Fired from job I was not hired for

Specialties Home Health

Published

I was FIRED this week from the Home Health agency that I have only worked for 4 months. I am completely heartbroken as I have NEVER been fired before. It happens that I was hired with a huge company in Ft Worth TX as my career position as RN Case Manager. I was hired with a group of 8 new hires. When it came time to orient, there was not enough staff to have a mentor assigned to me. I was pretty much "bounced around" to ride with this nurse one day, another nurse another day. I had to go to 2 different offices that were not too busy to give me some orientation. After a few weeks of being passed around, my boss says "Heck, with your experience we just might be able to use you here in the office. So off I go to a new position called Clinical Field Staff Supervisor. This is an almost complete flip from my original RN Case Manager that I was hired for. I sat with a person of the same position in another office and then set free to start on my own. I was now attached to a computer to edit, approve and submit physician orders, process interdisciplinary coordination notes, make recert or dc decisions and conduct the weekly case conference meetings. I followed prompts and instructions step by step, made some date and clerical errors which were brought to my attention and correction. I did miss an order, entered the word CALCIUM as a medication rather than a lab test (NOT clarified on the order) I was then pulled in and told that I was being careless which could ultimately lead to a threat to patient safety which I agreed to. Rather than ask what training I could do to prevent these mistakes, I was labeled "a threat to patient safety" and terminated, effective immediately. Needless to say, I have been devastated by this. I am fairly new to Texas as I have just moved here 6 months ago from Oklahoma where I held a glowing work reputation for YEARS. Now, for the first time in my life, I am UNEMPLOYED and SCARED TO DEATH. I have posted multiple resumes for all the headhunters on line. I have been to a few agencies to fill out hard applications. Of course, the question "Have you ever been terminated or asked to resign from a position" My heart skips a beat as I answer yes to this question and I know no doubt that with this answer, my applications are being rejected. I feel my life is now in ruins. My fiance is on an out of state business assignment so I am here completely alone facing the worst crisis in my life. Has anyone else been through this?? How I wish I could have or would have told the boss who fired me that it was NEVER my attention to work in this job, I only did so at your advice and because everyone else was too busy to provide me with decent orientation and training. I am an RN, I am a Home Health RN with a lot of patient care experience. I have never worked in an office before. I feel set up and terminated under objectional circumstances. I have been having meltdowns frequently before going out to apply for more jobs. There is a LOT of competition in this area and this is a typical low census time of year. Therefore, no one is able to hire until March or April. In the meantime, I am not sure how I am going to survive. :crying2:

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I am so sorry to hear about what you are going through right now. I work in home health, too, and although I'm not a Case Manager or supervisor, in the six years I've been doing this I have seen some of the most shoddy, non-standardized training and orienting of new people, it's almost surprising that anyone manages to cope. I can't tell you how many new CMs have crashed and burned for the first time, and internalize it the way you are doing.

There are home health companies (especially that particular very large chain) who view nurses as nothing more than a replaceable commodity. Quality and staff development are not in their playbook, and the present job situation just makes it worse. They have nothing to lose (in their view) by having their staffing be like a revolving door.

So please don't turn this against yourself. Sometimes it really is them. There are many stories like yours here, and they anger me to no end!! One of our members here blogged her experience of being fired and bouncing back to being smiling and happy again. Brush it off, and be gentle with yourself. It won't take away the feelings of financial panic, but don't let a crappy company cause you to lose faith in yourself. :redpinkhe

Here is Viva Las Viejas blog- even if the particulars are different the feelings very likely are relateable.

https://allnurses.com/nursing-blogs/fired-after-50-a-491165.html

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Thank you and bless you!!

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Specializes in Home Health; Family Practice Clinic.

So sorry to hear what you're going through, and best of luck. Keep your head up. Repeat a positive mantra to yourself- "I am a qualified and smart nurse. I WILL find a job. They DO exist. I was not meant to be at this job. There are bigger BETTER opportunities out there for me!" etc

If you've never looked at indeed.com, try it. It complies a bunch of job search engines. All you do is enter your title and zip code... easy :)

Anyway, I agree with the other person who posted. I've seen some shoddy things in home health too. My training was about a week, then thrust out on my own. There are a lot of weeks that I only get 20-some hours even though I was hired for full time. I think home health is usually under the radar. It's a forgotten about field to a lot of other healthcare providers. The company you were with doesn't deserve you. They didn't give you any guidance, and threw you in a position just because they needed it filled, rather than because it was a good fit for YOU, the employee.

Again, good luck!

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Specializes in Home Health.

So sorry about what happened to you. In simple terms, the home health agency used you to serve their immediate need then got rid of you. I know, I have been there. I can't wait to retire from nursing.

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You could try applying for a few HH PRN positions to get enough hours to hold you over until you find full time. Also, make sure you have an excellent resume that includes all the duties you have ever performed including those from your last position. Hopefully an employer would look at the whole picture, not just that you were terminated from "one" job. When you do interview have a clear cut answer for why the last job did not work out and don't provide information regarding your termination if not directly asked.

Now on a personal note I like where I work now for the most part (I'm full time in the field, but I don't have to case manage), but my last employer that required case managing and knew I had never done it before, were not supportive and did not train appropriately on "how" to case manage effectively without losing your mind! Long story short, after about two months of case managing and working 12 hr days trying to stay up on my work. Well, I quite literally lost my mind.....

You had said this-

>>>>I am here completely alone facing the worst crisis in my life. Has anyone else been through this??

Yes, I thought my last job made me a failure, because I could not perform the duties appropriately and mentally had a breakdown. I was use to excelling, not failing or quiting. But I did step down from that position and after a while left that company all together...BEST THING I COULD HAVE DONE!

Perhaps in the long run they may have done you a favor. I know it doesn't feel like that now, but perhaps you will find a great job you really like. The universe works in mysterious ways and hind sight is 20/20. So keep your eyes peeled for the great job that I know will eventually come to you- keep the faith.

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Specializes in telemetry, ICU, cardiac rehab, education.

I am also new to HH and CM-not even a month yet. The first week there, the branch manager quit because she did not get along with a person in administration. The secretary, intake scheduler, LVNs and other CM are all new within the last 6 months. I have had no training on the OASIS. I have been a nurse for 20+ years so I am comfortable with assessments, critical thinking skills but home health is all new... I talked to another branch manager today about my concerns but I am feeling like just a warm body.

I hate to give up but I just am feeling so down about taking this position. Oh and I heard today the other CM may be leaving-that would leave ME as the only RN yikes!!

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Don't worry. we r looking for weekend RN and to help with admissions. Send me your resume.I would like to talk to you.

My email [email protected]

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How are you doing now? I recently had the rug pulled out from under me in a similiar fashion, are you able to find work? How did you handle the question from the next employer about termination?

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Hope the OP has been able to find a decent job.

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Oh my gosh!!! I have just now returned to this site. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I had no idea my post had even been replied to. '

I am back in the world, I DID survive that awful event and I AM back to work for a company that truly makes me feel worthy and valuable. It was an eye opening experience.

I actually found a new job just 3 days after having the world slammed in my face. However, since it all happened in the middle of the most severe winter weather Ft Worth had seen in a while, it was 9 days before I could actually start working and a very LONG 5 weeks from the last paycheck to the first paycheck at my new job. That was tough, but with loving help from my family, I made it through.

I am back in the field and loving it. :yeah:

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Good for you! :yeah:

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