I want to move on...

Nurses Career Support

Published

I recently got terminated from my new grad position of 9 months. Nursing is a second career choice and I was very successful in my first career so this is a blow to my ego, I suppose. However, I learned so much and felt my confidence building when I got dumped. I could give a long laundry list of my responses to their reasons (and I have - in writing) but in the end I am where I am. I am afraid I will never work at another hospital again. I love the nursing profession (still). It feels like I fell in love with my new boyfriend and he just dumped me. True heartbreak. I want to move on. I want to stop feeling sorry for myself, or angry at them. I have learned so much. Any success stories? Any interview suggestions? Help.......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I am so sorry you are in this situation. I know how much it sucks to get fired, but speaking from personal experience, I really think that everyone should be fired at least once. Believe it or not, it can turn out to be a positive experience. It can change your whole perspective and the way you look at your work relationships in the future.

Try to be painfully honest with yourself.. reflect on what happened and figure out what could have been done differently to acheive a better outcome. Unless you take responsibility for what has happened, there won't be any positive growth. If nothing else, it's always a good idea to work on improving how others perceive you....

In my own case, there are lots of lessons learned. I learned that eye-rolling and sarcasm were not exactly the best ways to respond to (what I considered) stupid comments or requests. I learned that the best response is always to begin with a positive... "I would love to help you" before adding a qualifier ".. but I have a stat lab to draw right now". I learned that it's not wise to verbally challenge a physician in the middle of the ICU. There are lots more . . . I guess I was a slow learner, huh?

Give yourself some time to mourn your loss, and then get back out there and start applying. If you are asked about why you left, be ready with an honest, but not too detailed explanation... "I learned a lot and really enjoyed my co-workers and the patients but it wasn't a good fit for me". NEVER bad-mouth your ex-employer to a potential new employer.

Best of Luck to you. Keep us posted on your progress.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am sorry this has happened...in all my years of working the the vet med field I had some of the best jobs that a tech could get and I took a risky position in my first management position and the vet and her ex-crackhead sidekick turned out to be insane. I knew after the first week that I should quit but I was so determined to succeed, I just felt that I could really make a difference there but in the end I was fired because I refused to allow the vet to curse at me. It wasn't even a fight, she went off and started cursing at me about how I should f'n come when she calls me, etc and I just turned to her and said "You are never allowed to curse at me" and walked away. Anyway when I look back I see a lot of the mistakes that I made due to lack of support, lack of management experiance and lack of knowledge on how to deal with the whole situation and still protect myself. The place had a horrible turnover, in the the 6 months that I was there she had fired four people for basically nothing. She had kept a log of issues so that she could fire me without getting herself in trouble and I allowed her to fire me instead of quitting because I had heard, INCORRECTLY thanks to people who love to think they know something and really don't know crap, that if you are fired you can collect unemployment and if you quit you can't. Well she disputed my unemployment saying she fired me for legitimate reasons, another thing I feel she did just because she was spiteful and evil. I have know of people who have quit and have been able to get unemployment, crazy. Anyhow, I learned many, MANY valuable lessons that I will never forget. Hell, some of that stuff still haunts me to this day several years later. I got to a point not long after I was fired that I literally had to just block it from my mind and not think about it at all or else I was going to have a breakdown. Before that I had been sooo confident in myself and my abilities and where I was going in life and my job experiance had proved it, I had worked for the best, could get basically any job I wanted due to my work experiance and references, a vet would just look at my resume and give me a job. After that nightmare I took a job wit another vet and just wasnt myself, I kept my head down, never spoke up for myself, stayed out of everyones way and was basically a shadow. It has take several years but I am finally back to myself but definately know now how to protect myself. It kills me that if I had taken some pictures and kept a log of what went on in that crazy vets clinic she would have lost her license and I could have sued her and won with out a doubt. Even to this day I can't really think too deeply about it without feeling my blood pressure start to soar!

Anyway, enough about me, I know you feel like absolute crap right now but you WILL get through this and you will come out the other end stronger and definately smarter, some lessons can't be taugth they have to be lived and those lessons you will never forget. Don't do like I did and let yourself disappear for awhile, get right back up on your feet and jump back in the fight.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you for your encouraging words. I still see a successful nursing future for me. I appreciate your taking the time to help me out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

HI HouTx - You responded to my plea for help 5 years ago when I lost my first nursing job after just 9 months. As I read your response again now I can remember how your words really helped me. I can't report that I have found another nursing job. I have not looked over the last 5 years because, truthfully, it really hurt and I had a lot to think about. I have a husband and 2 sons who I have taken care of even before I became a nurse and realized how much pressure I put on myself and my family. I learned I'm not the 20 something dynamo I used to be, but I am wiser. My kids are 5 yrs older and I am now ready to get back into the job market. I took your advice over the years and really thought hard about where I could improve. I am a volunteer nurse at a clinic so I haven't faded away all together. I have taken full responsibility for parts that I could have done better and learned that I needed to speak up more when things were not going well, seek help sooner rather than later, and be sure to communicate with the charge nurse in a timely fashion. Thank you for your advise. I still and always will love the nursing profession. Wish me luck.......

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.
HI HouTx - You responded to my plea for help 5 years ago when I lost my first nursing job after just 9 months. As I read your response again now I can remember how your words really helped me. I can't report that I have found another nursing job. I have not looked over the last 5 years because, truthfully, it really hurt and I had a lot to think about. I have a husband and 2 sons who I have taken care of even before I became a nurse and realized how much pressure I put on myself and my family. I learned I'm not the 20 something dynamo I used to be, but I am wiser. My kids are 5 yrs older and I am now ready to get back into the job market. I took your advice over the years and really thought hard about where I could improve. I am a volunteer nurse at a clinic so I haven't faded away all together. I have taken full responsibility for parts that I could have done better and learned that I needed to speak up more when things were not going well, seek help sooner rather than later, and be sure to communicate with the charge nurse in a timely fashion. Thank you for your advise. I still and always will love the nursing profession. Wish me luck.......

It sounds more like 3 years ago an 2 months :-P ago

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Your comment does not help me. I find it disrespectful, arrogant, and lacking compassion. Please read the whole thread of this discussion. The advise from HouTx is very useful and something in it for all to learn from.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Dear DatMurse: Your comment does not help me. I find it disrespectful, arrogant, and lacking compassion. Please read the whole thread of this discussion. The advise from HouTx is very useful and something in it for all to learn from.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Dear DatMurse: Your comment does not help me. I find it disrespectful, arrogant, and lacking compassion. Please read the whole thread of this discussion. The advise from HouTx is very useful and something in it for all to learn from.

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

cm -- I couldn't make much sense of DatMurse's remark at first but I believe he counted the time between your first post and your update, and meant nothing disrespectful, although I'm not 100% on that. :-) Your post really made my day, even though I am not HouTx. It is so very rare that we get someone coming back years later and writing something like that. Usually people just disappear and we never know how are words affect people in real life.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hey, all I want to say is good luck and good for you for making the decision to go to the paddock to find the horse you're going to get back on! You're already ahead of the game!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Hey, all I want to say is good luck and good for you for making the decision to go to the paddock to find the horse you're going to get back on! You're already ahead of the game!

This.

Sending positive vibes in your success! :up:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment