final warning

From my personal experience, in such situation there is only one thing that has to be done: immediate resign and medical leave for any time that remains. Doing so doesn't change anything in terms of "being eligible for rehire" or not, but it ties the hands of management for the time being.

Check PM!

Are you union? What policy does your facility have in place for discipline? Many places have a "progressive discipline" policy in place wherein they can't do C before they do B or A (meaning, that other stuff that you didn't know about should have been part of an informal coaching before it was brought to a written reprimand or whatever you received).

I've seen that happen a lot on my unit. I can name at least five people off the top of my head that I know have been forced out because they weren't liked. It's usually new grads who had the unfortunate combination of not being the quickest learners and having a preceptor that wasn't in the "in crowd" at my job. There is no protection because there is no proof. Management can find the flimsiest things to write you up over - and there is no way to prove that you're getting written up for things other people aren't, because the other people doing the same things who aren't getting written up don't have documentation of them performing those actions. It sucks.

If they have started a paper trail, you need to find a new job, post haste. If you don't think you'll last after you resign, do what KatieMI said and take medical leave. It might very well keep you off the do not hire list.

Best of luck

I've seen that happen a lot on my unit. I can name at least five people off the top of my head that I know have been forced out because they weren't liked. It's usually new grads who had the unfortunate combination of not being the quickest learners and having a preceptor that wasn't in the "in crowd" at my job.

If they were still in their probationary period, then often time that is the ONLY time someone can be let go without out significant documentation. If there is an inkling that a nurse is not going to work out, it's often the best choice to let them go.

And I think social issues is nearly as valid a reason as performance issues. If a nurse doesn't fit with the culture of a unit, it's going to interfere with teamwork and unit morale.

that's just it - they do have a progressive discipline - however, they are using these two items that weren't really problems, or anything I got in trouble for - I just happened to be involved - but not "problems" of any kind - the one manager is using them to say they are "hints" and in our policy it gives them the option to skip A and B and go directly to C if they choose to....but its really shady.

Resign gracefully. Then run....

And I think social issues is nearly as valid a reason as performance issues. If a nurse doesn't fit with the culture of a unit, it's going to interfere with teamwork and unit morale.

And if a nurse thus unceremoniusly discarded like trash just for "not fitting" and "social issues" will spread the news about her mistreatment wide enough and far enough, then your unit, and eventually, your facility's business, will suffer.

I can imagine "social issues" like laziness, gossiping or anger/stress management problems being reasonable basis for termination. But when an otherwise good nurse is terminated for being not a cookie-cutter type or for not "fitting" with old gals clique, this is just plain wrong. And I guess you know it. And yes, doing so can bring up unsavory sequlae, very much long term.

Oh man - yeah, I wish I knew back years ago what I know now.

I am older now, less reactive and my personal situation is much better.

But there was a time when I was younger, very stressed out in general because of my child having several chronic illness problems, intermittent family leave so they could not fire me for staying at home when she was not doing well. I was also very direct and blunt in a way. I did not talk much about my personal situation at work - few people knew about the problems I was facing with my child at home.

The manager was not ok with me speaking up about how work was going there. Apparently, she wrote all kind of stuff about me in my files that I was not aware of. Yes, she had said that she did not appreciate that I would point our problems in that kind of direct blunt way. But it was not like she had written me up or she had told me it was not ok. She made it sound that she was ok with me "venting". A year later, I had to appear and talk to upper nursing management because somebody had complained.

I was speechless to begin with and I got scolded for all kind of things and the manager's report came up and was used to tell me that I had an "ongoing "problem and they wrote me up. So I started to look for a new job right away and waited to give exactly 2 weeks notice.

Oh very much so. My recent position....on Friday, i was a "great part of the team...etc." By the following Tuesday, I was suspended and by Thursday, I was applying for unemployment. The "reason" was some trumped up crap that I did not do and there was no evidence of me doing. The one issue that occurred only happened because there was no policy in place to deal with it. Whatever the case may be, I knew exactly who was gunning for me and this person frankly was a narcissistic, psychotic freak that was unqualified (that's not an opinion) to be in the position she was in because she had neither the degree or the experience for it. My downfall began when I considered applying for an open management position where I'd have been her supervisor. I ultimately decided against that thought for a variety of reasons.

My advantage was that I kept records of every slip of paper that was exchanged. I had no write ups, so the "fast track" to discipline/termination was used. My records are strong enough that this will not be the last they will hear of me.

In some respect, I almost want to say thank you for turfing me, because I landed in a much, much better environment, making more money and being happier. This has nothing to do with revenge, but rather to maybe prevent this happening to others (it's something of a track record for this place). I have nothing to do now except sit back and watch the lawyer make hay. In a perverse way, it might be fun to watch....