Being Fired as a CNA, feeling that it wasn't my fault.

[March28]

I was recently terminated. I only have a year of experience at a skilled nursing facility and I was let go. I feel like I was professional at work, I always came in on time, did accurate charting and so forth. The only thing that was lacking was teamwork, but not from me. I was always helpful and being a CNA we work as a team.

The senerio: I was in a resident's room and I had them on a high bed changing their brief, It was about 5min before dinner and their family member was also in the room waiting on me to change and get the patient in their wheel chair. As I looked for a brief quickly inside their nightstand, I couldn't find one. So on a walkie, I called on of my CNA peer to bring me briefs. One CNA replied "YOU NEED TO BRING IN YOU'RE OWN SUPPLIES AND WE ARE SICK AND TIRED OF YOU, YOU'RE SLOW, YOU NEED TO HURRY UP, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ECT... Then another CNA replied, "Yes I will be there to help you."

After me and the CNA got the patient into her wheelchair for her family, I was shooken up that one of my colleagues would be so calloused saying things about my work performance. That I did call the DON and confessed that her team work ethics are bad, and that she has been bullying me prior to that. I also had said that I believe the CNA may be doing stuff, that may have made her aggressive at work. Sigh* I had seen her smoke "stuff" before (This is True I have, I just never had the nerve to say anything until the bullying got severe) The DON said they would arrange for a meeting tomorrow before work. I said okay and went back to work.

Now I did tell another close CNA what had happened because she asked. I said I finally said something and I'm tired of being bullied.

The next day I went to work, I was called in along with that CNA that I told on. But in return I was suspended, and then terminated. I was told that I "Slandered" against her.

I'm just really upset about the whole situation, and it's difficult very difficult to get a CNA job. That was my first CNA job for a year I worked over there and I have no good references over there. Is there anything I can do or say during an interview. The last two interviews I had I was honest with telling them why I was fired, but I was felt like I was looked at as a snitch or not a good team mate.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

It's one thing to accuse a coworker of poor performance. It's another to accuse them of something illegal. Without any proof, you really have no case and you made yourself an easy target for the other CNA to cry "slander", even if what you said was true.

In the professional world, it's all about how you approach things. It sounds like you were at the end of your patience and talked to the DON at that time. A controlled, well-thought-out response backed with solid evidence is going to get you much farther in this world than anything else.

Use this experience as a lesson in peer to peer interactions and tell the folks who are hiring you as much. I'd be honest about what you did and tell them what you'd do differently this time.

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Unfortunately, since you didn't have proof (even if it was true), that was the reason why you were let go.

I agree with SoldierNurse; moving forward, find a way to seek out help when you feel there is a issue with teamwork or inter personal communication issues; you most certainly did not have to feel this way coming to work; however I suspect that this was your first job-correct me if I am wrong please-and learning how to interact with challenging personalities was a first for you.

Moving forward, dust yourself off and find another position; learn to stand you ground against challenging personalities; learn who you can trust for team work, and never hesitate to speak up.

Sending positive vibes in finding another position.

[smmctowelie69]

I'm going to give u a real world nursing scenario. They pick favorites, keep to yourself. They slandered you in front of a family member. Don't let it get to you. Brush your shoulder off and move on.

[SeattleJess]

It's one thing to accuse a coworker of poor performance. It's another to accuse them of something illegal. Without any proof, you really have no case and you made yourself an easy target for the other CNA to cry "slander", even if what you said was true.

In the professional world, it's all about how you approach things. It sounds like you were at the end of your patience and talked to the DON at that time. A controlled, well-thought-out response backed with solid evidence is going to get you much farther in this world than anything else.

Use this experience as a lesson in peer to peer interactions and tell the folks who are hiring you as much. I'd be honest about what you did and tell them what you'd do differently this time.

Spot on counsel! It's always more effective not to do ANYTHING in the heat of your emotions. You need to talk to someone you can trust to work through the emotions and then get down to problem-solving. Post on AllNurses if you have no one else. You'll get the empathy you need to get over your emotional reaction and good advice and experience on how to solve your problem. (Thanks, AllNurses!)

I'd just add that you’ll be more effective if you frame your complaint should in terms of your manager's concerns - not justice or fairness for YOU, but cost-containment, patient/family satisfaction, safety and risk management (i.e., avoiding a lawsuit). Approach her with the attitude that you’re there to get her help to solve something that’s a problem (or potential problem) for her.

For example, you could have told your manager that you were concerned about preventing patient/family complaints. Give the briefest possible objective summary of the facts, then ask what your manager thinks you to do, if anything, about the incident and when similar incidents occur in the future. (The statements over the walkie talkie had the possibility to create all kinds of grief for management and were easy to verify with independently evidence.)

I agree that the best way to handle it in future interviews is to give a very brief summary of the facts and then to go right to what you learned and your certainty that it will never happen again. Perhaps sum up by stating how your experience has made you more effective at implementing the values (teamwork, exceptional patient care) that will let your employer reach his/her/its goals by hiring you.

Sorry this happened to you. It's a painful and tough way to learn but don't they say that experience gives the exam first, then the lesson? Or something like that?

[annie.rn]

I'd just add that you'll be more effective if you frame your complaint should in terms of your manager's concerns - not justice or fairness for YOU, but cost-containment, patient/family satisfaction, safety and risk management (i.e., avoiding a lawsuit). Approach her with the attitude that you're there to get her help to solve something that's a problem (or potential problem) for her.

For example, you could have told your manager that you were concerned about an preventing patient/family complaints. Give the briefest possible objective summary of the facts, then ask what your manager thinks you to do, if anything, about the incident and when similar incidents occur in the future. (The statements over the walkie talkie had the possibility to create all kinds of grief for management and were easy to verify with independently evidence.)

Great advice!

[betm, CNA]

I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way about how to approach a problem with a coworker. Without proof, your accusation did, essentially, become slander and bosses don't take well to someone showing up in their office with coworker drama. Yes, the coworker could have held her tongue about how she felt (that you're slow, etc) and just allowed the other CNA to come help you, but to her, forgetting a brief when you went into a room with the sole purpose of changing someone probably rubbed her the wrong way (especially during the busy dinner rush!). I would have approached her after dinner and apologized. The way this incident panned out, you made a rookie mistake (but not a big deal mistake) that ruffled someone's feathers and instead of keeping your cool, you gossiped about this other CNA with a different coworker, tattled to your DON about this CNA's poor character and attitude and may have alluded to drug abuse with no proof, and then got fired for it. A coworker with a poor attitude is not always a bully and you can't go crying wolf when someone says something harsh to you. It undermines real cases of bullying. Of course, this is the only incident you've mentioned, so I can't prove she's not a real bully, but from the sound of it, she just doesn't handle stress well. Be careful with how you handle interpersonal conflicts now that you've learned the hard way. And especially be mindful of how you approach your boss and what you approach them for.

[funtimes]

I get the slander part, but in the end the DON mishandled this. We don't know what exactly you said and how you said it, but you would think they would have taken into account you had just been verbally attacked over the radio and if your comments seemed slanderous they could have warned you of such right off the bat and just dealt with the bullying situation.

This was one thing that always disturbed me about LTC. It seems like if they wanted to get rid of an employee, they would wait til something happened then use that as an excuse to fire them, regardless of the future employment consequences to that person.

If they don't like someones performance then write them up and let them go, and they can just say it didn't work out or whatever. Instead it seemed like anytime a CNA was fired it was some dramatic and possibly career ending exit, and the place I worked at for a couple years fired a LOT of CNAs. I think they actually sometimes used allegations of abuse and neglect to get rid of people they didn't want, because when you take care of people with dementia day in and day out eventually there is probably going to be an allegation of some kind by a confused resident. Maybe it was a way to avoid paying unemployment. I felt fortunate to be able to have left there voluntarily under good terms with another job lined up after what felt like 2 years of walking through a daily minefield.

Now this employee will probably go on to be a loudmouth bully to the poor new CNA they hire.

Look on the bright side. You now have a year of experience under your belt. It didn't end under the best of circumstances but when it comes to LTC that's probably not uncommon.

[Whoopderitis:)]

This is March 28 but I can't activate my account so I made this one. I'm very happy that you all commented back with insightful information. I took it all in, and I understand in any job field I need to stand up for myself and not let a person walk on me, but in doing that I need to do it the right way, by the book. I've learned my lesson very well and it's not worth me loosing my job, when I could have easily talked to that CNA, about her work ethic in private. I got heated and went straight to the ADON, then made a comment that:dead: I shouldn't have made. That's life, but working in the medical field I've learned "Everything" is taken into account. I wish everything was handled differently, but I can't stay bitter for long and wish wish wish and beat myself up. I've learned a great lesson!!!!

I eventually got hired at two part time positions:), at two local discount stores. I've also been busting my tail sending job applications in and resumes. Today I have great news though, I've been hired as a CNA and did all my hiring paperwork, after the Labor Day holiday, when my back round comes back I can start the orientation process.

I am very thankful and I have plans this time to be successful and handle "Interpersonal conflicts" differently with dignity and respect.

[PattySorto]

Hi i also do not have much experience on this because im new cna but i think focusing only in what you and your patients its important.

accepting criticisms without getting upset its the ideal. when you know you have to do something any task with your patient make sure you have all what you need. and do not call for help unless for emergencies or to lift a very heavy patients or objects. try to deal with co workers its the worse thing in life. what with you if they were smoking garbage let them die. does not your business. and without proofs that was a terrible situation. Know you have gained this experience and i know you going to master it. i wish you all the best and blessing .

[TexasTschi]

I know this is an oldish thread, but if any of us were to accuse another of drug use, and it was brought to our DON's attn, she'd have us at a drug test ASAP. As in, do not clock out, you have x amount of time to arrive at said lab, and do not come back until the facility has received the results.

I've never worked at any LTC that just dismissed drug allegations, even if it appeared as a retaliation. Then again, most places I've worked at, are worried about bottom dollar, and that includes lawsuits over injuries and what could be wrongful death.