Could the reason I got fired from my last job affect becoming a nurse

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Okay...so last year I worked at an assisted living center. I'm young, I was 21 at the time and made a very very very poor choice of being intimate with a fellow co worker while at work. Long story short, we got caught and were fired. I'm worried that when I start to apply for a nursing position and they call former employee's, they will find out from my ex employer that whole story. I've read that former employers can say anything about you, but usually choose what they say wisely due to defamation. Should I be worried that I'll never get hired??? I am guilty of overthinking things and this is a worry I can't seem to shake. I don't want a potential employer to think they will have to worry about my shacking up with a co worker in an on call room. I don't think my former boss would say the reason I was fired, but you can never be to sure. I really hope this did not ruine my chances of finding a nursing position! Does anyone have any words that could put my mind at ease? It would be much appreciated!

Well when I applied for this job I put do not contact! Whether they did or not I have no idea...but they never mentioned my past jobs at the interview.

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I know I must put them as a reference and they may or may not tell, but surely there will be a hospital that hires me. I appreciate your honesty but considering there are nurses who have misdemeanors...compared to someone walking in on me and a co worker not engaging in sex, but half way back to dressed, I'm not going to worry and assume I will never have a nurse position.

You posted your question. People replied. It sounds like you have a hard time taking responsibility. Don't post a question if you know you can't handle people's opinions.

My first thought is, eh, young and dumb, no big deal. However, I had to think about what the residents were doing while you were so engaged in your activities that you allowed yourself to get caught by a co-worker. That's probably 2nd best case scenario other than not getting caught. Worst case, a resident hurts themselves while you were supposed to be out there helping them. Please really think about that. Your potential employers will, and pass on your application.

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You posted your question. People replied. It sounds like you have a hard time taking responsibility. Don't post a question if you know you can't handle people's opinions.

My first thought is, eh, young and dumb, no big deal. However, I had to think about what the residents were doing while you were so engaged in your activities that you allowed yourself to get caught by a co-worker. That's probably 2nd best case scenario other than not getting caught. Worst case, a resident hurts themselves while you were supposed to be out there helping them. Please really think about that. Your potential employers will, and pass on your application.

This is not the time to pile on OP.

You cannot possibly say that her future employers will pass on her application. That incident will be far in the past before this 6 month job may or may not be looked at.

"Worst case, a resident hurts themselves while you were supposed to be out there helping them."

Doubt that would happen in assisted living... besides, they were only gone for 3 minutes ;)

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Ok. Well, I'm almost positive that in your future job hunt you can feel free to check "yes" to the question of if they can contact them because A) they won't say anything except dates and title and B) it will be a red flag if you put "no" especially since it's a job from the past and you can't use the excuse that you don't want your employer to know you're job hunting (since this is a past job).

If you are really still worried about it, there are companies out there that you pay to do a reference check on your behalf. They will then tell you what your past employer says about you. I don't feel this is necessary but if it would put your mind at ease, it would be worth it.

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I've never used these before and I can't recommend any particular company, but a quick google search resulted in me finding one of these companies. See link below:

Job Reference Checking for Job Seekers - CheckMyReference

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Thank you! I might actually look into paying for it to be checked just to put my mind at ease! Lol.

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Has any of you ever listed someone who technically wasn't your supervisor as your former supervisor on an application? I have heard people say they used co workers or nurses or their old supervisor to avoid I bad reference. Isn't that highly wrong and could result in legal trouble? There's one supervisor I don't believe will give me a good review and I almost considered writing another supervisor down who technically wasn't mine and had no authority to hire or fire. I‘m in contact with that supervisor, but would that be wrong?

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Yes, it would be. And, if if you do this and the future employer discovers that you were less than completely honest on your application, this could lead to your job offer being rescinded, or immediate terminatiin if you have started your employment.

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I'm getting ready to start nursing school and I'll graduate in 2019. In 2016 I worked at an assisted living facility for 6 months. I was terminated and chances are I'm not eligible for rehire. I'm worried that when I graduate nursing school and start applying for RN positions I won't get anything due to a possible bad reference. I currently have a job and have been here for a year and I know I'll get a great reference from them! I'm just worried that the job I got fired from will cost me an RN position.

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Has any of you ever listed someone who technically wasn't your supervisor as your former supervisor on an application? I have heard people say they used co workers or nurses or their old supervisor to avoid I bad reference. Isn't that highly wrong and could result in legal trouble? There's one supervisor I don't believe will give me a good review and I almost considered writing another supervisor down who technically wasn't mine and had no authority to hire or fire. I‘m in contact with that supervisor, but would that be wrong?

Yes, that is very wrong, illegal and should not even be considered.

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Has any of you ever listed someone who technically wasn't your supervisor as your former supervisor on an application? I have heard people say they used co workers or nurses or their old supervisor to avoid I bad reference. Isn't that highly wrong and could result in legal trouble? There's one supervisor I don't believe will give me a good review and I almost considered writing another supervisor down who technically wasn't mine and had no authority to hire or fire. I‘m in contact with that supervisor, but would that be wrong?

You cannot lie and list someone who isn't your supervisor as your supervisor.

You can give whomever you please as a reference. Whether or not the reference is acceptable to the prospective employer is up to them. My references when I was a new grad were past clinical instructors and the mother of a child with a brain tumor who I had worked with in a volunteer capacity (the position I was applying for was pedi neuro-onc). Supervisors at past jobs (substitute teaching at my mother's school, bus monitoring, temping for the town or my father's friend the accountant) wouldn't have had anything relevant to nursing to offer for a reference.

I have never used my nurse manager from my inpatient job as a reference. When I was leaving that job, I used charge nurses as references. I didn't lie and say they were my supervisor, I said they were charge nurses and the jobs I was applying to felt this was sufficient.

The last time I was applying for jobs, I don't even remember who I used. It was not a supervisor at the job I was leaving since, in 3 years, I had 5 different branch managers and at points where that position was vacant, reported directly to the clinical director in another location, so there was no one consistent I could use. Plus, I generally don't think it wise to tip off my current position that I am looking elsewhere. I know the job I got didn't actually check the references I listed in the online application because when they were going through some kind of audit, they realized they didn't have any documented references and called me and asked who they should list, haha.

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