fired

Published

I was recently fired--Yes I was wrong--just did not consider the act. I had an aide put the nebulizer med into a nebulizer and turn it on. I did that several times, but not constantly. I worked nights and had 3 units most of the time. I did it as a time saver to start it while I finished something else and then went to eval the resident a few minutes later. The dns also said I could lose my licience for this. I contacted the nursing board and they said probably not and that they probably wont investigate even. I am shattered. I have been a nurse about 40 years and this is the first time this has ever happened. What do I do in applying for a new job and how do I deal with the question--why did you leave your last job. Also how to cope with the feelings related to doing something you know was wrong. I am still dealing with how angry the dns was. Thanks.:cry:

You have 40 years of experience, and one blemish... I think you just need to be honest, take responsibility for your actions, and chalk it up to an error in judgement, which makes you human.

I also like the idea that you should take a little vacation. My SO was laid off and he is drawing unemployment right now. Not as much $$ as we are used to, but enough if we are careful, and he really emjoyed taking the summer off to be with his family.

Good Luck

~BlueBug

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This is petty crap and I am betting that they wanted to replace you with someone cheaper.

I don't think it is petty at all. Any med that is given to a patient should be checked by the nurse. You have no idea what med or dose may have been given. Assuming someone else did it correctly is not safe practice.

I am glad that you admit you were in the wrong and I am sorry that you are feeling so terrible. Things will get better. Forgive yourself. We all make mistakes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Again--Thank you all. It is almost therapy to be able to explain to peers what happened. I will explain why I got into such a lazy habit. I had a couple of serious illnesses and went back to work the 1st of the year--seriously deconditioned and the halls were long--3 units) and got so tired that the extra rus down the hall were soooo hard. Once you do something wrong it is easier to do it again, and no I did not do it all the time. It is a violation of the nurse practice act. In another setting --not a nursing home, but all community based settings and mst hospitals in my state it is a legal practice. But that is not an excuse. I also would go assess the patient after the nac started the tx--NO I do not think the facility was trying to cut me for cost savings or anything like that. The dns is young and this is her first dns role. She is absolutely rule based and no deviations are ever tolerated. I did contact the local nuses association for advice and they reccomended a course in the nurse practice act. Being able to "talk" aabout it with the members here has allowed me to think through the emotional impact. Thanks:redbeathe

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I don't think it is petty at all. Any med that is given to a patient should be checked by the nurse. You have no idea what med or dose may have been given. Assuming someone else did it correctly is not safe practice.

I am glad that you admit you were in the wrong and I am sorry that you are feeling so terrible. Things will get better. Forgive yourself. We all make mistakes.

You ever work in LTC banging out nebs on three units? It is not emergent care, it does not warrant the level of attention of someone in a crisis, these are people in their homes getting nighty-night meds. I have never worked on a unit on which someone would have been fired for asking the aide to turn of the machine after the 15 minutes during which you have to medicate 5 other people.

I know precisely what was being popped into the nebulizing machines. It was more than likely Xopenex or something similar, and meds to which chronically ill people on them for ages did not require constant monitoring.

It would be nice if we lived in the butterflies and rainbows world of nursing school, but this woman of 40 years experience would not place her patients in harm's way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, Rehab, Burn, dialys.

I had a similar situation, I was honest at all interviews but not specific about the details, they don't need details and most do not want details. I told them I was fired without any sort of formal warning to give me a chance to correct the action. That way I did not bash former DON. Good luck and forget about that place, if they can't give you a chance to correct your actions then I would not want to work for them. You can find something better now.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

I'm guessing you worked LTC. If so, if anyone wanted to find a reason for any nurse to get canned they could. When you take care of way to many patients you learn to cut "safe" corners. If LTC nurses did it by the book, noone would get their am meds until noon and their noon meds till mid after noon, etc. We as LTC nurse do our best and bless the rest because I've come to terms with I'm am only one person and if someone can show me how to do it by the book in an 8-10 hour shift with 25-30 residents, 1-2 admissions, discharges, sending people out to ER, triaging the residents who are ill, wound care, tubefeeding, medicare charting, accucheck, administering insulin with complete accuracy, writing up fall reports, neuro checks when they hit their head, infection control reports for all the residents on antibiotics, doing blood draws, collecting urine and of course helping to bathe and toilet d/t shortage of CNA's, than please do.......That's why I'm going back to school to get my RN, hoping that the grass is greener when the options are broader.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Tell the truth about what happened. I found it is easier to explain what happened to your potentially new employer now than them finding out later. I was fired as a CNA about 12 years ago on my very first job. I was young and thought I was an adult but was very immature. When asked why I left that job I always say I was fired and was very immature and incompetent. I grew from my mistakes and learned from them. I am human and was not created to be perfect, but can perfect my skills.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in acute care and geriatric.
thank you all for your comments. I am inclined to also just tell the whole story--However__when I look at the "what to do when you have been fired websites", they all state that you should never state it without being specifically asked. I am so embarressed and angry at myself.

I agree that you don't have to disclose what isn't specifically asked- but they will probably ask or at least ask for references and its usually better to be up front and -as I said- concise (don't dwell on it).

Forget the embarrassment and anger they won't help you - you made a mistake and learned from it.

Move on (again this might be a good time to first take a mini vacation to clear your head).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in acute care and geriatric.
i actually agree with sue on this one. a nurse with 40 years of experience with a clean record...to me, you would have to just short of kill someone to fire them for something like this.

if she is that experienced, chances are she is on the higher end of the income scale...and when you get to that point, they are just looking for a legal reason to get rid of you.

i had an aunt who spent the last 8 years of her retirement in a living hell because she was actually making more money than the don d/t a very lucrative raise structure that had been in place for years before it was d/c'd.

she went on vacation for 3 weeks (she did this every year) and came back one year and they were on her rear! anything that they could do....refuse her days off, make her work on christmas, new years, thinks she never had a problem with was suddenly a battle.

she was able to last until retirement...but she said looking forward to the benefits that they were not going to force her to cut, was what kept her going.

the two stories are totally different.

yes managers are always looking to replace expensive (read - experienced) nurses with new grad (who cost the same as babysitters)and ask the don to be responsible for them. therefore don's fight for their experienced nurses more- they know how valuable they are . (trade secret)

if they were looking to fire her she'd have known- as you said- given the worst shifts, the worst work loads, be all over her like a wet blanket and site her on every little thing- fill her personal file so they can justify firing her.

i checked and every lawyer i asked (3 of 'em) said that her termination was justified. i am really sorry- after all

- show me a nurse who never made a mistake and i'll show you a nurse who never worked.

most don's understand that, i don't know what was going on in the head of this one.

on another note i am sorry about the treatment your aunt received in her last 8 years- of course she deserved better and that facility should be ashamed of themselves. good for her for sticking with it and holding her tongue= one step closer to eradicating this abominable practice.

last year a hospital near me was caught stealing from nurses pensions and went bankrupt. the buyer went and "fired" all nurses 40 years and older. actually they were all fired when the place went bankrupt and he only rehired the young 'uns.

i was so mad i told the younger nurses that they should all look for work elsewhere on principle. owners make a mockery of our profession!!! and when we are a party to it we are just as guilty. hopefully your aunts old boss learned that he cant shake a good nurse and won't do it again!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Reason For Leaving = Difference in Professional Opinion

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion