Nurses getting fired left and right...

Nurses Professionalism

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Specializes in Mental Health, Medical Research, Periop.

I've been reading many posts recently of nurses losing their jobs over the smallest things. This is appalling. Are we that replaceable? Yet the nursing "shortage" rumor continues. This really grinds my gears. Is there anything we can do to stop this? I think I'm just venting. I've personally never been fired from a nursing job, but I have been mistreated on a job before. For example, I worked in LTC for 4yrs (2yrs before that as an aid), it was my 1st nursing job. I didnt like the way things were done there, how employees were treated based on what patient families would complain about (mom doesn't like her roommate, so we would constantly be switching room assignments, dad didnt get his pills until 7pm, when they were due at 6pm - things like this would make mgmt jumped down our throats) and this was early 2000s. So I started looking for another job, well the job I applied for called for employment verification and of course all of the managers were made aware and they begin to treat me differently. Even accusing me of being rude to the secretary:confused::confused:. It's like they were trying to find mistakes, eventually I got written up for not wrapping a skin tear (on my 2nd shift, because I'd wrapped it during 7-3, when 3-11 came the 2nd nurse was a no show and they did not provide any coverage, so I didnt get to the skin tear, I missed it somehow. The amount of patients I had was about 30 that night). I refused to sign the write up and argued my case that no harm had come to the patient for this (and that I had no previous verbal warnings), I even had to send two other patients out that night. Also, they complained about nurses staying over their shift time, smh! Other things occurred also, I begin to feel like they were harrassing me, after years of working for them and always going above and beyond for them. I was so happy when I got hired at the other job, it felt so good to put in my notice. They had a lot of unfair treatment in that facility, and I'm beginning to believe that many facilities feel they can treat us badly. Does anyone else feel this way?

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i feel the same way. sadly, i do not think anything will change at least for another 10-20 years because employers have nothing to lose. even when the economy fully recovers, the number of nurses available for work will still remain high because the numbers set to retire will still be lower then the available supply (note the nursing schools pumping out an excess of candidates that are not needed in this market). thus, if we as a profession do not control our numbers, we have little to say how we are treated in the work place for a long time.

once upon a time, mds were no always treated or thought of well..... when they created a demand and began to control the number of schools that supplied new mds, they created respect in the work place.

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Specializes in certified med tech and Lpn.

I agree with you. I work for a facility that does the same thing. If you apply for another job and they find out, my place just fires you on the spot. I feel like we are always walking on egg shells around there. I'm glad you got out of a bad situation. Good luck with your new endeavors.

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I agree with all the previous posters. My facility is the same way, I"m pretty much counting down the days until I get fired for something, anything. I do the best I can by the patients but I realize that I'm in a toxic field where my best simply isn't good enough for admins & bean counters. And these employers wonder why the average employee isn't "loyal" :confused:

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Specializes in LTC, Med-SURG,STICU.

Yes, I do feel that a lot of facilities treat nurses very poorly. They will continue to do so until we stand as a group and tell them that we will not allow this treatment anymore. Sadly, only a few of us do and they can take care of a few "trouble making malcontents".

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Im in a unionized position... this never happens to me.

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This is only going to get worse. "Supply and Demand" when the demand out matched the supply. Hospitals would compete for new graduates to replace the high turn over that "once" plagued the Nursing profession. They also would strife to keep the nurses they had, even if the meant overlooking small infractions.

But with Hospitals being inundated with resumes there is pressure to make room. (shortage talk now is just a marketing ploy for more $$$ students)

Especially when there is tons of educated professionals desperate for the a'lure of job security that "Health Care" provides switching to Nursing. In my class we have one student with a MBA. Another is a failed Med Student who has a Biology degree. Yet another is a computer programmer who got laid off

besides those we have people with Psych,political science, business degrees

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

I know alot of nurses that need to get fired and never do. I know people within my department that need to get fired and they wont fire them.... There is no one to fill their slot quick enough.... We have 3 openings for RNs with OR experience and can not get applicants.... Wish we could get rid of some dead weight but then it would just cut our own throats.

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Specializes in Mental Health, Medical Research, Periop.
I know alot of nurses that need to get fired and never do. I know people within my department that need to get fired and they wont fire them.... There is no one to fill their slot quick enough.... We have 3 openings for RNs with OR experience and can not get applicants.... Wish we could get rid of some dead weight but then it would just cut our own throats.

Yes, I gotta say there is a Catch 22 in some places. The job I actually got in relation to my post was unionized. Many of the people I worked with shouldve been fired but were protected, because the union fought on their behalf. So, I guess it's where you are. Where I live now, there are tons of nurses waiting to take someones position. You can be fired in an instance if youre not in a union. Guess it's sad either way. :(

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Specializes in Medical/Surgical.

I can read a lot of different messages here here in the UK you can't get a job at all as nurse. New grads are working as sales assistasnts. Or not at all.

We have been planning to move to South Carolina. Doi you think that is a bad idea?

We just realy like the US and the way of life.

Anybody has aby advice please?

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Specializes in PICU, ICU, Hospice, Mgmt, DON.
I can read a lot of different messages here here in the UK you can't get a job at all as nurse. New grads are working as sales assistasnts. Or not at all.

We have been planning to move to South Carolina. Doi you think that is a bad idea?

We just realy like the US and the way of life.

Anybody has aby advice please?

Peterthescot,

The market here is very tight, I am sure you have seen thread after thread dealing with the lack of jobs all over the USA...but I think it is regionally directed. South Florida is VERY tight (that's where I live) and it has been for some time, it's not impossible, but not easy. Depends on your years of experience and specialty--the Critical Cares are still pretty good, as is long term care b/c of the elderly population. I understand California is tough and Seattle is VERY tough, I know b/c I have been looking to relocate there. New York City is all but impossible. I am not sure about South Carolina, but it is a pretty state.

I am sure you will still have a much better opportunity here in America than in the UK....of course, we don't have the Royals.....:D....Good Wedding, No?;)

Good Luck in your hunt.

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Specializes in Cardio-Pulmonary; Med-Surg; Private Duty.

It's definitely regional. Both of the hospitals in my area always have AT LEAST some PRN positions available, and often full-time shift nurses. I just asked my current clinical instructor about the magnet hospital we're working in over the summer -- she said they just hired three of our new-grad ADN nurses this month.

Jobs are out there, but you have to check to see WHERE they are, and you have to be willing to go where the jobs are.

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