Fired at 2 months of my First Nursing Job

[Adrini Panini]

Hello everyone, so as it said in the title, I got fired from my first nursing job in 2 months. So the unit I was working was a critical care telemetry unit and since I worked in a small community hospital, the unit was basically a step down unit of the ICU. My Manager and Educator talked to me today saying I was still struggling and I am not getting the big picture yet even though I was handling 4 patients so they deem me unsafe and decided to end the orientation. They also told me this unit does not fit me since it is too fast pace for me I should find a place where it is more slow pace.  They told me I can resign so it will be better for me when looking for another job so that is what I am planning to do.

  I feel discouraged because I thought I was doing my best since I go to work 6:15am to research on each of my patient and if they have any procedures so I can get ready. I even study on my free time, but after them saying that it made me feel dumb that I could not see the big picture.  I do understand though since it was too fast pace for me, so what units are a more slow pace environment? What advice do you guys have for a new nurse?

I am considering trying another residency, but I am scared other hospital residency program will be the same as the one I was in. With this hospital, they made the new grads already start on the floor for 2 weeks and then classes after. To others, it was nice for them, but for me I did not like it because it just made me more anxious and scared. Is there a residency program where they have classes first and then go on the Floor? What hospitals in Southern California have really good new grad program?

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

On 4/27/2021 at 10:20 PM, Adrini Panini said:

They also told me this unit does not fit me since it is too fast pace for me I should find a place where it is more slow pace.  They told me I can resign so it will be better for me when looking for another job so that is what I am planning to do.

Did they make any attempt to get you into another department? It seems odd that their only suggestion is to quit and find another job at a different hospital.

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

It is the truly exceptional new grad who can succeed in a specialty area like stepdown/tele. Your former managers have seen a lot of new hires, and they can likely tell who is not showing signs of being that exceptional. I think they're doing you a kindness by suggesting a slower-paced setting where you can get your feet under you, not struggle so much with organization... and not have to come in an hour early to study and still not be able to keep up.

You don't even need to disclose this job, since you were still in the probabationary period; of if you like, hyou can say exactly what they told you: You would like to have your first new grad job be in a slower-paced environment. There is no shame in that at all.

It is actually common to have new hires start on a floor for a greater or lesser period of time, and THEN start more formal orientation classes. This is because if you have even a passing familiarity with the floor and its routines, you are in a better position to integrate what you hear in class with your experience, rather than trying to remember everything you heard in class when you're in the middle of things. I don't know why this would make you more anxious or frightened-- can you clarify that?

 

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A little knowledge is a dangerous thing / Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring / There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain /And drinking largely sobers us again. ~ A. Pope

[FredDee, BSN, RN]

Ouch, it sounds like you had a really rough time. You could try your hand with Rehabilitation Hospitals or Med/Surg units, but even those can be crazy sometimes. I really encourage you to keep trying and working at your best because eventually you'll be where you want to be.

Sending good vibes and hugs, wish you the best

[SmilingBluEyes]

Failure preceeds success. You can't have success w/o failure. I failed in my probationary period in a job a couple years ago and I have YEARS of experience. It just was not right for me. I did not meet expectations. Sometimes, for whatever reason, we are not a good fit, or the unit does not fit us. It's OK. It's not the end. Don't you dare give up!