Fired and Devastated

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I am in my 50s and and put my heart into getting my BSN. I graduated with honors in May 2014, but it took me 5 months to get a job. I was so happy and loved the hospital. My orientation was extended for 5 weeks, but now, 3 months in, I have been let go due to not improving enough on my weaknesses.

I feel I was improving and would have gotten there, but they felt it wasn't enough. I think I need to work on concentrating more on what I am doing and I think having a preceptor distracted me--which is my failing. The preceptors were good, but I feel at times they jumped on what I was doing rather than let me figure it out for myself.

I accept that I need a lot of improvement, and maybe am not cut out for acute care, but I worry now that without that acute care experience, I will not be able to get a job or if I do, it would be in LTC, which I really don't want, but now feel pressured to apply for.

My home situation isn't good, and one if the reasons I went back to school was to be able to get a good job as a divorce from my husband of 30+ years seems likely. I worked two PT jobs while going to school and told him and my last child at home "to just hold on" till I graduated.

I have been fired from other jobs before, but not within 14 years. I left a job I enjoyed, but did not get paid well, to go to school, something I had wanted to do for a long time. I feel like a failure and can only imagine the emotional abuse I will get from my husband.

I really liked this job and was so proud to be hired, I know in my heart i am a smart, good person, and yes, a good nurse in many aspects, but I need to improve my clinical skills.

Thanks for reading!

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I know you must be devastated and I know how that feels! I always try to focus on my short comings in order to get from getting the same result again. I would try to see what would work best for you at this point and enable you to grow as a new nurse.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

I am so sorry to hear about your job loss, but I am extremely alarmed about your husband and his emotional abuse. Do you have any family or support system that can help you and your children? The fact that you are afraid of your husband sends up big red flags.

Just keep applying for jobs, but right now, most importantly, focus on you. You are not a failure. You managed to get through nursing school, pass the NCLEX all while being a wife, mother, and working two jobs. You are a hard worker and clearly the facility saw something in you to hire you in the first place. Keep your head up and be proud of your accomplishments.

:hugs:

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If you do not want to enter the pressure cooker of LTC at this time, you might want to consider the slow pace of extended care home health. You take care of only one patient at a time and are only responsible for the paperwork and notifications that arise out of your single shift. Often a slower pace allows older, less confident, or nurses who just want a slower pace, to remain gainfully employed in nursing. Good luck.

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Thanks for the support! I posted because I knew I needed it...

I am not necessarily afraid of my husband, he is just mean to me and has called me lazy, selfish, and sloppy (well, I am sloppy, always have been, always will be). He is very angry about me getting into debt several times, which mainly happened due to job losses. It is a complicated issue, but he just hasn't forgiven me. I know I will get more of the silent treatment. It's also going to be a kind of "told you so" thing and will increase the stress between us which had been getting better since I got my RN job and I was contributing more to the household, both time and money wise.

He is a good dad to our son (our other children have graduated and left the house). Due to my schooling and work, I wasn't around much in the past few years, but felt I had to do it to improve my situation and that of my son.

I do have family support, but, don't want to depend on them. I feel at my age I gotta get my act together (which is what my mother told me, but later apologized for).

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

He may be a good dad, but a lousy husband. You should think about getting out sooner than later. If you can't afford a divorce at least separate. You don't need to hear the emotional abuse he is giving you.

I am sorry you lost your job, but can I tell you from a preceptor's role, sometimes we just can't let you figure it out. Depends on what it is and what the task is. As for other jobs, LTC may not be a appealing, but it can work as a bridge. Good luck to you!

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"I am sorry you lost your job, but can I tell you from a preceptor's role, sometimes we just can't let you figure it out. Depends on what it is and what the task is."

Yeah--I know that. Just that often I thought, "I was just gonna do that" as they said something.

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I am sorry you lost your job, but can I tell you from a preceptor's role, sometimes we just can't let you figure it out. Depends on what it is and what the task is.

Yeah--I know that.

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Thanks for the support! I posted because I knew I needed it...

I am not necessarily afraid of my husband, he is just mean to me and has called me lazy, selfish, and sloppy (well, I am sloppy, always have been, always will be). He is very angry about me getting into debt several times, which mainly happened due to job losses. It is a complicated issue, but he just hasn't forgiven me. I know I will get more of the silent treatment. It's also going to be a kind of "told you so" thing and will increase the stress between us which had been getting better since I got my RN job and I was contributing more to the household, both time and money wise.

He is a good dad to our son (our other children have graduated and left the house). Due to my schooling and work, I wasn't around much in the past few years, but felt I had to do it to improve my situation and that of my son.

I do have family support, but, don't want to depend on them. I feel at my age I gotta get my act together (which is what my mother told me, but later apologized for).

Your husband is verbally and emotionally abusing you in case you haven't realized it. He reminds me of my Mom. She used her words as a weapon too and the silent treatment was her forte.

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Specializes in Acute Care Pediatrics.

Hang in there, you will find your niche out there.

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If he tends toward abuse, tell him you got downsized, not fired. That does happen, even in nursing. Then go on about your business and apply for other jobs including LTC. Contrary to what some people say, your acute care career won't be ruined just because you worked in LTC for awhile. Or try a SNF. Patients are more stable than ones in a hospital, so there will be more pts you are in charge of, but you can still use your RN "skills". I have worked LTC for a little more than a year and acute care (MedSurg) for 6 months now. Once you get used to the higher patient (but less acuity) ratios, you might find that LTC or even skilled care is just the break you need from the high-stress hospital setting. You might even like it and want to stay!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

((HUGS)) This seems to be a common pattern these days...you can't blame yourself.

Back when administrators cared about keeping and training a good nurse we were on orientation with formal class time for 12 weeks and still we floundered now and then....I don't know what happened to compassion and taking the time to train the newbies. I just don't understand.

Look into an LTACH a Long Term Acute Care Hospital. They are willing to train...you will work hard but they will train. ((HUGS))

What is Long-Term Acute Care (LTAC) | Kindred Healthcare

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