I Thought I Had My Dream Job, but My Past Took It Away...

[OrganizedChaos]

So a really stupid mistake I made 6 years ago came to bite me in the rear yesterday. I was working as an agency nurse staffing in correctional facilities when my NM told me I had to clock out & go home due to the fact my security clearance was revoked. My jaw hit the floor & I was stunned. I didn't completely understand why but on the inside I kinda knew why.

I hadn't told anyone I had worked for this company 6 years previous for about a month or two. Or what had happened when I did work for the company. Obviously I am not about to put my business out here on the interwebs, but if you PM I will tell you.

My NM didn't know why my security clearance was revoked but after I clocked out & got to my car I called my agency & they told me that I was unable to work for this company in *any* capacity. So, blacklisted. I figured if I was blacklisted my application wouldn't go through, I don't understand why it would let my application go through but then reject my security clearance.

When I get home I try to make phone calls to an HR but at 1500 on a Friday it's hard to get ahold of anyone. I finally do & she tells me she will get me an answer next week. I figure it's gonna be that I'm blacklisted & there's nothing I can do about it.

My heart is broken & shattered into a million pieces. I love working as a nurse in corrections, it's where my heart lies. Now that, that has been pretty much ended for me I don't know what else to do. I live in a small town so job opportunities are far & few between. The hospital in my town does hire LVNs occasionally, but I never get interviews. I honestly just can't handle LTC or PDN. The school district doesn't pay enough. Then that's it.

My mother keeps telling me to go back to become an RN but I don't even know if I want to any more. When I was working at the prison, I was so happy just working & being an LVN, I didn't even think about going back to school. I'm so lost right now.

I'm so stressed too because I was making so much money, I knew I could keep us out of the hole we were in, financially. We wouldn't have to live paycheck to paycheck any more. There's no way a family of 4 can live on my husband's small paycheck, we're always broke by the second or third week of the month. But it looks like we are gonna go back to that, especially after October when I lose Medicaid.

I don't know if I just needed to vent or need suggestions. I'm also really devastated right now. I get this awesome job, doing what I love to do, getting paid amazingly & then it gets ripped away. Of course we needed it desperately. I just don't know how we're gonna make ends meet after October.

I've already started looking for a new job because I know I'm not gonna get good news next week. But unfortunately, there's not many jobs available out there.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Apply for unemployment anyway. I have almost always had a positive reaction from them. Argue that you were not aware that your clearance had been revoked and that it would impact your present job. Tell the interviewer that security clearances are not a standard requirement for practicing nursing, this requirement is employer/employment setting related and no one informed you during the hiring process, etc., etc. Since you went so long being gainfully employed at this assignment, I think the employer would have a hard time selling to the unemployment people that you should have been eliminated. The employer did not do their due diligence in vetting you upon hire, so why do you have to pay the price for their negligence? Lay it on thick. Play it out to the end. You might be surprised.

I don't think I will get it. It was a special situation with the hurricane & everything so they didn't do the security clearance & background check first like they normally do. They just sent me in & did the background check & security clearance after.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Have you looked into working for companies like united health care or blue cross blue shield ? They even have work from home positions.

Not recently. I haven't seen any job positings in my direct city.

[Lisacar130]

Maybe they just wanted a warm body for the hurricane and don't need you anymore. From your PM, you left the old job off your application so either they never called them or they simply found out you omitted an old job. You weren't even fired, you resigned, and it would be illegal for that old job to say any of "what happened," which was not even your fault, to anyone. I don't see how what happened could directly efffect your security clearance other than the fact that the old job was left off, if that was even it. It may be something else totally unrelated but I would try to contact HR to find out.

Wait this is an update... the old company and new company are in the same health care system? I think I get it now. It's unfortunate if they blacklisted you for something you could have sued them for, in my opinion. I think the statue of limitations is up for you suing them at this point. Sorry that this happened to you.

[DTWriter]

OrganizedChaos, Monday is almost here. Rest up until then. Consider having someone (your husband, mother, etc.) nearby when you talk to HR again. Record the conversation if you can.

[angeloublue22, BSN, RN]

I'm sorry, that sucks. As a previous corrections nurse, this happened at my job with coworkers I was training. They hire you based on your application to get you in the door and training, because it takes to so long for the background check to come back and they don't want people to get another job while they are waiting for the background check. Then continued employment is contingent on the background check. We had a great nurse that I trained and she ended up getting fired because she had bad credit. I was so angry. I didn't know what having bad credit had to do with being a good nurse but apparently having financial trouble makes a person more at risk for being manipulated through money by an inmate. Have you tried community nursing or clinic nursing because that is very similar to corrections nursing? Mental health nursing may also be up your alley as well. I'm sorry there seems to still be a stigma with mental illness. It's great that you are thinking about how to manage your symptoms. You don't want to end up the hospital with a manic phase or end up suicidal due to a depressive phase. I'm also a long time psych nurse and I've seen what can happen to professionals who are bipolar and don't manage their symptoms.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Maybe they just wanted a warm body for the hurricane and don't need you anymore. From your PM, you left the old job off your application so either they never called them or they simply found out you omitted an old job. You weren't even fired, you resigned, and it would be illegal for that old job to say any of "what happened," which was not even your fault, to anyone. I don't see how what happened could directly efffect your security clearance other than the fact that the old job was left off, if that was even it. It may be something else totally unrelated but I would try to contact HR to find out.

Wait this is an update... the old company and new company are in the same health care system? I think I get it now. It's unfortunate if they blacklisted you for something you could have sued them for, in my opinion. I think the statue of limitations is up for you suing them at this point. Sorry that this happened to you.

I know, it's kind of complicated. I was first working directly for the company THEN I was working for an staffing agency FOR the company. Does that help? :/

It probably is since it's been 6 years. Once I left after I resigned I never looked back. I was just so horrendously embarassed that I didn't even think about a lawsuit, until years later. Of course.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I'm sorry, that sucks. As a previous corrections nurse, this happened at my job with coworkers I was training. They hire you based on your application to get you in the door and training, because it takes to so long for the background check to come back and they don't want people to get another job while they are waiting for the background check. Then continued employment is contingent on the background check. We had a great nurse that I trained and she ended up getting fired because she had bad credit. I was so angry. I didn't know what having bad credit had to do with being a good nurse but apparently having financial trouble makes a person more at risk for being manipulated through money by an inmate. Have you tried community nursing or clinic nursing because that is very similar to corrections nursing? Mental health nursing may also be up your alley as well. I'm sorry there seems to still be a stigma with mental illness. It's great that you are thinking about how to manage your symptoms. You don't want to end up the hospital with a manic phase or end up suicidal due to a depressive phase. I'm also a long time psych nurse and I've seen what can happen to professionals who are bipolar and don't manage their symptoms.

Clearly *cough* there is still a stigma with mental illness. If I can find another area of nursing that I could care a lot about that would be ideal! It's just tough in the area I'm in. Sometimes there are tons of jobs, other times there are no jobs. Right now seems to be the time when there are no jobs.

[Lisacar130]

I agree with trying to get unemployment... a lot of people think they don't qualify but they do. Sometimes you have to appeal but it's worth it and I think you'd get it. As an example, my husband in the past was fired for calling in too much and he still got it, when supposedly you can't get it for misconduct. I found this info online:

If you are recently unemployed and did not voluntarily quit without good cause, did not get fired for misconduct, did not get fired for being unavailable, did not get fired for having an inability to work, did not get fired for refusing to work without good cause, and are not self-employed, then you may be eligible for unemployment benefits!

How Long Do I Have to Work to Get Unemployment? | AboutUnemployment.org

This site has more state specific info if you scroll down and find your state. It never hurts to try.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I agree with trying to get unemployment... a lot of people think they don't qualify but they do. Sometimes you have to appeal but it's worth it and I think you'd get it. As an example, my husband in the past was fired for calling in too much and he still got it, when supposedly you can't get it for misconduct. I found this info online:

If you are recently unemployed and did not voluntarily quit without good cause, did not get fired for misconduct, did not get fired for being unavailable, did not get fired for having an inability to work, did not get fired for refusing to work without good cause, and are not self-employed, then you may be eligible for unemployment benefits!

How Long Do I Have to Work to Get Unemployment? | AboutUnemployment.org

This site has more state specific info if you scroll down and find your state. It never hurts to try.

I'll look into it, thank you!

[wisechoiceorno]

i can't private message you since my account is new. can you send me a pm? I am interested.

[CelticGoddess, BSN, RN]

I so desperately want to provide for my family, it's just I know what my limits are. I'm bipolar & I can't handle working LTC.

You absolutely have to do what is best for you! You won't do your family any good if you get depressed or manic. I am so sorry you are going through this.

[Saraghawas]

I'm so sorry to hear this, I wish you the best of luck