recently let go of a job

Nurses General Nursing

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hello everyone, my name is jonathan. recently i graduated nursing school as an LPN and landed a great job at an asthma allergy and immunology clinic. from the start during my hiring interview i was told that the job was very demanding. and it was. however i learned a lot in the last 6 months and wanted to continue growing. unfortunately i was let go in the last week because i was not able to keep up with the Dr's knowledge and i was not fit for how demanding the job really was. and now i am searching for a new job. i wanted to make at least one year in this clinic. i know that a lot of new nurses quit but i was let go. i was wondering if you guys had any advice? i do want to go back to nursing school to finish my RN, and i am already looking into a program. this job was great but it was very tiring and at times i thought that maybe i was not a good enough nurse. i find myself sad and a little depressed. as a nurse do you guys have any advice for me?

Specializes in med/surg/tele/LTC/homecare/correctional/.

Hello Johnathan. I have been an RN for many years and have experienced many negatives, such as you have. First, since being a nurse, I worked in hospitals, nursing homes, a jail, rehabs, surgical facilities, a doctors office and homecare. Do not fall for the story they gave you about why you were let go. The real reason is for money, and the desire to constantly have a turnover in staff so no one ever accumulates benefits and time off. The nursing field is over saturated, and there is always someone who will work for less money. Doctors are some of the greediest creatures alive. Its all about their pockets and their bank accounts. They are constantly downsizing and looking to cut corners and save $$$$ without any regard for the employee at all. I have seen this time and again.What really bothers me the most is that instead of just telling the truth and admitting that they are greedy, they tell you a tall tale, ruin your confidence and create drama for no reason at all. At one job, I was working full time, and they were bleeding me of every ounce of energy that I had in my body. Naturally, I was worn down, caught a virus that had me running to the bathroom every 10 minutes, so I had no choice but to use my sick days. When I returned, I was told that I already used up my sick day allottment, and that was considered excessive, because it was only the beginning of the year. While they were crapping all over me and making me feel lazy and worthless, they were simulatanleously hiring two part time LPNs to replace me at a cheaper rate without benefits. Then they let me go. I tried to use my health benefits before they got cancelled, but found out at the doctors office that I was never even enrolled in the healthplan. I had an insurance card because they signed me up, and cancelled the policy the same day, so I would think that I had benefits. As I said before, you will soon learn what greedy bastards exist in the medical field. Never let them shatter your confidence, no matter how hard they try to. It is all based on sheer greed and beefing up their own pockets.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN

5,879 Posts

Hello Johnathan. I have been an RN for many years and have experienced many negatives, such as you have. First, since being a nurse, I worked in hospitals, nursing homes, a jail, rehabs, surgical facilities, a doctors office and homecare. Do not fall for the story they gave you about why you were let go. The real reason is for money, and the desire to constantly have a turnover in staff so no one ever accumulates benefits and time off. The nursing field is over saturated, and there is always someone who will work for less money. Doctors are some of the greediest creatures alive. Its all about their pockets and their bank accounts. They are constantly downsizing and looking to cut corners and save $$$$ without any regard for the employee at all. I have seen this time and again.What really bothers me the most is that instead of just telling the truth and admitting that they are greedy, they tell you a tall tale, ruin your confidence and create drama for no reason at all. At one job, I was working full time, and they were bleeding me of every ounce of energy that I had in my body. Naturally, I was worn down, caught a virus that had me running to the bathroom every 10 minutes, so I had no choice but to use my sick days. When I returned, I was told that I already used up my sick day allottment, and that was considered excessive, because it was only the beginning of the year. While they were crapping all over me and making me feel lazy and worthless, they were simulatanleously hiring two part time LPNs to replace me at a cheaper rate without benefits. Then they let me go. I tried to use my health benefits before they got cancelled, but found out at the doctors office that I was never even enrolled in the healthplan. I had an insurance card because they signed me up, and cancelled the policy the same day, so I would think that I had benefits. As I said before, you will soon learn what greedy bastards exist in the medical field. Never let them shatter your confidence, no matter how hard they try to. It is all based on sheer greed and beefing up their own pockets.

So no one in the history of nursing has ever been let go for cause? Well, I guess that's a sure way to avoid introspection and face one's need for improvement if you convince yourself that the only problem anyone could have with you or your practice is that you are just too good and will have to be paid benefits. Yep, all doctors are greedy; there is no such thing as a nurse who isn't cut out for a given specialty or one who has significant areas which need improvement. Yup, everything is always about the big bad doctor.

roser13, ASN, RN

6,504 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Hello Johnathan. I have been an RN for many years and have experienced many negatives, such as you have. First, since being a nurse, I worked in hospitals, nursing homes, a jail, rehabs, surgical facilities, a doctors office and homecare. Do not fall for the story they gave you about why you were let go. The real reason is for money, and the desire to constantly have a turnover in staff so no one ever accumulates benefits and time off. The nursing field is over saturated, and there is always someone who will work for less money. Doctors are some of the greediest creatures alive. Its all about their pockets and their bank accounts. They are constantly downsizing and looking to cut corners and save $$$$ without any regard for the employee at all. I have seen this time and again.What really bothers me the most is that instead of just telling the truth and admitting that they are greedy, they tell you a tall tale, ruin your confidence and create drama for no reason at all. At one job, I was working full time, and they were bleeding me of every ounce of energy that I had in my body. Naturally, I was worn down, caught a virus that had me running to the bathroom every 10 minutes, so I had no choice but to use my sick days. When I returned, I was told that I already used up my sick day allottment, and that was considered excessive, because it was only the beginning of the year. While they were crapping all over me and making me feel lazy and worthless, they were simulatanleously hiring two part time LPNs to replace me at a cheaper rate without benefits. Then they let me go. I tried to use my health benefits before they got cancelled, but found out at the doctors office that I was never even enrolled in the healthplan. I had an insurance card because they signed me up, and cancelled the policy the same day, so I would think that I had benefits. As I said before, you will soon learn what greedy bastards exist in the medical field. Never let them shatter your confidence, no matter how hard they try to. It is all based on sheer greed and beefing up their own pockets.

Ummmmm, OP, I think it is in your best interests to kind of just move on past that post.

I think it's awesome that you're showing some introspection and understanding of why you were let go. Don't let anyone tell you that a Dr's office is "easy" work or that you won't learn anything in that setting. You now know that's definitely not the case in some offices. My own personal opinion is that MD offices are not hiring appropriately-educated individuals any more and then are expecting too much of them. For instance, most surgeon offices I know refuse to hire nurses and expect their Medical Assistants to perform adequate intake information and health histories. Then the MA takes the blame when the patient's surgery is cancelled due to lack of pre-op preparation.

At any rate, since you plan to continue your education, now would be a good time to do that if you can. Your RN resume would reflect leaving the allergy position when you started RN school.

Specializes in med/surg/tele/LTC/homecare/correctional/.

Obviously you have not been in this field long enough to see that it truly is all about money, any way you choose to fry it. I have seen and heard thousands of stories and examples of great nurses getting fired, and stripped of their confidence for no reason whatsoever. I have seen troublemakers and bullies stay in their jobs without any fear of being let go. The reasons for this are simple. A toxic nurse creates a toxic environment, and a toxic environment creates constant revolving doors of nurses quitting or getting fired. A constantly revolving door relieves the employer of giving raises, accruing benefits, accruing FMLA time, worker's comp, and all those other goodies that get in the way of a big fat profit. This profession bleeds people of their sanity on a regular basis, and holds nurses to levels of perfection found only in well programmed robots. Its sad, and its getting worse.

crazin01

282 Posts

Specializes in tele, ICU, CVICU.

Sorry to hear about your termination.

Pretty much all new nurses have difficulty managing their duties & time management skills for a decent while. What takes one nurse 2 months to becomes fairly efficient at would take 12 months for the next nurse. Clinical in school is really not preparing nursing students for the reality of the job. Search these boards and you will find many posts, of relatively new nurses, "hating my job!!!" or "I wish I had never become a nurse!". And the majority of feedback from AN posters focuses on: ask questions if you don't understand something, research questions yourself after you leave work, ask your pre-ceptor for tips/ how they manage their day, etc. And the most important one, give it time. We've all been a new nurse at some point & know how you're feeling.

Did you ever have a meeting with your supervisor, regarding your performance at any time during your orientation? I would hope most employers offer feedback/ constructive criticism after 30 days, 60, 90 etc. If they did try to discuss your performance during these 6 months, it seems the claim of performance issues is valid and to initiate whatever disciplinary process is present in the office (for instance additional orientation time, verbal & written warnings and ultimately termination.) I think it seems harsh to terminate you right away, if no feedback was received prior (unless your actions posed a significant risk to the patient),

I'm certain looking for works' mention of greedy doctors being after the almighty buck is valid in some instances. Maybe it is here. It's impossible for us to pinpoint if there was an underlying reason for them firing you, as we have only heard your side of things. However, there are good doctors out there as well, that DO care about patients and employees.

I agree with Horseshoe; You need to be introspective and brutally honest with yourself. Maybe the doctor is greedy and made the decision based on his personal feelings. OR maybe there were some concerns regarding your performance Or a combination of events that individually are somewhat acceptable for a new nurse, but cumulatively would not be acceptable.

You cannot go back and change what has happened, but you CAN learn from this negative experience and walk away a better nurse for having going through this.

Best of luck!!!

:-)

roser13, ASN, RN

6,504 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
Obviously you have not been in this field long enough to see that it truly is all about money, any way you choose to fry it. I have seen and heard thousands of stories and examples of great nurses getting fired, and stripped of their confidence for no reason whatsoever. I have seen troublemakers and bullies stay in their jobs without any fear of being let go. The reasons for this are simple. A toxic nurse creates a toxic environment, and a toxic environment creates constant revolving doors of nurses quitting or getting fired. A constantly revolving door relieves the employer of giving raises, accruing benefits, accruing FMLA time, worker's comp, and all those other goodies that get in the way of a big fat profit. This profession bleeds people of their sanity on a regular basis, and holds nurses to levels of perfection found only in well programmed robots. Its sad, and its getting worse.

Obviously, you have not been in the field long enough to have walked in my shoes. I have not experienced anything remotely near the terrible experiences that you have apparently experienced in every job that you've held. Since you seem to have had a career-ful of disappointment, I suggest some self-introspection.

I am well known here for being (sometimes painfully) blunt with new grads & nursing students who have rainbows & unicorn dreams in their eyes. I tell them the truth, not just what they want to hear. The difference between you and me is that I don't try to squash them like a bug and destroy any shreds of optimism and hope that they might still possess.

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
Obviously you have not been in this field long enough to see that it truly is all about money, any way you choose to fry it. I have seen and heard thousands of stories and examples of great nurses getting fired, and stripped of their confidence for no reason whatsoever. I have seen troublemakers and bullies stay in their jobs without any fear of being let go. The reasons for this are simple. A toxic nurse creates a toxic environment, and a toxic environment creates constant revolving doors of nurses quitting or getting fired. A constantly revolving door relieves the employer of giving raises, accruing benefits, accruing FMLA time, worker's comp, and all those other goodies that get in the way of a big fat profit. This profession bleeds people of their sanity on a regular basis, and holds nurses to levels of perfection found only in well programmed robots. Its sad, and its getting worse.

Always a giveaway that the poster has an axe to grind.Well, that and the username...

AceOfHearts<3

916 Posts

Specializes in Critical care.

OP- please, please, please change your username if it is your real/full name!! These boards are public and searchable. There is a reason they are anonymous. You don't want future employers doing a Google search and coming across this thread :no:

Specializes in med/surg/tele/LTC/homecare/correctional/.

Roser13, I am not trying to squash anyone, or destroy their optimism. I am just hoping to save one person from the holy hell that has become nursing. I was a second career nurse, coming from the finance industry, where professionalism was always a priority and inherently present in all work environments. I was trained and taught a certain set of basic work ethics whereby common decencey, respect of others, chain of command, doing ones best, being flexible and being kind and working hard, going the extra mile, etc were all great qualities that helped all employees. Not so in nursing. I just wish I had these comment sections to read before I took the leap into nursing many , many years ago. I regret making the switch financially, physically, spiritually and morally. I have been self reflecting from the day I started this profession to this day and have accepted that the nursing field is not cut out for me (and not the other way around). One has to have an ability to be constantly abused , both physically/ financially and emotionally, in a dead end career , where work appreciation is non-existent and hostile environments fester year in and year out, without much needed changes. I see more and more and more people going into to nursing like I did as a second career, to the point that total market saturation is creating dangerous work environments because nurses are completely expendable , easily replaced, slaves for the bottom line. Nursing schools are exacerbating the problem through over-enrollment, fast track/ accelerated degrees, and dumping more and more nurses out into the world, where jobs are becoming more scarce than ever before. At this rate, it wont be long before nursing hits a minimum wage market level, and working conditions only get worse. Take a look at what is hapenning in the hospitals and other institutional types of care. Med errors on the rise, nurses being spread to thin, supllies getting more scarce, elimination of unit secretaries and clerks, elimination of case mangers, transport aides doubling as nurse assistants, paper work/ charting and documentation constantly increasing, higher patient ratios, etc. I could go on and on. Nurses are expected to operate at sheer perfection in very imperfect work environments. One would have to be deaf and blind not to notice how badly this profession is evolving.

Specializes in Critical care.

Okaaay...I vote we focus back on the OP and his particular situation.

I got some good vibes reading your OP, OP haha. With that attitude, I can't help but think you'll manage just fine.

Kudos.

OP you have been given great advice here for the most part. I would say get right back in the saddle and keep an open mind. If you have a decent relationship with your ex-employer I would ask them for feedback and how you can improve in the future. If that's out of the question then cast the net wide and I do mean really really wide. I worked urgent care a few years ago, never pictured myself doing it but I learned quite a bit and they turned out to be a great employer. In the meantime try to stay upbeat, although I know that's hard. Try to get enough rest, redo your resume, work out, spend time with people you like, etc. Try to minimize behaviors like partying as that will not make you feel better in the long run. Hang in there and be honest in your interviews. If they ask you if you were let go, admit it but explain what you have been doing in the meantime to improve yourself as an employee. Talk about how you would better handle similar situations in the future. Employers know people are not perfect but you must demonstrate insight - you recognize the need for a change and are going about it in a constructive way. Best of luck and don't get too discouraged! You've got the right attitude.

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