Fired from my first RN job after only 2 weeks.

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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.

I got 16 shifts for my orientation as a new grad but our max patient load was 5. When I graduated as a student, I was doing care for patients so made the transition easier

I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you really dodged a bullet with that hospital!

Yep.

There was either some massive problem we haven't heard about or else they had zero intention of following through with training and decided to cut their losses. Sounds like there is some chaos going on that has nothing to do with the orientee so I give the OP the benefit of the doubt.

Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.
I only had 2 weeks of training as a new grad. I think new grads are spoiled nowadays with such legnthy orientations and want their hand held and caudling the entire time. I know I sound mean, but I repeatedly see new grads like you, where your not prepared by the end of orientation, need to extend orientation etc. etc. Nursing is hard, especially acute care, some people just don't cut it. Some new grads don't ever catch on and are so slow about eveything, not just slow with tasks, but slow comprehending and prioririzing and want to take the long methodical way to do everything-ot look like a deer in the head lights when you explain the simplest things. That's great if you have 1 patient, but it will never work on a busy unit. You're not a nursing student anymore!!

And I don't believe you had 5 patients on your first day! Maybe the nurse had you take report on them and you helped, but no way she had you do all the assessments, med administration and care under her license without at least seeing you do an assessment first.

Yes. Because all new grads must have been adu aged exactly like you were and should all be ready to safely take full loads without questions by 2 weeks in.

Get real.

Most nursing programs don't prepare new grads to be proficient in full patient care, charting, time management, whatever. They prepare the new grad to pass the NCLEX and to k ow the basics in order to be safe. Do t blame the new grad for not being ready in 2 weeks. Blame the nursing schools that focus more on the test then the preparedness for the real world (AKA the majority of them).

New grad orientation is about getting confident in what you do k ow and k owing when to ask for help. It is also where skills learned are practiced in real life and is the place where you have a safety net of a preceptor to prevent patient harm while guiding good practice. Most adults require more than 2 weeks to learn a brand new career.

A seasoned nurse needs 2 weeks or less. Not a new grad. You sound just as bad as the preceptor being described in the OP.

3 Votes
I only had 2 weeks of training as a new grad. I think new grads are spoiled nowadays with such legnthy orientations and want their hand held and caudling the entire time. I know I sound mean, but I repeatedly see new grads like you, where your not prepared by the end of orientation, need to extend orientation etc. etc. Nursing is hard, especially acute care, some people just don't cut it. Some new grads don't ever catch on and are so slow about eveything, not just slow with tasks, but slow comprehending and prioririzing and want to take the long methodical way to do everything-ot look like a deer in the head lights when you explain the simplest things. That's great if you have 1 patient, but it will never work on a busy unit. You're not a nursing student anymore!!

And I don't believe you had 5 patients on your first day! Maybe the nurse had you take report on them and you helped, but no way she had you do all the assessments, med administration and care under her license without at least seeing you do an assessment first.

If you've only done mother and baby up until now, with all due respect, you might not have a clue. Two weeks is nowhere close to an adequate orientation time.

1 Votes
And just to piggyback on the sage advice Sour Lemon has provided to you, don't ever tell your coworkers or your management team that you intend to transfer to another area even if you plan on doing so years away. If you did, this was probably the first nail in your coffin.

This seems like good advice, and I hate to sound naive, but why is this? I'm still a student nurse and still far off from getting my first nursing job, but I'm very curious about what you've said..

I am starting to panic as I've been applying to jobs today that the one question if I have ever been asked terminate or resign from a job on job applications. I don't want this to haunt me for the rest of my career.

As one poster stated, we have all resigned from a job. Completely forget that you ever worked at the horrible hospital. You were there just two weeks! No time at all.

I wouldn't list the job on a resume, questionnaire, or anything. I would behave as though I was applying for my first nursing job, and go from there.

Good luck. You will be fine.

Yes, new graduates are slow. Many of us of terrified of being sued, pulled into a lawsuit, etc., at all times. That is why I constantly second guess myself and double check all of my charting.

I won't apologize for that. It is what nursing has become in 2017.

1 Votes

No advice, just an observation after reading the beginning of your post. A new nurse who graduated at the top of her class in a program near me years ago, also did not make it at her first job. It became a matter of discussion in the local nursing community. It could very well be that you were targeted because of your "top of the class" status. I would not highlight that fact on resumes or applications to future jobs to preclude that possible factor. Easier for you to do now that you have this experience on your record.

Specializes in CEN.
As one poster stated, we have all resigned from a job. Completely forget that you ever worked at the horrible hospital. You were there just two weeks! No time at all.

I wouldn't list the job on a resume, questionnaire, or anything. I would behave as though I was applying for my first nursing job, and go from there.

Love this! As far as I am concerned, if you didn't make it through orientation, then you never really had the job. Ergo, it does not belong in a resume. A nurse really close to me made it through 3 weeks of orientation before she and a couple of others were fired. She was told similar words of "encouragement" that you were told. Her resumes never included that job. Today, she is a nurse at a level one trauma center and thanks her lucky stars that her first hospital didn't work out.

Specializes in NICU.
I only had 2 weeks of training as a new grad. I think new grads are spoiled nowadays with such legnthy orientations and want their hand held and caudling the entire time. I know I sound mean, but I repeatedly see new grads like you, where your not prepared by the end of orientation, need to extend orientation etc. etc. Nursing is hard, especially acute care, some people just don't cut it. Some new grads don't ever catch on and are so slow about eveything, not just slow with tasks, but slow comprehending and prioririzing and want to take the long methodical way to do everything-ot look like a deer in the head lights when you explain the simplest things. That's great if you have 1 patient, but it will never work on a busy unit. You're not a nursing student anymore!!

And I don't believe you had 5 patients on your first day! Maybe the nurse had you take report on them and you helped, but no way she had you do all the assessments, med administration and care under her license without at least seeing you do an assessment first.

To be completely honest, you probably weren't safe with 2 weeks orientation but just didn't know any better.

1 Votes
Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
no way she had you do all the assessments, med administration and care under her license without at least seeing you do an assessment first.

Its not under the preceptors license. She may be on orientation, but she is a nurse in her own right, is she not? She has her own license.

Most adults require more than 2 weeks to learn a brand new career.

This is an excellent point.

1 Votes
Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
I only had 2 weeks of training as a new grad. I think new grads are spoiled nowadays with such legnthy orientations and want their hand held and caudling the entire time. I know I sound mean, but I repeatedly see new grads like you, where your not prepared by the end of orientation, need to extend orientation etc. etc. Nursing is hard, especially acute care, some people just don't cut it. Some new grads don't ever catch on and are so slow about eveything, not just slow with tasks, but slow comprehending and prioririzing and want to take the long methodical way to do everything-ot look like a deer in the head lights when you explain the simplest things. That's great if you have 1 patient, but it will never work on a busy unit. You're not a nursing student anymore!!

And I don't believe you had 5 patients on your first day! Maybe the nurse had you take report on them and you helped, but no way she had you do all the assessments, med administration and care under her license without at least seeing you do an assessment first.

Your views certainly seem to have changed from last November when you were concerned about a 6 week orientation being enough for an experienced nurse in a new specialty. Did you end up taking this job?

Hello!

I have an opportunity to switch specialties from postpartum/nursery/nicu to pediatrics at a different hospital.

When I applied I had thought the position was for nursery, but it's actually for pediatrics and she said they like their pedi nurses to have pedi experience. So, I'm not really sure why they called me lol I told them I don't have pedi experience and she said they give 6 weeks orientation.

My question is, will 6 weeks be enough orientation? I would love to switch specialties, since I've been in this same specialty now almost 7 years and nobody would hire/train me in a different specialty when I tried in the past.

I'm also nervous, because I love my specialty, but I think I'd love pediatrics, but I'm not sure since you never really know until you start.:nurse:

4 Votes

Yes, an orientee has their own license. But during orientation, the orientee is operating under the license of the preceptor.

My NM made this very clear just few weeks ago, when she sent out an e-mail discussing the importance of preceptors really teaching their orientees, and not just letting the orientee pick up the slack and do all the work.

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