I have been practicing as a RN for almost 5 years. I have achieved some success during my time and have also learned a lot from old mistakes and habits. From January to May, I was working a FT position and was also working a per-diem position in the hospital. I was going to be awarded employee of the month at my FT job. However, I received a new job offer in a lucrative position.
I had accepted a new job and was very thrilled to become a member of this institution. I felt with my present experience and hard work, I would be able to pass orientation and begin working on my own. Unfortunately, some things were not going well, specifically communication. Monday, I was asked to go home and that they would be in touch with me. I told them how much I wanted to stay but am realistic and understand I may not be asked to. I maintained my position at my old 2 jobs at a per diem and will begin reaching out to them for a FT gig asap. However, I am still hopeful in being called back to orientation. Is it possible they would entertain the idea and bring me back, should I send them an e-mail? idk, much uncertainty.
If my orientee took 4 pts after he was specifically told the ratio is 3:1, and neglected to say anything to me about it, we would be having a talk. A set number of IV sticks need to be witnessed by the preceptor in most facilities. That was poor communication on the part of both parties as she did ask him
to take the lead.
I have to agree with BTDT. It sounds like the preceptor made a huge fuss and refused to precept him so he was sent home. If this is how it happened, be glad to be done with this dysfunctional staff and get on with your life.
I agree with others who said don't call or email. It's over. If the OP does speak to an HR rep I hope he lets them know that this preceptor engineered the whole thing and asks for help with filing a grievance.
As I read the many responses I am wondering where we are for supporting each other (especially in the challenging field of nursing)? Most certainly in any field people work, (outside of nursing) there are great communicators and challenging communicators. Those who need growth it their communication skills generally are not let go for communication unless abusive or previously discussed and.or being coached on. We owe each other the opportunity to improve, and without this feed back and rather response to go home is discouraging. From some of the other responses with messages voicing I think I am missing some critical information- maybe you are however we are all here to offer support one another, avoid judgement, and discuss ways to go forward positively . My personal opinion, would be to look for another job. I have worked in units where staff have left due to abusive language and behavior from their preceptor. This to me is unacceptable. The response was to nod as a preceptee and not to ask too many questions, even if they ask for help- seen others say no and wanted the preceptee to grow in their skills. If we as a profession would unite and agree to support each other. Crucial conversations, professional behavior and a want for a strong team should be a goal. As a preceptee, there have been many times when I have to take a fair amount of verbal abusive or do it yourself behavior which I have done.... to later leave at the end of my shift and go home in tears and looking at home how to complete that skill with increased knowledge (thank you google!!)
Remember, we can all rise above unhealthy behaviors and not become part of the problem. If you move on, you will find a great place to work. Remember, like everyone, we all appreciate the please and thank you's and if you are not sure politely ask if they wouldn't mind walking this through with you. Don't ever be afraid to ask a question or seek clarification as that will make your path a little easier to walk and be a great nurse. You will find amazing teachers and coworkers, and then those you will smile at and be grateful they are not your next door neighbor... A functional team, both in skills and communication provide outstanding care to patients and that is why we have chosen this profession. We all want to be part of that team, the best of the best and providing nothing short of outstanding heartfelt care. Sounds like the department you are currently may have some areas to grow in to become one of those outstanding care teams???
while i did not have much invested here, only a month in, i do feel terrible, bc i did leave under the premise i was going somewhere better. and it may have been better, but i may have not been the right fit. i just hate not knowing where i will be working by this fall, bc i had plans to apply to a masters program, now ill have to put those on hold for a while until i can get one of my per diems to take me in as FT with tuition reimbursement. a lesson in humility.
If your plan was to start school why switch in the first place? Usually you need to work somewhere a year before you qualify for tuition reimbursement anyway. As for prestige of a place I take that with a grain of salt, how much of it is marketing and how much of it actually trickles down to the working conditions of the nurses and bedside staff? Usually not much. All the money is for the big shots and the fancy equipment and marketing and they save money at the expense of the working staff.
While there really is no way for any of us to know if you'd be asked back, I do think an email would be a great idea. Sound positive in it. Reflect on your growth and the changes you feel you could make to be a better employee. Thank them for their time and for investing in you. Let them know you are committed to being successful in their facility. Ask if there is a date and time that would be agreeable for a meeting to discuss your future with them. This will give you a known end date to this hiatus, and it will let them view you as an adaptable person with hopes of doing things the way they hope you will. I honestly think leaving you hanging with no answer isn't very nice, but can't change it now. If you still want this job, fight for it. Be emotionally prepared to accept your fate either way.
hi all, just awoke and am appreciative of all these comments.. and i accept full blame obviously, i am not passing the buck here. they are a great institution, huge plans for more mergers, higher pay than what i was receiving, and i did want to work here, still do, depends on what happens obviously.
and as an update, they have not called me back yet to tell me officially if i am relieved from orientation, or to come back.
i did not e-mail them however, i may do that tomorrow. it is still very fresh, do not want to seem desperate, and give them a chance to really think. before i did leave the office, i did a whole thing where i asked if i could be my own advocate and voiced reasons why i felt i was still a good fit and how i can be of service to them. writing an e-mail would only beat a dead horse because i did state my plea in person.
i admit my flaws, and admit i was wrong, but i did feel blindsided.. to clarify the situation regarding more patient load. the educator created a calendar for me and week by week i would take on one more patient until i reached 6. that specific day I was to have only 3 patients, instructions by my educator, but I told my preceptor that day "i feel good, i could take 4".. and I was not taking 4 independently, my preceptor was within an arms reach most of the day, so if anything crazy happened, I would go get him. But when she came by to do rounds, I upset her when I told her I took 4. She stated I do not follow directions well (which is true, is someone says take 3 and you take 4, that is not following directions.) And to expound on the notion I do not follow directions, a couple of days later, my whole orientation group was to attend a seminar within the hospital. We all did not attend. It was a busy day on the unit and we were asking amongst ourselves if someone was to come get us but it was too late. For the other people, it was strike 1. For me strike 2 in not listening.
And to expound on the notion I do not follow directions, a couple of days later, my whole orientation group was to attend a seminar within the hospital. We all did not attend. It was a busy day on the unit and we were asking amongst ourselves if someone was to come get us but it was too late. For the other people, it was strike 1. For me strike 2 in not listening.
Uh.....what?
Adult professionals don't need someone to come get their group and take them places like "follow the leader." I may be only a CNA, but both my jobs gave me an orientation calendar with dates and times, and it was my responsibility to show up when and where expected. I can't believe it's vastly different in any job, really.
You're not a new nurse, you have experience, which means you've been oriented before. It seems you should know how it works.
You also violated explicit written directions about how many patients you could take. I think their comment to you about communication means that, to them, it seems you don't receive what you're told and act upon it as expected.
I think you can stick a fork in this job. Hopefully one of your PRNs can come up with something full time. As to tuition assistance, I thought the same thing as a PP about having to put in a year or some set number of hours before being eligible. You need to check the policies. At my employer you have to have worked for them for a year AND worked at least 1000 hours the previous year to qualify. Try to find out where the policies benefit you most as one way of deciding where to push harder for full time.
Good luck. And try to learn from this, which is all you can usually do with a bad experience.
they highlighted my lack of communication with my preceptor. it rubbed them the wrong way when i said i was gonna start an IV (i can not do so without my preceptor present) but i didn't mean it literally, i meant getting the supplies ready. i did not intend to do anything without her, i gathered supplies and waited for her. but it goes along the lines of not communicating well.
This just does not sound right. Like there is missing information....
adding....sorry...I didn't see you already had many replies, but it still seems odd. It seems the few things that happened were not so terrible. Not sure why you are being let go, or so it seems. Anyway...good luck.
If it were me I would think to maybe resign before being let go. Call them up and tell them something obviously isn't working here, and give 2 weeks. And suggest if it suits them better that that is flexible. I think you are already dead in the water. You'll never know what happened, if it was just or not. For them to drop you mid shift they had to believe you were a danger, enough that they are afraid to write it on paper. Somebody with influence said something to management, weather it was your preceptor or another nurse, or the housekeeper, weather true false or misunderstood you'll never know. At least this way you can honestly answer on a form that you were never fired from a job. Although you probably would let this drop off your resume. To me any job less than 6 mos to me doesn't give a good picture of a person and shouldn't be used as a reference.
I've ran into a few oddballs over the years, clear discrimination. Like the one NM that stated she'd never have a male on her unit because it was bad for the patients, lol. Or the one that hired a female with 3 yr experience as a nurse and none in the specialty over a make with over a decade of experience in the specialty.
and as an update, they have not called me back yet to tell me officially if i am relieved from orientation, or to come back.
I'm not coming at you in a negative way, but I'd virtually guarantee you that you've been fired/dismissed/relieved (however you want to classify it) from this job. Keep in mind, while you are on orientation you can be dismissed for any reason and the Institution doesn't need to go through the copious amounts of red tape (like they would if you were off of orientation) to fire you.
If I was you, I would be doing some real reflection here and trying to determine why you were dismissed from this job, and how you can prevent that from happening in the future. It's impossible to fully gauge tone from reading text on a website, but I get the impression from your writing that you are somewhat cavalier about this whole situation.
icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN
1,970 Posts
If my orientee took 4 pts after he was specifically told the ratio is 3:1, and neglected to say anything to me about it, we would be having a talk. A set number of IV sticks need to be witnessed by the preceptor in most facilities. That was poor communication on the part of both parties as she did ask him
to take the lead.
I have to agree with BTDT. It sounds like the preceptor made a huge fuss and refused to precept him so he was sent home. If this is how it happened, be glad to be done with this dysfunctional staff and get on with your life.
I agree with others who said don't call or email. It's over. If the OP does speak to an HR rep I hope he lets them know that this preceptor engineered the whole thing and asks for help with filing a grievance.