Did You Know?
allnurses is the largest community for nurses on the web. We now have over 388,134 members! Join today to network with other nurses, laugh, share, and much more.
| Advertisement Sponsored Links | | | | No. 81 | 
Feb 07, 2009, 08:43 PM
 Re: "Fired for NO Reason" Originally Posted by Freedom42  New grad here. Thank you, Ruby, for your post. I'll keep it in mind as I start my first job.
Everyone has a unique interpretation of Ruby's post. Here's mine: I don't think it's about new grad versus veteran, young versus old, or even about nursing. It's about Sal's lack of insight.
Sal will have the same problem wherever she goes, whether she's an accountant or a nurse or a teacher. She'll always have this problem in her relationships, too. It will always be someone else's fault. Until she takes responsibility for her behavior and her actions, until she sees that she is not the center of the universe, until she sees that she is a bit player on the world stage, she'll always believe that everyone else is the problem. Haven't we all worked with Sal somewhere? As one poster noted, you've got to open your mind to learn.
Now, if you don't mind, I've had my license for seven hours. I've got to go celebrate.  Congratulations on your new license! And thanks for stopping to post before running off to celebrate.  | | No. 83 |
Feb 07, 2009, 10:31 PM
Re: "Fired for NO Reason"
Ruby Vee, I agree with you for the most part. But, I have seen certain people targeted for really stupid reasons. In one case, it WAS because the nurse in question was cute, with a bubbly personality and there was a clique of ol' nasties that zeroed in on this kid the first day she started. They were vocal in the fact that they hated her because she got along with people. If a doc liked working with her, it was because she was "flirting" with him. This new grad was on the ball too, asked questions when she needed to, cared passionately etc. They didn't end up firing this girl though, she quit. There were those of us that encouraged her, because you don't like to see the good ones leave, but the clique's behavior of her was truly brutal.
I've seen experienced nurses fired for no reason as well...usually something trumped up by management so they don't have to pay them what they're worth.
Like I said, I think in 97% of the cases, the new grad is contributing somewhat to the negative responses. But, there are cases where the workplace is so toxic that this hazing of newbies is tolerated and encouraged.
| | No. 84 |
Feb 07, 2009, 10:42 PM
Re: "Fired for NO Reason" Originally Posted by llg Definitely. Some people are WAY too quick to jump to the "nurses eat their young" assumption every time a new nurse receives some critique. Yes, sometimes preceptors and educators need to be more compassionate. But it's also true that the newer members of our profession have a lot to learn and need to recognize that they are going to make mistakes. They need to acknowledge their mistakes and weaknesses to learn from them. Not everyone who gives them negative feedback is wrong or being mean: many are simply trying to help them learn.
Absolutely...I have no problem with negative feedback if it's constructive...Such as...
"Sally, I've noticed you've been having problems with such and such. It would help if you ask questions if you don't understand something. It might help too if you go over some of these things while at home"
As opposed to...
"SIGH...Jeez, what the hell is wrong with you new grads nowadays? How can you be so clueless? I understood this stuff right away when I graduated..You never should have become a nurse!"
I'm playing devil's advocate here because it wasn't so long ago that I was a new grad...Yes, I had lots to learn(and I'm still learning daily) but I was smart enough to realize when someone was giving me constructive criticism and when they were just being nasty...Granted, some newbies are way too sensitive, but, there are still many experienced nurses that DO eat their young. Thankfully, they are few and far between, at least in my experience.  | | No. 85 |
Feb 08, 2009, 10:16 AM
Re: "Fired for NO Reason" Originally Posted by TraumaNurse07 I lack sympathy for someone that gives coumadin to a patient with an INR of 9 and then gets fired. That's basic med/surg as far as I'm concerned. That nurse could have killed that patient.
Because she was not being trained right. Hospitals are all about making money. They want to start milking the cow before she is ready. If this girl had gaps in her learning they should have been filled. That is what preceptorship should be all about "experience."
The new nurse should have been explained the process of preceptorship from day one, and given support in transitioning into a functioning nurse. I guess we wanted her to start earning her keep from the 7th, 8th, 12th week onward. She did what she could. Was on time. She did not do what she could not. Use experience.
It is not enough to tell someone they don't have critical thinking skills. We should know those skills don't come in 6/8 weeks. But we are in a hurry to make money.
| | No. 86 |
Feb 08, 2009, 10:23 AM
Re: "Fired for NO Reason"
Hi Ruby, I've been at work the last two days and missed your post.
I want to say, I agree. Yes, there are people who are unjustly fired in this world, but for the most part there is a darn good reason based on a series of problems, usually culminating in a final straw incident.
It is human nature to protect ones ego however, which is where some of these threads come from.
| | No. 87 |
Feb 08, 2009, 10:58 AM
Re: "Fired for NO Reason" Even when she was given a list of her shortcomings (and they were HER shortcomings, not everyone else's) to sign, she didn't get it.
Did anyone happen to give her a list of what she was doing well at? You attract more bees with honey than you do with Vinegar. Somewhere along the way, nurses in this role need to realize that to only point out shortcomings deflates the learning ability of everyone. Additionally, if one's shortcomings are pointed out AFTER they are told that they excel in other areas, it becomes a positive experience, not a negative one.
She admitted to my orientee that she never studied at home, and my orientee suggested to her that she might want to start doing so.
That is second hand knowledge. Are you sure this actually happened? Maybe you should not have been speaking with your orientee about the other - this is unfair and typical in the nursing industry. However, there are times when it's not the preceptor, it's the orientee. And sometimes, that orientee just doesn't get it no matter what hoops you jump through to try to help her get it, or to make her understand what the problem is.
All people learn differently. If we were all the same - wow the world would be boring. I am in no way defending the new grad or her "mistakes" but if people are talking about her/him behind the back - well maybe there is justification for her reaction. I have seen one too many times, new grads be the subject of sneers and snickers instead of supportive environments. Every teacher, every nurse, every manager should be forced to read the book of why nurses eat their young.
I think there are probably a lot of "Sals" out there . . . and I hope maybe I've convinced one or two of them to take a look at what they're doing or not doing to contribute to their problems before it's too late for them.
I agree, there are a lot of new grads who fall below the average knowledge base. But there are also a lot of 20 to 30 year experienced nurses who fall below this level too. Let's all be fair in judgment - not every nursing student will become a "good" nurse, some will just "nurse", but we must give justice to our profession by teaching with positive roles and positive approaches to learning, not negative. If I had been in the role of her teacher, I would have said, let's review what occurred with patient A - and then maybe given some journal information or textbook information and said, I would like to test you on this next week on our lunch break because it is important to under stand the "why", then treat him/her to lunch while you review the information.
| | No. 89 |
Feb 08, 2009, 11:48 AM
Re: "Fired for NO Reason" Originally Posted by FireStarterRN Hi Ruby, I've been at work the last two days and missed your post.
I want to say, I agree. Yes, there are people who are unjustly fired in this world, but for the most part there is a darn good reason based on a series of problems, usually culminating in a final straw incident.
It is human nature to protect ones ego however, which is where some of these threads come from.
Yep. The number of times that a nurse has actually been fired for no reason is actually very small. But notice how many people are quick to defend anyone who comes on allnurses making the claim that they have been treated unfairly or that some senior nurse has been mean to them.
It's very hard to write a post here that states the perspective of those senior nurses who have to make the tough decision about who stays and who leaves ... or from the perspective of the senior nurses who have the responsibility of giving the negative feedback to the struggling new grad. A lot of people immediately jump on the idea that experienced nurses are unfair to newer ones. It's as if they can't have the opposite conversation -- that less experienced sometimes need to receive negative feedback about their performance -- and that the people whose job it is to give it are not necessarily being mean.
|
| 161 members
1,786 guests 1,947
| 1 | | | 11 | | | 2 | | | 9 | | | 17 | | | 11 | | | 14 | | | 16 | | | 37 | | | 14 | | | 20 | | | 23 | | | 19 | | | 24 | | | 10 | |
|
Nursing News