Against our Policy to give Professional Reference??

caliotter3 · Jun 6, 2012

That is their way to put it to you and you have no recourse. It comes in mighty handy when they want a way to get around giving a bad reference. They are well aware how difficult it will be for you to get a job without a management reference.

jodyangel, RN · Jun 6, 2012

Great. Now I'm Really feeling screwed. I've been a nurse, first an LPN and then an RN for over 30 years. What kind of bs is this?

rn/writer, RN · Jun 6, 2012

It may be a way around telling you the reference they give would not be helpful to you. It may actually be their policy. It may be a way of hobbling good employees and keeping them from jumping ship. Who knows?

If you suspect it's the first reason and there is just cause, your best bet is to back away. Ditto for the second.

But if you've performed well and this is just a spiteful measure on their part, see if there are other alternatives that might work. If you have a copy of your last performance evaluation and it was favorable, see if you can submit that in lieu of an actual recommendation.

If all else fails, talk to the HR folks or the manager of the unit you've applied for and lay out the situation. I doubt that you're the first person they've had who has run up against this kind of problem. Let them help you brainstorm other options. Maybe they'll come up with something you haven't thought of.

Don't you be the one to close the door on this opportunity because you assumed you needed the managerial references. HR departments know that workplace politics exist and may not hold that against you. In any event, proceed with a positive attitude and see if you can find a way to make this work.

Let us know what happens.

jodyangel, RN · Jun 6, 2012

I have another thread somewhere here..where I admit I was forced into resigning to avoid being terminated.

But this shouldnt mean I can't ever work as an RN again. And I have my own ideas about the "write ups" and why they happened. But thats water over the dam.

It does Not seem right to bar people who have worked hard to get where they are, only to be denied employement because of refusal to give references.

jodyangel, RN · Jun 6, 2012

Thanks! No I won't be the one backing off. I don't know what will happen. I did email and then call one of the HR persons who has interviewed me. She didn't have anything to offer other than "Well we will need 2 managerial references"...so keep trying.

jodyangel, RN · Jun 6, 2012

I'm also afraid that if I leave the hospital setting...that I'll never get back in. Is that truth?

jodyangel, RN · Jun 6, 2012

In other words, if I worked for a nursing home or visiting nurses for a year would it be almost impossible to get into a hospital setting again?

MunoRN, RN · Jun 6, 2012

That's actually a very common policy. Employers run the risk of a lawsuit in giving a bad reference, so their response has been to not give out references at all.

caliotter3 · Jun 6, 2012

You will have to do what other people who have been blacklisted have done: keep trying until you get employment that will come between you and the bad experience. After enough time, distance, and/or employers have passed under that bridge, it will no longer negatively affect you. Broiling over it will not help you any.

jodyangel, RN · Jun 6, 2012

I'm not broiling. I'm mad. I'm not 25 yrs old. Oh way..thats right I'll get to work until I'm 80 now. Np lol.

What I did ask tho, was will I lose my chance at ever working again in the hospital if I take .. lets say a Nursing home job?

rn/writer, RN · Jun 6, 2012

It's impossible to predict the future. Working in LTC might increase the challenge a bit, but it might not. Maybe you can find a facility that has a sub-acute unit where you'll be doing a lot of hospital level care. That way you'll at least be able to keep your skills up, AND you might be able to get a good recommendation there.

If you had a previous job in the not-too-distant past, perhaps another manager would be able to give you a reference. Maybe a clinical instructor would be willing to do something for you.

Hospitals are pretty choosy right now because there are far more nurses than jobs. It appears that is slowly changing and more places are hiring. But it could be a couple of years until the imbalance levels off and then starts to tilt in the other direction. That might sound like a long time, but it'll pass before you know it. The big thing now is for you to stay employed somewhere and keep your skills sharp.

Please, find a way to discharge the anger so that doesn't get in the way of your thinking. Besides that, HR folks are pretty good at reading people and you don't want to look like trouble. As unjust as your termination may have been, it's over and done with. Learn from it and move on.

Whether you find another hospital job or some other nursing niche, I wish you the best in your quest for good employment.