Coping Up After Job Rejection

[jamb]

I am an international graduate that migrated in US way back 2012 and I've always been dreaming of continuing my dreams and be able to practice nursing again. I've been thru a lot of rejection in the past. But yesterday was the most painful one.

I am writing so I can put all my emotions in here and help myself from falling apart.

It's been 5 years since the last time I practiced in the nursing field. It wasn't my choice to stop and be away from field for that long. being an international graduate, there was a lot of obstacles before I was finally able to take my NCLEX. and so last year, I was able to pass my NCLEX for LVN in California and my NCLEX-RN for New York.

I am a big dreamer so I decided to give it a try in leaving California and go to New York to be able to practice as a Registered Nurse. I was full of hope and very grateful when a hospital in upstate New York accepted me and gave me an offer.

I left my job as a school nurse, wellness nurse and caregiving job in order to move to New York and give it a shot in this hospital. I was ready and I prepared myself in staying for over 3 years even if I get a smaller Salary. I signed for a 3 year contract for an apartment as I planned of enhancing my skills in that hospital and get into a specialty. I gave up my relationship, I invested money and time and so last month, started to work and get into the orientation phase.

I was very much overwhelmed. New environment, New people, New machineries. I thought I was doing very well in adapting this new environment until last week I received a call saying that I don't have to work on the coming weekend and I will have a meeting instead on a Monday. I was nervous. I was thinking though that maybe they would want me off orientation phase already. But then that Monday, they said that it was my last day at work already and they decided that maybe I should try to work to a less acute area first. I asked if I did something wrong but they said, I just needed to enhance my skills a little more and be back in the hospital after a year and they let me signed an involuntary termination papers.

I shattered in tears. I feel broke and helpless. My dreams and goals got all ruined. I walked for 5 miles while crying not knowing where to go. I am like a butterfly that's all starting to fly then suddenly somebody cut my wings and I can't move.

a lot of things come to mind specially on how to pay my bills. I am in a place that I'm not familiar. I have no car and there's not much option or place for me to apply that is close to the area. I spend my day crying and not eating, I can't move my body. I do not know what to do.

Then this morning I opened up my face book and saw an article about how Albert Einstein even got rejected. I got inspired by it and read inspirational quotes. I start moving again and decided to walk about 8 miles and drop a resume to a nursing home. I cannot even call a taxi as I was saving my remaining money. Tomorrow I will walk again to another nursing home and I needed all your prayers for me to be able to make it and get accepted to a new job opportunity.

My self-esteem has been lowered and I'm afraid that these nursing homes would not accept me as I was rejected by the hospital. I'm afraid that no one will trust me and so I needed words of encouragement from all of you wonderful nurses! I needed your prayers and I need to put back my self myself confidence and believe that I can survive all of these and show the world how capable I am in becoming a good Nurse!

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

First of all you kind of got screwed, they did not assess your skilld correctly. Basically you were a new graduate ( your Skill level) and it seems like they expected you to function as an experienced RN. with no current practice you could benefit from a refresher course to re enter the hospital.

It sounds like you were way over your head,thinking you were doing good, my guess is that you made no mistake but very slow and dependent on others therefore not a good fit.

That being said, you signed a lease a legal obligation, yikes a 3 year lease! also upstate ny requires a car for most jobs.

Time to reach out to your social support and regroup, you probably will not qualify for unenployment insurance since you only worked 6 weeks.

As others have stated, long term could be your next step,good luck

[dishes, BSN, RN]

I understand you are trying to save money by walking 8 miles to drop off resumes, but that is an inefficient and time consuming way to conduct a job search. Also, if you are walking long distances and not consuming calories you will be at risk of becoming sick. Instead, I suggest you print a map of your area, draw a radius circle around the area that surrounds your apartment, look up every nursing home, medical clinic, rehab centre, etc and send resumes out by e-mail to all of the potential employers within the map radius.

[jamb, BSN, RN]

You can't work as an LPN/LVN if you are an RN. It doesn't matter if your RN license is in NY; if you go back to CA to work as a nurse, you will need to let the BON know that you have a license in another state and that it is a different one from the one you currently hold.

Hello! I just called California BRN just last Monday. but they would not honor my New York RN license not unless I repeat studying my MS and Maternal and Child Nursing here in US. Sad reality for international graduate students like me in California because they are really strict.

I have a separate LVN license too for California State...

I took both NCLEX test before so I have a fall back just in case I failed one of them.

[Emergent, RN]

Talk to your landlord. I have rentals and communication is key. Landlords are human beings you know. They don't want the hassle of eviction, plus the expense. Plus, an experienced landlord knows that there's a lot worse than someone whose job didn't work out.

[jamb, BSN, RN]

One of the best things you can do for yourself, at this point, is to focus on putting a positive spin on your previous experience. I wouldn't mention "stabbed in the back", "terminated without enough reasons" or "Department of Labor" to any potential employer. Good luck to you!

Oh no! I don't have any intentions of saying that to any potential employer. I am just getting real on what my thoughts are right now as I am trying to dig out why it happened..

Thank you for your advice and God bless you too!

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Consider contacting the Philippine nurses association New York, (email or phone them) tell them about your situation, maybe they have suggestions to help you build social supports and find work in upstate New York.

[jamb, BSN, RN]

First of all you kind of got screwed, they did not assess your skilld correctly. Basically you were a new graduate ( your Skill level) and it seems like they expected you to function as an experienced RN. with no current practice you could benefit from a refresher course to re enter the hospital.

It sounds like you were way over your head,thinking you were doing good, my guess is that you made no mistake but very slow and dependent on others therefore not a good fit.

That being said, you signed a lease a legal obligation, yikes a 3 year lease! also upstate ny requires a car for most jobs.

Time to reach out to your social support and regroup, you probably will not qualify for unenployment insurance since you only worked 6 weeks.

As others have stated, long term could be your next step,good luck

Hello,

I actually graduated way back before 2009 got some experience from my country then migrated to US around 2012. I worked as a caregiver while waiting for all the papers and requirements to get fixed. technically speaking, it took forever that's why it's just now that I'm able to get back on the field. I worked as a school nurse (lvn) in California for few months until I got a call from them.

It could be a mismatched of clinical preceptors too. Honestly speaking, on my 6 weeks of being in the hospital, we had paper stuffs for 1 week like orientation in the hospital, etc. then another 5 days for the critical care course so it means I only had about 4 weeks on the floor with 10 different clinical preceptors because no one is available. I'm not sure if the continuity of learning is being justified.

As someone from a different country. I humbled myself and listen to everyone. I believed that they might have thought that I'm pretty slow too as sometimes I stayed on patients room for quite sometime in doing my assessments and take my time as I love talking with them.

I rented an apartment like 5 minutes away from the hospital so I wouldn't have any problem that's why and my goal is to get a car by fall season.

I just called everyone that I can ask help or opinions this situation is really crazy! all I can do is pray and regroup myself back since I don't know anyone from this place to comfort me or anything.

Thank you so much for your time to give an advice!

[dishes, BSN, RN]

Since you have a caregiver job on your resume, have you considered applying for a private caregiver job in New York? it could help you survive until you can find a RN job.

[jamb, BSN, RN]

Legally they can terminate you and give you no reason.

The fact that you think a colleague got extra training and it's unfair is heresy and irrelevant. The other colleague lasted twice as long as you and may have a better performance record. You did not meet their expectations. The other employee getting training has no impact on your termination after 6 weeks for not meeting expectations for skills, time management, efficiency & experience.

You only worked 6 weeks and were involuntarily terminated due to performance. You are not eligible for unemployment. Not enough work credits plus terminated. The employer will fight your claim and win.

LVN experience generally does not credit towards RN experience in most specialties. But you can ask.

If an application asked you to list ALL employment then you must include this job

Instead of focusing what opportunities others may have had move forward and seek other opportunities

I know right! They have all the power as I am still on probationary/ orientation phase and they can say all the excuse and answers that they can give already.

the thing is that I did not even get a heads up. something like a warning that if I did not change something then they will terminate me. out of the blue they just called me on my cp and says not for me to come on both Sat and Sunday for my duty. instead, we will have a meeting on Monday.

and that Monday they said that it was my last day already. I was so surprised but nothing I can do... I know I can't fight back and I believed that if they think that I am a threat to their organization/hospital then they would not trust me at all even on the simplest stuffs.

I just printed all the certificates that I got from our online classes/training during my stay in the hospital. I'm crossing my fingers that somebody/someone else will still trust my capacity and credibility of being a nurse in spite of having a record of being kick out by hospital and I don't want to give up this fight of being a nurse as I already had put so much love and effort in pursuing this career that I've chose

thank you so much!

[jamb, BSN, RN]

I understand you are trying to save money by walking 8 miles to drop off resumes, but that is an inefficient and time consuming way to conduct a job search. Also, if you are walking long distances and not consuming calories you will be at risk of becoming sick. Instead, I suggest you print a map of your area, draw a radius circle around the area that surrounds your apartment, look up every nursing home, medical clinic, rehab centre, etc and send resumes out by e-mail to all of the potential employers within the map radius.

Thank you so much for your concern! ooh after a day, I push myself back as I'm afraid of getting sick too coz no one will bother to take care of me but myself in this place. I've done that and there's only 3 options that I can go to in this place. next places would be 1.5-2 hours drive. I can rent a car but I don't know if it make sense as I haven't even had a chance to breathe yet from all the expenses that I had from moving in NY.

Thank you also for the idea I'll try to figure out if there is such thing as Philippine Association of Nurses here in NY

I've already had looked to private caregiving jobs along the area. but salary is really low here and most people only need 4 hours a day.

[jamb, BSN, RN]

Talk to your landlord. I have rentals and communication is key. Landlords are human beings you know. They don't want the hassle of eviction, plus the expense. Plus, an experienced landlord knows that there's a lot worse than someone whose job didn't work out.

My landlord stills wants me to pay my june rental inspite of knowing everything! I told her I might go back to California and use my deposit then just work out what ever sanctions we can agreed upon that she will feel secured. She says you cannot just leave if there's no one renting my apartment. I told her I won't be able to pay her if I don't have a job myself. i'll have a meeting with her again on Tuesday and I will cross my fingers that something nice will happen.... this situation makes me wanna throw up LoL

thank you!

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Even though you worked as RN in your home country you had been out of practice for years to apply as a critical care nurse was a huge mistake in my opinion. Too much changes in the nursing profession. Almost impossible for anyone.

That being said, you are a nurse one job does not define you. while it is mess right now you will get through this.