance of preceptors really teaching their orientees, and not just letting the orientee pick up the slack and do all the work.

Did the manager actually specifically say that the orientees are operating under the preceptors license? If so, they either misspoke or misunderstood.

Or, did the manager simply said that the preceptors need to actually participate and not just sit back and let the orientee figure it out themselves?

The preceptor has a responsibility to make sure that their assigned patients are cared for, of course. They also have a responsibility to make sure they are actually teaching the person that they are supposed to be teaching. But everybody works under their own license and is responsible for the care that they provide.

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If you were an EMT, surely you should be able to handle nursing. It is just a matter of what, and where. You should be able to apply to the ED without ICU experience. Are you burned out perhaps? Teaching hospitals are more forgiving of certain mistakes.

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Specializes in IDD, and private duty.
And by the way, that manager was really insulting about LTC. It's incredibly arrogant to assert that XYZ nursing specialty doesn't require critical thinking skills. If it didn't require critical thinking, they wouldn't spend any money hiring nurses.

LTC is HARD. You have many more patients and less help. On night shift as a new grad I had no one to consult unless I called a sleeping on call. So lots of critical thinking WAS required.

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OP, my god I'm sorry this happened. I am not a nurse but a new grad X Ray Tech. I did clinical at a large hospital and I didn't like it very much. I asked lots of questions, made lots of mistakes as a student. Once I was done this last August I applied at several hospitals here in Chicago. One of the biggest once turned me down after an interview. And I am glad that they did. I rarely hear anything good from working at large corporate hospitals. All the x ray techs at my last clinical sight, hated working there and told us students not to apply. Many nurses we encountered were rude and stressed out. I don't like to say rude because they are probably dealing with the crap attitude you have been dealing with. It was just very stressful and unfriendly over all.

Well, I applied at a very small community hospital here in the hood of Chicago's south west side. They gave me a chance, and I have been there now for 1 week. I LOVE IT! It's a close knit, friendly hospital. Everybody knows everybody and they are treating you like a family..no joke.

It's not a Truma 1 hospital, but so what? Maybe I apply at one of the bigger once later. But at this small one I will gain lots of experience, and once I feel comfortable in myself and my knowledge , maybe I aim for something more challenging. Many of the x ray techs has been there for 30 + years and they still love it.

If I were you, apply in a smaller hospital. Build up some confidence and experience and then apply at the bigger Trauma centers.

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Specializes in Case manager, float pool, and more.

You were not there long enough to really say your worked there. I would not even list it on a resume.

Totally agree with whoever said not to tell them you have plans to leave or go to another floor.

Best wishes to you though.

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I only had 2 weeks of training as a new grad. I think new grads are spoiled nowadays with such legnthy orientations and want their hand held and caudling the entire time. I know I sound mean, but I repeatedly see new grads like you, where your not prepared by the end of orientation, need to extend orientation etc. etc. Nursing is hard, especially acute care, some people just don't cut it. Some new grads don't ever catch on and are so slow about eveything, not just slow with tasks, but slow comprehending and prioririzing and want to take the long methodical way to do everything-ot look like a deer in the head lights when you explain the simplest things. That's great if you have 1 patient, but it will never work on a busy unit. You're not a nursing student anymore!!

And I don't believe you had 5 patients on your first day! Maybe the nurse had you take report on them and you helped, but no way she had you do all the assessments, med administration and care under her license without at least seeing you do an assessment first.

Yeah...ok..

Do you work at the place OP got fired from? Sound like it.

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