Fired from my first RN job after only 2 weeks.

[Mountainrnbsn]

I am a new grad who graduated this summer with my BSN. I was let go from my first nursing job only after 2 weeks. I graduated with honors and had my capstone in a busy Emergency Department. I started my first nursing job on a busy orthopedic floor at a trauma 1 center. It wasn't what I was passionate about but wanted to give it my all. My real passion is ED, but I knew that I needed to get ICU experience before I get to the ED. The orthopedic floor would help me get my foot in the door for a trauma 1 ICU. I was hired along with 5 other new grads. Are orientation was only 5 weeks long but the director told us that if we needed longer that it would be okay. All other new grad started out with taking care of one patient at a time while my preceptor gave me 5 my first day. I found it difficult to find a routine and I was penalized for even asking questions or not knowing the answer to question. One of nurses on the floor noticed that I was being criticized more than the other new grads and that I should request another preceptor. Director told me it wasn't possible and the next thing I know the education department is following me around. They suggested that I spend another week on days, (I was hired on nights) and that I go down to two patients. I agreed, thinking it well help me develop a routine so I can provide safe care for my patients. The whole orthopedic unit moved from 20 bed unit to a 40 bed unit and nurses were taking on 8 patients at a time. They pulled me into the office last week and gave me some recommendation which I truly took to heart and made myself a whole new brain sheet and even came in an hour early to prep for the day with permission from the director. Yesterday they pulled me into the office and said that I have two choices, either I was going to be terminated or I could send her my letter of my resignation. The director told me that didn't have time to teach new grads how to real nurses and that I would never make it any hospital. She said I would be better off in longterm care where there is less critical thinking. She said I shouldn't bother applying to new grad programs because I would fail at those too. I don't feel like 5 weeks of orientation is enough to provide safe care for patients especially for new grads. I don't want to believe her but I feel like a failure and wasted my time becoming a nurse. I really am passionate about being in the ED nurse one day. I was an EMT/firefighter for 6 years before I went to nursing school. I'm not sure where I should go from here. I also moved to the city for this job. Any advice would be appreciated.

[RegisterednurseRN02, RN]

Wandrlust you sound like a horrible person.

[stockmanjr, BSN]

This post hits home for me as I'm starting a new job at a big name hospital that recently on Glassdoor has several new grads saying that you either get it in 2-3 weeks or you're sent packing. I'm moving for this job so it makes me very nervous. Any tips how to mitigate this besides just doing the best I can and asking questions?

[RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN]

49 minutes ago, stockmanjr said:

This post hits home for me as I'm starting a new job at a big name hospital that recently on Glassdoor has several new grads saying that you either get it in 2-3 weeks or you're sent packing. I'm moving for this job so it makes me very nervous. Any tips how to mitigate this besides just doing the best I can and asking questions?

Avoid fear mongering posts. Put your best effort into your training. Be humble, listen, accept the feedback, make every day your best day.

Good luck!

[stockmanjr, BSN]

3 minutes ago, RosesrReder said:

Avoid fear mongering posts. Put your best effort into your training. Be humble, listen, accept the feedback, make every day your best day.

Good luck!

That's the way I try to live my life. I realize how little I know and how much I need to learn.

[whisperingsage]

Sadly, I think this is a result of the nurse training system being reduced to college classes instead of on the job experience. I started out as a CNA in a nursing home for 8.5 years in the 1980's. This gave me valuable experience in dealing with too many patients as was/is common practice in nursing homes. I don't know why they still get away with this after so many years. Nest I got my LPN/LVN in 2004, and my CNA experience was priceless in my timing and organizing my tasks. In fact, I worked in some acute situations here I had 7 patients and I felt that was a dream because , it wasn't 60 patients I would be taking on in a nursing home. Sadly, I also worked with LPN's who seemed to have NO CLUE on basic patient care, like removing wet linen and replacing with clean linen. One LPN I worked with instead of helping me roll a confused patient over the linen exchange, just ripped the wet linen out , risking her for shear. I was appalled. This is the result of no on the job training. Now I am doing some online classes to redo my Micro and A and P, and then my RN upgrade classes, and I am sure I can handle the normal load in an acute situation, since I have done that as an LPN. And also I have been put in charge at night when legally they are supposed to have an RN on duty as the house manager, but left me in charge instead. This is typical of nursing homes and rehabs.

But remember, experience as a CNA was my foundation and it was important for character building (I was in my teens and 20's) and important for organizational skills. You just have to jump in and do it, and if you learn to handle the basics, the more technical medical stuff will be easier later.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

19 hours ago, stockmanjr said:

on Glassdoor has several new grads saying that you either get it in 2-3 weeks or you're sent packing.

Take a look at those reviews on Glassdoor- how many are negative vs how many are positive? Human nature is to make an effort to complain rather than make an effort to compliment. That is why so many places are going to have negative reviews that may not necessarily reflect the true nature.

[Nursemomof4]

Side note... I’d skip the ICU experience if you want to be in the ED! They’re two very different specialties. They’re both incredibly valuable to be experienced in but ICU experience is not a prerequisite to be in the ER IMO.
I was an EMT too. There is a strange and unfortunate EMT vs nurse dynamic at times. Be careful not to “brag” about EMT experience; you don’t want to come off as cocky by mistake. Your EMT experience will be very valuable to you but they’re two very different scopes of practice.
Sounds like there may have been some lateral violence at that hospital. My first job at a SNF was like that; they said they’d train me for a month and gave me 2 weeks. At the end of the “month” they were saying I needed more training... I was a new grad and taking care of up to 16 pts on the day shift, it was awful. Between the bullying and the unsafe staffing ratios, you’re better off. You have your BSN, get a year of experience in an acute care rehab or med surg and you’ll be golden! My husband did a year in geri psych and transferred to the ER in the same hospital. Just gotta stick it out a year. GL!