Graduation, First ever RN job, And Fired within 2 Months?

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I recently graduated in May with my RN and was completely psyched to finally work in the field I love. I had been working as a CNA for the 2 years prior to graduation at a long term care facility and had a wonderful time with all of my residents. I told the facility that I was graduating and they said they would move me up to an RN position. A week after graduation I started as a GN, since I had not yet taken my boards. I was given 3 days of orientation, and on the fourth day I came in they told me I was on my own cart and that we were short... Everyone that I had talked to said that this was normal, and that's just how it is there. So I tried to suck it up and put my education into action. There were many nights where there were only 2 of us with 22 pts each on the subacute unit. It continued in this fashion for about two months as I struggled to keep up with trying to learn what I could, which was a little difficult because in all of my clinicals at the hospitals everything was computerized, and this facility still used paper. I spent half my night chasing other nurses around asking them what I should do about certain things.

Since I had a change of title, I was on a probation period. After two months of this, I received a phone call at 9am ( I had just gotten home at 8, I worked 6p to 7a) asking me to come in. When I got there I sat down with the nursing supervisor and assistant nursing director and was told that I had made 3 errors throughout my time working as a nurse. I had failed to hand write a PT/INR result in a lab book, but did chart it in my note; I had administered the correct medication to a pt. but wrote it on the wrong MAR; and I didn't see an order for iron 325 which didn't get put into the MAR. I was told that these were "Lazy Mistakes". I admitted that yes these were all mistakes, but no one had come to talk to me about things that I was doing incorrectly. I had never received any warnings or write ups... Ultimately I was shocked, and left feeling completely incompetent in my skills, and as a nurse in general. This is a career that I love and want to be in for the rest of my life, and I had just been terminated? I was scheduled to take my boards five days after this meeting, and canceled them because now I'm terrified that I am going to fail.

This was a couple of weeks ago now, and I have already started back in school for my BSN with an 18 credit course load, and now questioning my future as a nurse.

What I want to know is, is this how most facilities are? I feel horrible, and I am terrified that if I have to list this termination ( first time I've EVER been fired) it will effect my chances of getting a good job in the future. Do I have to list this? And if I don't, wouldn't look like I was lying?

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If that's all there is too it, it sounds like pretty harsh treatment for a new graduate. I can only guess that there are other issues you might be unaware of or that the facility just has lots of options to replace you.

Don't wait to take boards too long, though! Hopefully your next experience will be better.

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Specializes in psychiatric.

This is NOT how most facilities are run. You should have never been put in the position of taking care of so many patients so soon. If those were your only mistakes I am actually amazed, a 22 person med pass is nothing to sneeze at. I think you are doing the right thing in going back to school, keep applying for another postition somewhere where you will actually get an orientation. Be very honest about what the situation was where you were let go from in interviews, and study up for those boards, take them as soon as possible.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Oh for heaven's sake. Those are all "system" related errors typically associated with kludgy paperwork systems - none of them impacted patient care at all. You were not provided with an adequate new grad orientation either.... grrrrr. I am so sorry you were treated this shabbily in your first nursing job.

You do need to include this position on your resume. US Federal law requires healthcare employers to conduct comprehensive background checks as part of employment, so this job WILL show up whenever you are hired into a new position. If you leave it off, you will be essentially 'falsifying' your application. That employer will probably have you listed as ineligible for rehire, so just be honest about being terminated, but you don't need to divulge details. It's never a good idea to badmouth previous employers or bosses, but you can just say that 'it wasn't a good fit'.

There are very few of us that manage to get through an entire career without being terminated at least once - me included. The important thing is to learn from the experience and it appears that you have done so. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep on going. In a couple of years, this awful experience will only be a distant memory.

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I had a similar experience in a LTC. My situation allowed for me to only work one shift and then never go back. Don't let this get to you. Take your boards as soon as you can. It's already been quite awhile since you graduated. Once you have taken boards, start applying for jobs. Preferably in a facility in the 21st century with computerized lab values and electronic medication dispensaries. It gets better, I promise. PS That facility is a perfect example of what not to look for in a potential employer.

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I heard many of my coworkers having the same experience. That is just horrible esp if you work in a subacute unit. I also work in LTC and I have 26 patients to give meds and do other stuff. Ehh but that is just terrible. I just hope that they have given you a warning. But you are on probationary period it means that preceptorship is over and you are on your own.

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Sucks that this is normal. Do not let it define you.

There are over 700,000 allnurses.com members.

Just think of the things we could change if we all stood together?!

Things like this would not be the norm. :)

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Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

Depending on what state you live in; what they did could be very illegal. They hired you as a GN but used you as a RN including passing meds etc. Do you also hold a LPN/LVN license?? Who signed your documentation etc... I know in my state, a GN can not pass meds and all documentation must be signed by their preceptor, they can not sign careplans at all..

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Wow I'm sorry you were treated so terribly! Also, it can be hard transitioning from NA to nurse in the same facility. Take your boards ASAP and keep applying for jobs at other places.

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You weren't a licensed RN and they had you passing meds?

LTC works sucks. I had a terrible LTC experience and it seemed like it was a lot better than yours. I made similar mistakes and they got on me about them but didn't fire me... not right away. Whenever they pointed out those kinds of mistakes, I would then not do it again. Don't let this experience get to you. It was a terrible one. And it isn't reflective of your ability as a nurse or your ability to succeed. Think about what you could have done better, what was your responsibility in your successes (and non-successes), formulate a plan to correct mistakes and to succeed. I'[m so sorry you had to have an experience like that for your first job. It's like losing your viginity to a complete loser who dumps you right away.

Don't worry about it. Learn, grow, and move on.

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This is a major reason why many new grads decide to leave nursing after less than a yr on the job. As human beings, we are prone to error. However in nursing, making mistakes is considered to be automatic termination. You're basically expected to run around for 12 hrs, on your feet, make no mistakes, take no break, and sacrifice your body, for your patients. People on these comments board will tell you something along the lines is, learn from it, move on, etc, but to be quite honest these very same people probably made mistakes, and they didn't get caught. Nursing is a dog eat cat world, you will be chewed, spittin, and eaten alive.

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