Fired during probation... what now-- more than 1 yr RN

[Looking_for_sunshine]

Worked in Tele for just over 90 days, then fired!

I am not looking to vent or to cry on an unseen shoulder here, I hope to hear from others

who were in a similar situation who overcame a similar situation, I need inspiration and hope!

I'm in my second career now, working as RN short little jobs here since passing NCLEX

last year... minor jobs and there, finally landed new grad position at a hospital, on Tele,

orientation went rocky from the start, old preceptor nurse who would disappear to do

favors for others on all floors, and constantly going out for smokes.

She refused to let me see my orientation packet/ sign off sheets, I had no idea what my

goals were and got very little feeedback. Her favorite thing to do was to loudly proclaim

anything I forgot or anything she had do for me, making it look like I was such a loser.

I noticed people distancing themselves from me.

When I was assigned another preceptor I was so happy but by then I was so behind

compared to the others and then went on my own earlier than I was ready. I

communicated this fact but it was sink or swim. I was slow but careful... One night I

forgot a med and was written up. And then another time I charted "missing med."

I got bogged down in other things going on, and completely forgot to go to pharmacy or

follow up on this missing med (an inhaler) and my charge told me about it, I asked what

now, the night is halfway through, she said "Don't worry about it now."

"It can wait until the AM."

I was fired the next day.

Now I am so devistated I can't think straight. I am mortified and ashamed, I live

in a large metro area that pumps out new grads from more than 6 different shcools and

it's so competitive I don't know how in the world I will recover with a "Discharge" on

record. I'm not eligible for rehire, and many appications online require me to state if I am,

so I know I will end up not getting as far as an interview.

I saw this coming early on because that old hag preceptor has a lot of power, and early on

the supervisor had a sit- down with me and another charge RN, I was honest but

I could tell they were setting me up for being fired. My union rep said they can fire

me for anything during probation, but they created a paper trail on me about not getting

charting done by a specified time (Mind you, no one gets 100% of their charting done by

22:00 there, but I was required to, or get fired!) if I were dishonest and charted "Patient

refused med" I might still have a job! But then I would have been fired for something

else. I asked different RNs about their time mgmt tricks, I know that I was getting it..

But not fast enough.

I know now that this job was not a good fit for me, I am owning my mistakes and feel

good about loving the work, doing a great job (got "Above average/ exceeds

expectations" on customer service). I feel good about not making any major errors or

causing any near misses, any harm.

I feel good about everything I learned, but I feel really bad about how everyone

there knows how I was struggling with time management and I am so mortified now

to know that 20+ people there at my former workplace who worked w/ me

know I was fired.

I was not there long enough to make any friends and get any good referrals. I don't know

where to go from "Here?" Pure Hell.

I feel good about being able to think critically and plan ahead for my patients, like calling

the Dr. and getting unnecessary "NPO" status removed right away on a diabetic patient

that had surgery cancelled and then suffered with "NPO" for 18+ hrs., the previous RNs

were lazy.

I was so successful in my past life, different career, I always wanted to be a RN,

got great grades in school, my friends from school are doing great, I live in fear they

will find out about my current situation. I am so ashamed!

Plus I need to work.

I am paralyzed by this. The union rep said orientees/ new grads get fired all the time

during probation and they pick up themselves and move on, they get jobs, I asked

"HOW?" She was not willing to give details.

I am older, I look good, stay in shape, I am older though, and it does work against me for

getting interviews, I noticed. I'm 53, I look like I'm late 40's. But they know, when they

look at my app, how old I am. Last year I interviewed for new grad program at a large

hospital and was shocked to see I was the only "older" one in the room, everyone

seemed to be 30 yrs old and younger (30 people). Did not get the job.

Has anyone out there been through a similar situation? I am not a new grad with 90 days

of work in Tele, and I am not a nurse with 1 yr experience, so I am stuck in between a

rock and an impossible place. Even the SNFs here require 1 yr experience! I can't move,

out of the area, due to hubby job. I just need to hear about similar experiences, hopefully

do what you all did, to go get another job at a hospital or somewhere.

Please be kind to reply.

Thank you, and God Bless.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Lost you At "old Hag" Perhaps that attitude was apparent.

BTW- I landed my dream job @ 61.

Respect goes a long way.

[Barnstormin' PMHNP]

I am an "old" new nurse and I had a few preceptors who were awful, none of which were older than me in fact. In my orientation last year I did see that med errors/omissions/mistakes are NOT tolerated in "Newbies" and for good reason. You can kill someone. My friend made two errors in her orientation along with other time managements issues and they cut the cord with her. If you don't have med pass skills down cold by the time you pass NCLEX.........good luck. Orientation isn't the time to teach responsibilty in medication management.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Well said. A missing med "an inhaler"... is a HUGE error. Breathing is on the top of Maslow's hierarchy for a reason!

[DadStudentPerhaps]

Sometimes a closed door heart to heart works well when people or personalities are not clicking. In my current job, we all had to go to "charm school". Actually it was titled Managing Interpersonal Relationships. The class was great; it helped shine a light on the fact people have different personalities and sometimes personalities clash if we don't work at finding common ground. Personalities come in 4 basic categories, Driver, Amiable, Analytical, and Expressive. A person can be a combination of any two. For example, I had a manager that was a Driver/Driver. He liked to be frank and direct when he talked to anyone. He did not like to end up in a conversation with an Expressive, who liked to add a lot of fluff while making their point. I actually witnessed this manager take his watch off and place it on the conference room table during an interview. He gave the person "x" minutes to talk, then would cut them off at the knees when time ran out. I'm a amiable / analytical; I have a friendly disposition but I often, to my detriment sometimes, over analyze things. My personality is a polar opposite of my old managers personality. This often left me irked at him when he said something. I often thought to myself "this guy is a jerk" plus he didn't give me the information I need to complete the task he asked me to perform. After the class, I understood he was likely thinking I needed to just do what he said, quit wasting time asking questions, and figure it out on my own. One day after a exchange that left a bad taste in my mouth, I just went in his office and closed the door behind me. We hashed things out and it improved our relationship.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

You will get no sympathy from me with your ageist remarks. I find that when people resort toad hominems, the problem they're complaining about had more to do with them than they'd like to admit.

What part were you thinking was ageist? Calling the preceptor old? Or saying that she felt she was being discriminated against for her age? I'm just confused what direction you were aiming at with this comment.

[OCNRN63, RN]

What part were you thinking was ageist? Calling the preceptor old? Or saying that she felt she was being discriminated against for her age? I'm just confused what direction you were aiming at with this comment.

"Old" and "old hag"; epithets used to belittle the preceptor. See my previous posts about ad hominem attacks.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

For any healthcare worker getting "fired" I would take it with a grain of salt. There are MANY stories similar to yours here on allnurses. No one is perfect and, like you said, new grad RNs are plentiful so of course they can easily find someone else.

Maybe your personality didn't "click" on the unit so then they are then trying to find any reason to get rid of you, even if other nurses have made the same error, it doesn't matter. I have been a RN for 9 years now and have seen it and been the victim of it.

Move on. You will find the "right fit" when you least expect it.

[HappyWife77, BSN, RN]

Thanks OCNRN63.

Good night Allnurses!!

[macgirl]

Keep trying. Me I wouldnt even list the job. Dont know where you are but if you would be will to go into psych the are always hiring at Thomasville medical center in NC. And everyone I worked with was in thier second career. 50yrs would be zero of a barrier.

[slc1984]

He called her old, which makes you so angry. Yet many of you say that you are a members of the crusty old bat society. If you think of yourself as a crusty old bat (and apparently take pride in it), what makes you think it's wrong for others to think of you that way? Maybe I'm just missing the joke.

[Art_Vandelay]

...

You said you work in a big metropolitan area ....more opportunities.

Hmm...I am finding the opposite true.

[Art_Vandelay]

Well said. A missing med "an inhaler"... is a HUGE error. Breathing is on the top of Maslow's hierarchy for a reason!

Breathing is overrated.