Dear Nurse Beth Advice Column - The following letter submitted anonymously in search for answers. Join the conversation!
I'm sorry. Being fired is traumatic, especially when you're questioning the reasoning behind your dismissal.
Some details don't add up, like mixed signals from management. They may have already decided to let you go, which may or may not have been due to your skill at administering injections. You received positive feedback and were kept on the job but dismissed.
They basically said you were incompetent but then didn't retrain you. They should have provided additional training if there were real concerns about your technique.
You weren't provided with specific or constructive feedback. Use this advice in your next job -ask for clarification when given vague feedback. I wish I could have guided you earlier to ask, "How specifically should I change my technique to improve my skill?"
Requesting measurable performance goals from your employer shifts the responsibility back to them and shields you from arbitrary termination practices if you achieve their goals.
Next Steps
In at-will work states and during probation, employers typically don't need a reason to terminate employment. You say the doctor did not like you. If the doctor had a major influence in the office, that may have influenced the decision.
Moving forward, recognize this as a valuable opportunity for growth. Take time to reflect on your performance and your interactions with others. If given a redo, how would you approach things differently?
Good luck and best wishes on your next job,
Nurse Beth
Updated: Published
So I was hired at a peds office in Nov and I started doing immunizations a few weeks after I was hired. In Feb I asked for a mini eval to see how things were going and I was told I needed to be doing injections alone by my 90 day mark. Well I wasn't I still had someone with me and was getting positive feed back after but at 90 days I was let go and they stated it was because "they don't feel comfortable with me doing the injections alone".
They allowed me to continue to give the injections for the month(w/positive feedback) without having me "retrain on proper injection administration, like watching someone else for a few.
I honestly feel like I was let go because on of the doctors didn't like me for some reason, she always had an attitude with me and only me, and the other doctors were fine with me.
I guess I'm just wondering if this makes since, if I'm not doing injections correctly but they continued to allow me to do them for a month without "retraining"?
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