Lost my first nursing job... now how do I find another?

[071911]

Hi friends out in nursing land... I just joined to see if anyone might read my insane tale of nursing woe and have some seasoned advice...

I'm a 2011 BSN graduate who held out for his dream position and eventually found it. I started as a new grad RN on a pediatric med-surg/IMC unit at one of the top-rated hospitals in the US. I couldn't have been more thrilled to be there, but from day one, things were nothing short of a disaster...

My orientation period was fraught with anxiety despite excellent preceptor support (most of the time) and pretty much general "stage fright." I was absolutely useless on my own. I worried about things that were never issues and constantly missed things that were important. I made mistake after mistake after mistake (though thank God, never a med error). The biggest problem was that no matter how much I tried to hide it, I was (apparently) receiving numerous complaints from other nurses and patient families how much I looked like I didn't know what I was doing (because I didn't). I was spoken to several times over the course of my orientation by preceptors and my supervisor that my performance was unsatisfactory, but they knew I was a smart guy passionate about pediatrics that could really succeed. I was placed on an official warning that if my performance didn't improve I would be terminated at the end of orientation.

At my supervisors' suggestion, I went to see a counselor through the hospital's faculty-staff assistance program. I was immediately involuntarily placed on indefinite unpaid medical leave and instructed to resolve both physical and emotional issues that they felt were affecting my performance. I was told my position would still be there whenever I was ready to return. Six weeks later, I was cleared to return under the agreement that I would have two weeks' remaining orientation and I needed to demonstrate competency before then. After working my first shift back, it became clear to me that nothing had changed and there was absolutely no way I was going to be ready to be on my own in five more shifts. This opinion was supported by my preceptors.

The hospital had, from day one, fostered an atmosphere of concern for your individual success as a nurse. We were told in no uncertain terms during general hospital orientation that if you were unhappy with your position or not performing well, under no circumstances should you quit - the hospital would be more than happy to work with you to find the best placement for you. My preceptors also assured me multiple times that this was what would happen if it didn't work out on this floor, and that at this point I needed to let my supervisor know that I felt I was not a good fit and she would assist me to find another position...

I was told in order to be considered for another position, I had to provide a letter of resignation from the current position and I foolishly did so. My supervisor arranged for me to shadow a nurse on the children's psych unit, and I thought this was a much better fit. The NM of that floor was supposed to meet with me that day to discuss the possibility of my transferring, but she did not show up. I received an e-mail the following day from my supervisor informing me that no other positions for someone with my lack of experience existed within the entire hospital and they were going to process my resignation as termination. Horrified, I replied that the letter stated I only wished to resign from my position on that particular unit and not from the hospital itself, and that I only gave such a letter because I was told I had to. I requested to simply finish my orientation to the best of my ability, at which time I would accept their judgment of whether or not to retain me. The NM told me this was not an option, citing patient safety concerns and terminated me anyway.

I filed for unemployment and was rejected because technically providing a resignation letter meant I left voluntarily without good cause. I took my case to the state appeals court. When no representative from the hospital showed up, I told them what happened and was granted unemployment since the state ruled that I was unfairly discharged. So I know at the very least the termination was not totally my fault.

So here is where I need help. I have absolutely no idea how to explain this to any future prospective employers. I have been applying for just about any job I can think of for the past three months since this happened and I haven't gotten a single interview. I've been putting on applications that I left voluntarily (because I technically did) and been putting "will gladly discuss in interview" as my reason for leaving. I know it's a horrific job market, and three months experience basically equals zero (although I have been rejected from new graduate positions because of it) so that's more likely why I can't get an interview. But I am an absolute loss for how to put a "positive spin" on this situation. Do I mention that I had medical difficulties that were affecting my performance and I chose to leave to focus on them (this is pretty much true anyway) or will that get me the boot immediately? Do I explain that I didn't "mean" to quit (because I didn't think I was) and the whole story or does that just make me look foolish and like I'm bad-mouthing my former employer? I have zero idea of what to say when I am inevitably asked to explain why I left. I know this is tl;dr but if anyone has any kind of idea how I can talk about this, I would be extremely grateful for your suggestions.

-Hopeless in PA

[chiromed0]

Thanks for your story. I don't have any nursing specific comment but I have hired & fired a good number of people and my first observation here would be "why" do you feel you need to share this information in the first place with a prospective new employer? If that experience would not be considered of any value towards your experience level then really, it never happened. Yes, someone could specifically ask you about that and you can decide whether to share or not based on your own ethics.

In other words, I wouldn't suggest trying to convince someone to dance with you by telling them you don't know how to dance or that you have two left feet. Life is not perfect, opportunities are NOT perfect and you are not perfect. You messed up, no big deal-move on. What other choice do you have? My personal resume does not contain every little day tripper job experience I've come across or jobs that didn't work out. It contains the ones that explain who and what I am that's relevant. It's YOUR description of yourself, shape it how you want that impression to be w/o outright lying.

Not knowing specifics though and it's none of my business but if there are issues (emotional or otherwise) then they do need to be dealt with outside of work. Just from my perspective this is not the kind of job that someone can afford to not be present mentally 100%. Good luck.

[UGADawgs]

I wouldn't say anything to prospective employers about this job. Just apply as a new graduate. Don't even mention it on your resume/application.

[DroogieRN]

Please don't say anything about health or personal issues. They can't ask you about them, but they'll have questions and will no doubt look for any reason not to hire you. Say it wasn't a good fit and the hospital didn't have anything open for you with your Level of experience so you opted to leave before either of you had invested any more time. Be pleasant but offer minimum details. And good luck!

[GinginRN]

I agree with others, when you apply to new positions, apply as a new grad. The experience was too short and not a positive experience to list on the resume. Some healthcare facilities do offer internships for new RNs. Another possiibility is working at a smaller community hospital vs. a big conglomerate. Wishing you the best of luck with a new beginning to your career!

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

Good gawd, what a nightmare scenario. And not uncommon for newbies.

The good news? Everyone wakes up from nightmares so yes, this will pass.

This is an excellent lesson in how employers cover their butts, not yours. Think of it from their end in a business perspective: they need a ready-to-roll employee that is as cost-effective as possible with as little need for ongoing maintenance as possible. Looking at it from that angle, no nurse is a "person" or even a professional, rather they are an appliance. This is not only the business economy in which we practice, but it has become the moral and ethical context as well.

Perhaps this cookie was too big a bite to chew and swallow as a new grad, even though it was your "dream position." Nonetheless I'll give you kudos for going full-on right out of the gate. That takes balls.

Upward and onward. Put this behind you as soon as possible.

.

[RoyalNurse]

Do you have to list this job? It doesn't sound like you really got that much experience from it anyway. What you really have to do is figure out what your negative thoughts are that are holding you back from being a great nurse. These thoughts are causing your anxiety.

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

My first nursing job? It was purely torturous. I moved three hours away from home and was somewhat excited to start. Little did I know, I was not going to be working on a good unit let alone in a good facility. It wasn't superbly bad, but there were definitely issues throughout the hospital system. I left my first job after less than three months because of situations that put my patients and myself in jeopardy. I was surprised to find out that I was the most competent nurse on the unit I worked on as a new grad. Coworkers would give meds to patients at risk of aspiration without using standard go-tos like applesauce and pudding to aid in swallowing, they would pass cardiac meds on 0730 vitals and the meds were given at 1145... At this facility insulin was a dual sign off medication, and you'd ask them to verify with you and they just walked up and entered their log on information - didn't verify it per facility policy (checking labeling/concentration/availability to medication order, checking sliding scale orders given a blood sugar value, let alone looking at the syringe to ensure it was correctly drawn up based on doses)... I spoke to my manager, her boss and our educator about all of this stuff. They did nothing about it. Many of those things I had no "proof of" - I didn't watch them do it - and given the laws in that state I could not report them to the states' BON. I was floated the second week off orientation on a holiday. I found myself a new job ASAP (interviewed for 3 and was offered 2 of 3) before turning two weeks' notice in to my then manager.

Because the night shift charge RN hated me, and to allow the 'clique' at work to get along well, she floated me the last day I worked, instead of floating the person whose turn it was... It's okay, neither here nor there anymore. So I get floated and have the best day I ever did at that job on a unit where things were great. Their manager called me the day after I worked there - offered to request from HR the ability for me to transfer internally to her department effective immediately (the charge RN that day had called her with positive things to say)... The facility's policy was that you worked on your unit of hire for 12 months before being eligible for internal transfer, EXCEPT if a unit manager specifically requested and initiated the transfer. I declined the offer based on my having accepted an offer elsewhere. While I worked there - two other RNs and I were the three considered competent by the inpatient neurologists...the new grad and two experienced nurses... The primary inpatient neurologist had it out with my manager over who should carry her patients as an RN or LPN on that unit. One of the three of us, a coworker, mentor and my primary preceptor when I'd been hired, her father in law was admitted to the facility we worked in, with a GI bleed. When that family member no longer met ICU criteria they were transferred to the unit we worked on. I worked 6 in a row, and every one of those 6 days I had that patient...and my old preceptor told me that I was the reason she didn't go to administration and request a transfer to another med surg unit. My exit interview - with HR at this job, haha. The lady called me said it would take 10 minutes of my time - two hours later we finally hung up.

The 'clique' at work at my first job - they went after the RNs and LPNs they didn't like. Fabricated stories, misconstrued questions etc to make new staff look incompetent. I was next on the list - but there was no proof I was not doing well. I never flipped to nights - I knew the clique on nights would have an easier time 'getting' me... The clique did not like people who questioned the system or did things according to policy. At least on days, my manager, our educator and coworkers (my former preceptor etc) could observe my patient interactions, and general patient care and make those decisions themselves. Perfect I am not, but I couldn't stay there. My second job was much better. I didn't stress as much. I'm a perfectionist - so I had to learn to let that go some to be successful as a floor nurse. Now, I'm learning to be an OR nurse...which is pretty awesome too. The way I treat and view my coworkers is based on how I was treated, I learned a lot about what not to do in my first job. You'll find yourself, you need to start somewhere that is a good fit for you. Not everyone is a good fit for any specific unit. It make take a while and some work on your part but I believe everything works out best in the end, in a way we could not have imagined in the first place. If you asked me last September if I would be working in the OR, I could not have pictured that actually happening so soon. That doesn't mean that the road to whatever your best fit right now is will not be challenging.

[NJnewRN]

First, I wish I could give you a hug. Nursing is tough isn't it? Yup. Welcome. It's a cut throat world. I feel for you. I've seen instances where the nurses allow incompetent nurses to continue because they refused to let that person fail. It all takes time. Learn from this experience. It's a field filled with wonderful people and people who are backstabbers. Don't dwell on it. Pick yourself up. This is will pass. Start applying for other jobs. When you go on the interview tell your perspective employer something like, I tried peds and it just wasn't a good fit. I really believe that this is a better area for me. There are other people that will give you chance. Take care. We are your family here. We want you to succeed. All the best to you.

[sakura07]

If you got discharged in DFW with or without intention, it might be difficult to get even the job interview because your discharged history will be recorded on Group One for 7 years which will show on background check. Only the hospital who gave your the discharged could change your record. I suggested to call or contact them.

[FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN]

In FL most former employers don't provide anything other than dates of hire and leaving, period. No other information, for fear of being taken to court. I don't know if that's true in other states or not, but it would seem likely as the laws are the same, and HIPAA laws may apply here as well. Check it out, in which case you are home free. Otherwise, I would simply disregard that information and start fresh as a new grad. Have you figured out why they were so dead set against you to begin with? There must be a reason and you need to figure out why. It is possible they were simply being b_tches, and it was a personality thing. It happens frequently in our profession, but if there is something you are doing wrong, you need to identify it, to be able to correct it.

I hadn't read the previous post before posting this one, hence my additional edit. Obviously I was not aware of the DFW laws, and I still don't know what they are so I would advise you to familiarise yourself with them and see how they affect you. Depending of course on your mobility, perhaps you might want to consider relocating and sitting your boards in another state?

[AheleneRN]

Is it really necessary for you to include this job on your resume? I sure as heck wouldn't! Just start fresh again and apply as if you're a new grad, which technically you still are. Leave the past in the past and move forward. Best of luck and God Bless!

[kcmylorn]

I'm going to add my 2 cents for what ever it is worth- just take some time, mull it over. I think I would consult with an employment attorney first and get some facts from them about your rights and right to take some legal action. I have to wonder if there were not some laws broken here- first HIPPA- why is it that so many people in managment knew about your taking time off and why?? That is a HIPPA violation of your personal information.( HIPPA doesn't just apply to a patient we are assigned to, HIPPA means EVERYONE- whether it is the hospital admitted patient or the nurse's health!! or Joe Smoe on the street)

Next I would check out the FMLA laws of our dear old PA.

I would also write some letters to the Pennsylvania Dept of Labor about possible ignoring of the federal FMLA laws. and maybe workman's comp, either way- you need to gather some information. I can just about guess which hospital it was- located in Philly??

I would also run this entire senario past that attorney to see if this is not a case of wrongful termination or 'consensual discharge". It sounds to me like you were railroaded by some Ivy leaguers who had the luxury of a battery of some high priced legal advisors( in the risk managment department) to get you out of there-

I would especially let the lawyer know of the advisement of management not to leave, they will find you another position. The facts surrounding your " resignation or ? termination. I forgot- did you win the unemployment appeal? You were costing this healthcare facility too much money in their eyes- i think that is why they got you out of there. First, the new grad orientation, then the leave of absence(FMLA? which by FEDERAL law every worker is entitled to after working for a certain amount of time at a company or should this really have been a workman's comp case?? which does cost big bucks, you had benefits which costs them more money- the EAP counselor which is usually an outside contract/more money spent; then they had to get you out- the manpower that went into trying to figure out how to put the screws to you, Unemployment is an insurance premium the employER pays on the employEE's behalf- here in NJ it is $15,000/employEE/year!! Doesn't matter if you are Joe, the truck driver or Nancy, the nurse- all employERs pay the same amount.) I personally have heard it straight from the unemployment investigator- the employER can cry "poor work performance" all they want to. That determination is up to the unemployment investigator to determine NOT your boss. Poor work performance in my state is not a reason to deny some one unemployment rights( to be denied- it has to be "willful" or with "malicious intent" on your part) especially in an orientation or training period. The employER then has some explaining to do to the Dept of Labor as to why the "Poor Work Performance"! Was there not adequate training that should have been provided, adequate time for such training, adequate staffing, adeguate supplies to do the job- the investigator wants to know every little detail to make that determination. This whole thing stinks big time!!

FMLA has a whole bunch of rules and stipulations that go with it and so does workman's comp. Why did they advise you to go to the hospital's healthplan's EAP??

This is a prime example for why nurses should have unions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think your rights were violated and you were bamboozed because they saw you as naiive and inexperienced. You were manuvered and manipulated by Nursing's best degree prepared nurse managers money can buy- probably one of the authors of why all nurses have to have BSN's for better outcomes, "spend money on BSN and advanced degree tuition in an economy when people are trying to keep a rood over one's family's head and food on the table!!!"

I seems that your original manager went running up and down the building(s) staircases or elevators in their nightgown like 'Wee Willy Winkie' to all the other nurse managers, blabbing and flapping their shisty, deceiptive gums ( this is a HIPPA violation) HIPPA violations bring in big money in law suits- especially if one can prove malicious intent( which this is an example of) AND with malicious intent, it also carries a jail sentance!!

I would be on the phone to the first avail employment attorney!! next busines day.I think you got screwed and traumatized. I would not mention this on my resume, interview or any job application- Like others have posted- you were not there long enough for it to count as anything to any employer or HR dept. This could aslo be a question to ask the attorney- get the answer straight from the horses mouth.

I'm not trying to scare you. I'm not trying to be mean. I truely am trying to help by givng you some terms and facts I have found out - the hard way. I have no legal training I wish I did. My post is only to throw some of these terms of labor out to you and spark you into consulting with an employment attorney. This is their speciality. I don't think we nurses are well versed into what our rights are as far as "fair employment practices/treatment", This is where a union comes in. This is why the members of the union pay dues- it helps to pay the labor lawyers employed by the union to defend and protect these worker rights when employERs pull these stunts.

I hope this info helps.