Can't get hired after termination

[rnoutlaw]

Hi - Our state nurse practice act requires nurses to disclose terminations. I have a little over a year Med-Surg experience, some LTC experience, and some agency experience. I told my licensing board that I had been terminated from my Med-Surg job after informing them that the unit wasn't a good fit and that I wanted to transfer, and they terminated me. Then I got a job at a LTC and it was horrible. I was 1 nurse for 30-40 residents and my 1-2 CNA's were a joke. I informed them that I wanted to transfer to a smaller facility, and they said that I hadn't been there long enough for a transfer and that I would have to quit. However, they said they wanted to work things out and keep me, but then terminated me. I didn't get any action against my license when I informed the nursing board. However, I still can't find a job with a hospital. When I disclose on my job app that I've been terminated, I never get any calls, and when a manager does want to hire me, HR vetoes the hire when I disclose the termination. Will I ever work as an RN again? What can I do?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

That stinks! What if your termination was a result of something that had absolutely nothing to do with nursing practice? Like personality conflict with manager or co-workers? What if you're terminated for an alleged but not proven issue? I have no problem with BONs maintaining stringent tracking & monitoring of proven violations of nursing practice, but it seems to me that this is an unwarranted intrusion into the private lives of nurses. Does your board provide this information to prospective employers when they check on your license???

I just think it's crazy. Another example of something that seemed like a good idea but has all sorts of unintended consequences. One of which would be lawyers getting rich as a result of all the 'wrongful termination' lawsuits by nurses trying to protect their licenses and livelihood. Sheesh.

[rnoutlaw]

I don't know whether our state Board provides that info. Usually employers go to the professional licensing Web site and check to see whether there is any action on the license. Since this post, I managed to do some flu shot clinics and agency work in doctor's offices, home care, and health fairs. I also did patient education in a pharmacy. However, I may need a job as a staff nurse in a hospital, and even though I'm seeing Med-Surg positions that require only 1 year of experience, I still doubt that I'll be able to get hired. One hospital recommended a $500 nurse refresher course!

I was not found guilty of anything, and my state determined that it was a wrongful termination. You are right, this is an unnecessary and unethical intrusion and punishment. It was all alleged. Our new manager fired 12 of us over a period of a few months and then hired new nurses.

[caliotter3]

If you have been engaged in a heavy and persistent search for work and can't do better after three years, if you still want to continue in nursing, I would suggest considering moving to a state that does not have that reporting requirement and starting over. Without doing much digging into memory banks, I can think of several people that actually got canned from jobs more than once for good cause, yet they were able to get rehired in the area. Not every place is so impossible.