Ever Been Fired?

tiroka03, LPN · Nov 28, 2006

A while back in the facility where I work, a pt kept throwing up. No one, including the doctor could figure it out. Most really thought it was an emotional type thing, after all she was very nervous and overweight. Finally the doctor who was plainly trying to appease the pt who he thought was crazy had a scope done. IT was found that she had a large piece of meat stuck in her throat, I quesse some people have pouches and strictures and all kinds of things there. The meat that had stayed there for over a week, well had turned rotton, and the poor lady finally was put on antibotics and got better.

I say this so you understand that if a team of experienced doctors and nurses couldn't fingure it out. A new nurse surely doesn't have a chance. Don't kick yourself for this, it was not your fault. I believe most nurses can say it is only good fortune that something similar hasn't happened to them. I wish you well on your career. BTW it sounds like you are really intellegant and have come to understand a lot. A good lesson that you learned at a hight price, management isn't always on our side, the cover their backsides over us. That dosen't mean all management is bad. I've had managers who I really admire, and also ones who are frightening they are so difficult to please. Hopefully your next experience will be good. One person gave me this advise, and I tongue in cheek offer it to you. After your hired, never let management know you exist. If your name doesn't come up in there meetings, they won't be targeting you for anything. I have lived by the rule as best I can. I stay clear of management by doing the best I can, and by not complaining to them about little things. Eventually they will basically forget I exist and focus their attention on others, for better or worse.

BSNtobe2009 · Nov 28, 2006

This kind of attitude is what makes it hard to find a job for good nurses who were treated bad by previous employers. Don't get me wrong, it is imperative that you weed out the bad nurses but at the same time, before you go writing someone off as a bad nurse, I think when someone tells you they were terminated, its good to listen to what they have to say instead of just depending on the previous employer's version.
For example, I worked as an accountant for 9 years at a fortune 50 company. I was burned out and decided I wanted to pursue a career in Nursing. However, my company was moving in a different direction and required that I learn more accounting skills. I didn't have time to learn accounting and nursing so as a result my work performance started to suffer. It took a while before my company terminated me and they didn't want to but their hands were tied. Theygave me good recommendations but when I go to apply for a nursing job, what am I supposed to say to a prospective employer? Do I say the truth and risk not getting the job or do I lie and risk it being found out later on? I hate having to lie because then you can never rest with that in back of your mind. Then again, I don't want to tell the truth and then not only do I not get hired by the prospective employer but then my info gets passed around to other employers who may not hire me also. That sounds like a catch 22 to me.

I agree. Personal opinions about a previous employee is just setting yourself up for a lawsuit. Not everyone flourishes at every job. I have worked places where I was the most coveted employee they had and where they were going behind me every day looking for a reason to get rid of me. Someone shouldn't be able to find work because one or two people had an issue with them.

Speaking of getting fired....here is a funny story...

I was the Operations Manager for a major lender (over about 26 processors and underwriters), and I walked in one Monday morning and my password didn't work. I had recently changed it, and thought I had just forgot it.

I called the IT department, and she said, "Is your Operations Manager there?"

I said, "I AM the Ops Manager!"

IT said, "According to our records 'Jane' is the Ops Manager at that location."

I said, "That's incorrect, that is probably the person who had the job before me."

IT said,"No, this was effective last Friday."

IT then said, "Oh, I found the problem...it says here you are no longer an active employee as of Friday."

Thinking it was an error. I called my Regional Vice-President and he said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to call you this morning, I regret to inform you...."

Then he had the nerve to ask me if I could work until Noon, until he could get there, because the new Ops Manager was coming in at 1:00.

I said, "Nope, No point in staying." I laid down my keys, and walked out.

So I jokingly tell people that my boss didn't fire me, the Help Desk did.

SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN · Nov 28, 2006

tiroka,

Thank you.

:)

huskersfan · Nov 28, 2006

Make sure that your state doesn't require you to report to the board of nursing that you were terminated. Where I live you have to let the board know of a termination, regardless of the reasoning. Sounds like you can be glad to be gone. I had a friend fired from her job because the don just didn't like her personally, and stated that she forgot to give meds. The patient said she didn't get her meds, but was confused and the meds were gone. So they used that as an excuse. She had to report to the BON. She had no trouble finding a job and told them the whole story about termination up front.

Maedele · Dec 2, 2006

I am glad you were able to get another job and your new employer is not judgemental. Your "old" employer actually accused you of falsifying records. In most states the employer is obligated to notify the BON of a nurse's suspected misconduct and the BON will investigate. I don't know the rules in your state, but if you can you might want to check if there is a complaint against your license. Good luck with your new job.

Simplepleasures · Dec 2, 2006

I am glad you were able to get another job and your new employer is not judgemental. Your "old" employer actually accused you of falsifying records. In most states the employer is obligated to notify the BON of a nurse's suspected misconduct and the BON will investigate. I don't know the rules in your state, but if you can you might want to check if there is a complaint against your license. Good luck with your new job.

Hypothetically speaking, what if you accused your employer of asking you to falsify records? Where does the nurse report this type of thing to?

Maedele · Dec 2, 2006

The nurse should then report the employer to the state board that issues the license to the nursing home, and report it to the BON.

:nono: However, if a nurse falsifies records whether told to do so or not, that nurse is still responsible for her own actions and can be held responsible and in some cases can have her license suspended

Simplepleasures · Dec 3, 2006

The nurse should then report the employer to the state board that issues the license to the nursing home, and report it to the BON.
However, if a nurse falsifies records whether told to do so or not, that nurse is still responsible for her own actions and can be held responsible and in some cases can have her license suspended

I agree,the nurse should report the employer, BUT this does not mean that the enforcing entity will do a proper investigation or actually enforce the law that was broken,I speak from personal experience. Also I think nurses and anyone that has a family member in a LTC facilty should read the book "Patients , Pain and Politics" written by Mary Rollins Richards, RN BSN, former WI state examiner and supervisor, she spells out pretty clearly the corruption and lack of enforcement from those state agencies we so depend on.Things are not so black and white as we would think .

linzz · Dec 4, 2006

No but...I started my first job and quit after two weeks for many reasons but mainly due to the schedule. I was supposed to be part time but they only had me scheduled for 2 days in six weeks, and they would only call me in with less than 1 hour's notice. I could not arrange child care in this of situation. I am sure they could care less. I am sure I was only hired because they had an upcoming government inspection that coincidentally my 3 day orientation was schduled during, so the nurses were pretty stressed out. I figure they didn't really want to keep me anyways.:angryfire

buildingmyfaith57 · Dec 4, 2006

my question is this. how many have any of you been fired than turn over to the state for any reason ?

MrsK1223 · Dec 10, 2006

I was fired a few months ago after I requested an investigation into an incident between my clinical director and I. She was fresh out of nursing school, had no business in her position and was only hired after everyone that was qualified laughed at the administrator after hearing the pay. The administrator was a bit unqualified for her position as well. This is a small place. Anyway...it was the best thing they ever did for me....since then, the clinical director has been caught in lie after lie, dropping the ball in so many areas the doctors are getting upset with her, people are leaving left and right. The first thing that tipped me off to her negligent and oblivious ingnorance in the nursing field was when she TOLD me that I HAD TO give medications to a certain doctor's patients, after a policy went in effect that no nursing staff is to ever for no reason dispense medication to any patient. It had to be done by the physician in person. We had a doctor to get chewed out by a patient and rightfully so and the clinical director didn't want to tell him he would have to give out his medications to each patient since his office failed to do it prior to surgery like they are supposed to do.

I refused and she went to PACU and told them they would have to....they refused and told her that she was not going to put their licenses on the line because she was ignorant of the law and our own facilities policies. IDIOT!

She had even told us that she wasn't used to MANUAL labor after she failed to staff appropriately and had to actually circulate a room..this is a nurse out of school for not even a year and half....clueless I tell ya! What was administration thinking....and to think they fired me because I knew if they checked out what happened they would have seen what an idiot she was then but no, I lost my job of 3 yrs....she had been there 4 months.

Glad I'm out of that mess. It does get better!

Ms.RN · Dec 10, 2006

hey lpn,

i'm in michigan too. can you kinda give me name of the city where that facility is located, so i dont go near that facility? :trout: :banghead: :deadhorse:barf02::lol_hitti