Help! I didn't make it out of orientation

[Superstar1182]

I am a new grad and I graduated in May '12. It took me almost 6 moths after I graduated to find a job. I was so excited to get the job. It was at the hospital I had always wanted to work at but not the floor I wanted. I took the job anywas. I did the hospital orientation, then did 5 weeks of floor orientation before I was let go. I had nothing but compliments from my patient, their families, and all but one of the nurses that proctored me. The one nurse told my ACM that I compromised pt safety and then 2 days later I was let go. I hated the job and had major anxiety every time I had to work. This is my first hospital experience.

I don't know what to do at this point. Do I put the hospital on my resume? If so how to I explain to future employers why I was let go before I finished orientation? Or do I get a regular job and work towards my BSN and then try to get a nursing job? I just need some major guidance. Please help any and all feedback will help

[jreynrn]

I'm still stuck on a preceptor who has only been a nurse for 3 months themselves. Um, call me silly, but having only been a nurse for 3 months, shouldn't he/she still be precepted themselves???? And the whole idea of have a preceptor is to learn. You had 5 weeks of on the floor training, didn't they evaluate you weekly? Daily even? A preceptor with only 3 months being a nurse... You got short changed on your training... If it were me, I'd appeal that decision to let you go.

But learn this term... "CYA", "cover your a--", if you didn't write it, you didn't do it. Plain and simple. Always document every single thing you do. Because when it comes down to situations like yours, its your words against theirs, unless you documented it, then you have proof. Good luck, I hope things work out for you!

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

The only way you are going to know for sure the answers to the questions that will assist you in moving forward is to make an appointment with HR to discuss them. To specifically ask what will be told to any future inquiries about your time there. That you be able to review your personnel file and what your rights are regarding that. In this day and age most potential employers are savvy to orientees who are not a good fit for units. They are savvy to staffing needs that orientees are "let go" in their orientation period, whatever the reason. I would not get into "she said I did/ did not, and she's new too, and blah blah blah" you could elaborate slightly with a new employer in that the practices were not within your comfort zone. Period. But I would highlight (and get copies of) any certifications that you got during orientation, your stregths clinically, that type of thing. And since you have not a thing to lose, I would ask point out that if you were to apply for another unit, would you be considered? And if the HR director says "no as you were deemed an unsafe nurse" this goes to an entirely different level that I would then seek legal advice on.

[Morainey, BSN, RN]

FWIW... never forget check your BP and pulse, labs, etc, before hanging or giving meds. I know it feels dorky and like they're trying to make your job stupid redundant, but we do it for a reason - to keep that patient safe. Do you know how often I've heard "no one else does, so why bother?" or had people roll their eyes at me? Because it's important.

Ok, lecture over. You can always chalk the whole thing up to a learning experience in the future - 6 weeks orientation seems a little short anyway. It doesn't exactly sound like a very supportive environment.

[proud nurse, BSN, RN]

You had 5 weeks of on the floor training, didn't they evaluate you weekly? Daily even?

Do you think she should've had weekly evaluations from her preceptor or a manager? Because at my last job, I also didn't make it off orientation and I never received feedback or evaluation until my week 10 of orientation. Never met with management to discuss how my training was going. Only thing my preceptors were filling out were my clinical skills check off sheets. So when I was let go, I never saw it coming that I wasn't a good fit for the unit.

[Superstar1182]

@proud nurse Are you working now? Did you include that employer on your resume? I'm not really sure where to go from here. Any advice would help. Did you do an exit interview with HR?

[proud nurse, BSN, RN]

I'm not working now. I start my new job in a few weeks. I didn't include that employer on my resume for this job. I did with a few interviews prior to the one with this hospital and they were just weird, so I decided to see how it would go if I left that information out.

I applied to a job at a mental health facility and included the hospital that let me go. When I interviewed for it, the questions were so annoying. Turns out she used to work for them too, and she asked me things like she wanted to have a bashing party. I eventually had to tell her, "it just wasn't a good fit for me, but I'd like to talk about why I think I'm a good fit for this job." I was offered that job, but decided to decline it.

I don't know if what I had was an exit interview. I met with my manager and an HR rep, signed some forms, turned in my badge. It took all of 5 minutes. I think they were waiting for me to cry, but I did that when I got home.

[DoeRN]

Oh and incase you haven't worked at more than one place before most hospitals have different EMR's and the documentation is different in each location. I have learned from this experience. As another person said I trust no one as sad as that is.[/quote']

I've used 5 different EMR's, been a super user for 2 of them and I am getting a bachelors in IT. I was also a clinical nurse manager. Take this advice for your new job. Learn where the note section is for your EMR and make it your BFF. Chart everything and I mean everything you do. Take some time out in your day if possible and read over the policy and procedures manual at your new job. And again trust no one! And I mean no one!

I tell people you are not here to make friends you are here to work and take care of these patients. Not saying be mean but don't get all buddy buddy with your coworkers just yet. Not that you said you did but I'm giving you this advice too.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[LTCnurse11]

This sounds almost exactly like my situation, except that I oriented for 3 months and was let go. Fortunately I was able to transfer back to my original unit which was skilled nursing. I was thrown under the bus by a wicked mean night shift preceptor then followed by an even meaner day shift one. Unbelievable how cruel some women can be. If they interpret your actions as ignorant, you're immediately at their mercy in which case youre screwed.

I never actually did anything to cause harm to a patient, my issues were more with time management. But the biggest issue of all seemed to be the education portion of my training. The clinical educator of the hospital was a med surg nurse for only a year or two, had a BSN and was basically grandfathered into the job. She sucked so bad that I got almost NO feedback from her until week 7. I was being destroyed by the night preceptor from hell in the meantime and crucified for making stupid mistakes. That set me up for failure even before I started orienting on days.

So that was it. Done. Finished. Because they didn't like me. Because I didn't meet their cultural expectations. And because the unit manager was inexperienced with only 1-2 years of med surg herself and worked at no other hospital. Come on.....can I take the blame for all of that?

[rita359]

1st rule working with a bunch of women: trust no one. Apply for a new job and say nothing about the old one. If they ask what you were doing those past 5 weeks make

up a good lie.

Lieing is NOT a good idea. It will come back to bite you.

[Superstar1182]

I would never lie about it. There is too much at stake in my future to lie about it and I'm not the type of person who will lie to get through in life. I was raised better than that and I have morals. I haven't had a job since September other than this one. So even if I don't put it on my resume, which I have found several resume building sites that say not to, there is going to be a gap in employment anyway.