Fired from 1st nursing job

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I'm a recent BSN grad and...I was recently fired from my first nursing job (a nurse residency program). Suffice it to say, it was on acute care unit, and I just wasn't "picking up" on things as fast as I should have been (no behavioral or other issues). Anyone have advice on where to move on from here? Also, any advice on how to word being terminated on a resume or in an interview? Also, any advice on any certifications or brushing up on skills or knowledge which might also help my chances?

Thanks for the input!! ?

2 Votes

Sorry this happened to you. I don't understand why they fired you. But anyhow, I recommend doing a daily Job Search of Nursing Jobs in the area you want to work and applying to all that interest you. Use as many job search sites as you can find. Some job search sites will even let you narrow down the search to employers accepting new grads. On the resume, you can leave off where you were if you were hardly there at all. If you were there for a significant time, you could list it but don't need to write on the resume that you were fired. In the interview, if they ask why you left, don't lie about it -- but put it in the most positive light possible.

2 Votes

I feel your pain. I am also a new grad BSN who was forced to resign from my first nursing job because I was not able to get up to speed quickly enough. Neither the manager nor my fellow nurses cut me much slack for being a new grad. Everybody wants everything done perfectly and lightning fast. I'm job searching again...

4 Votes
Specializes in Endoscopy/Gastroenterology, General Surgery.

Same here. Except for the fact the my boss fired me because I was "inexperience and too green" , i wasnt "the right fit" and i didn't have "enough confidence"(which i know it is one of my biggest problem because I always second guessed myself). She knows i am a brand new nurse when i get hired. When I asked her more about my nursing practice, she said she didn't fire me because of the way I practice nursing, and that she can be my future reference. I have had conflict with the HR/associated director of the company where the director cancelled last minute of the orientation multiple times without informing me. I had to find out the last minute which was waste of my time and effort to get to work.

1 Votes

@Lemon Bars Was this at a popular Michigan hospital? (not U of M) I went through the same thing recently at a larger hospital that is popular around our state. Curious if you went through the same crap at the same hospital!?

0 Votes

@WildflowerFairy YUP! Just went through this! They treated me as if I was transitioning from a floor to a specialty floor with experience versus treating me as a new grad on the specialty floor with NO experience. They made up expectations as the weeks went on...to the point that I could not meet their ridiculous expectations. Management was horribly toxic. SO glad to be away from that crap hospital though!

0 Votes

So sad that most Hospitals treat New RN's with high expectations.

How will it affect your resume now?

And what are the possible opportunities now?

I hope somebody will pass a State law that will protect NEW RN's. If they will continue to eat up their young's..who will replace those QUALIFIED Nurses as they describe themselves?

2 Votes

I was forced to resign from my first job at a busy Telemetry unit. It's hard, but you can't just point the finger. You have to take a very hard objective look at yourself, and what you could have done better. After the initially humiliation, pain, discouragement of loosing my first job, I felt an odd sense of relief. I frankly really hated the unit I was on! We all started our careers on a bad start, it can only get better from here! Good luck to my fellow fired/forced to resign graduate nurses brothers and sisters!!!?

2 Votes

I’m sorry that happened to you. I am also a person who is slow to pick things up unfortunately and it has cost me two jobs so far? I don’t know but I just had a 7 day orientation and because I was being careful and couldn’t pick up the pace, I was forced to resign. Sucks......

0 Votes

What do you mean you 'couldn't pick up on things'? What exactly were those 'things'? That question is directed at everyone here. Sometimes it depends on what that thing is, and should it be expected to be basic or not. I have seen people struggle to place IV's by themselves, yet were great nephrology RN's working in dialysis clinics. Those RN's didn't place any IV's, those were already there and obvious targets so they thrived. I have seen some RN's struggle at other 'basic' tasks, yet were exemplary elsewhere. As was said prior, do not point the finger and say 'it was all (insert person/organization here) fault! I was blameless in this!'. Saying that will get you nowhere except a first class ticket to Bitterness City. Examine yourself and figure out what exactly went wrong, doing that will make you a better RN and perhaps even steer you to use your strengths in another specialty.

2 Votes

@Xance Thanks for your post I really agree with your advice that many nurses do well in other specialties better suited for them, I am since one of those, btw!! ?

However, to your response to "point the finger at the organization", I don't. My hope in posting was to find others that have gone through what I experiencedand (hopefully) get some good advice while in my lowest point. ?

What I, and I interpret many others on this post, recognize is that nursing in many, many areas-like acute care for example-are taking on patients who are sicker and sicker and would have traditionally been on higher critical care areas (even in LTC/TC). This is the ways of the world and can't be helped. What I do think from my experience that organizations as a whole are lacking in oftentimes (and why quality nurse residencies are so important) is adequate staffing, training, and resources to take care of them safely. I understand that is unique to my experience (only one place to where I work now). I think that is an important and valid area of concern for new nurses being knowledge rich and experience poor. Also nursing school just can't teach you everything.?

Just to be clear I don't fault organizations the most in situations like mine. it is far more about "common sense" critical thinking judgements and doing good diligence to make it as a nurse! However many many don't fit a mold in how we learn or pick up things the same way. And most importantly we should be able to ask if we are unsure (especially if patients are really really sick!)-not penalized or made to feel bad for doing so.

0 Votes
Specializes in 6 MONTHS as an RN.

did anyone have to pay back a fee when the hospital terminated you or made you resign? I know most residencies have a penalty for breaking the contract

0 Votes
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