Fired! Working again but HATE where I am right now!(Sorry LONG)

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I also posted this in the MICU/SICU forum but there's more traffic here:

I need some advice. I was terminated from my previous job in Jan 06 for what they deemed "unsafe patient care" I gave a patient xanax and restoril together as they were ordered PRN. My bosses thought that was wrong and I was terminated. Other RN's and physicians that I've spoken to don't seem to think that I did anything wrong and that management was LOOKING for a reason to fire me and used that incident to do so. Let me add that the patient was not harmed from the medications.

I'm an RN of 10 yrs with CCRN certification as well as my BSN. Been in critical care for over 5 yrs now.

Before getting hired in my current facility, I went on three job interviews. I was up front with the managers on the reason I was terminated. One manager basically offered me the job PENDING Human Resources background checks...then I'd get a letter in the mail saying "thanks but no thanks". I know my previous employer has me listed as "DO NOT HIRE". I also know that LEGALLY they are only allowed to tell prospective employers that I worked there from this date to that date. I've been told that legally they are not allowed to tell that I'm not eligible for rehire.

I've been at my current job for 18 months now. Basically, I cannot stand it here any longer. This place has a horrible reputation in the community in which it is located and I can see why. I am frequently left alone in the ICU with a patient. The last time this happened, my patient crashed on me at 6am! I voiced my concerns and was basically told to "put up and shut up". Our staffing policy states there should at least be an LPN or an Nurse Aide with the RN when there is only one patient but this rarely happens.

My boss doesn't even think that critical care is a priority over the med-surg/detox/medical-psych/OB floors. When we get slammed with admits, we are told to "deal with it, it's ICU" And there is NEVER more than 2 Nurses for up to 6 patients. SO if we are full, we have 3 patients each and IF we are lucky, we get to keep our nurse aide (if there's one scheduled). Usually she is pulled to another unit because their need is "greater" according to the nursing supervisors.. Last fall we had at one time FIVE patients on ventilators. I work straight nights and there is NO respiratory therapy on at night so we are responsible to do our own vent checks/ nebulizer treatments/setting up a vent if needed.

Our boss also runs another unit in the facility and spends most of her efforts dealing with their problems so basically the ICU is neglected. There are many issues that need to be dealt with by HER the BOSS but aren't. Too many issues for me to address here. But enough that makes me Not able to stand working there any longer.

Unfortunately for me, since I was fired from the last place I worked, it's basically made me unhireable anywhere else. I work in a small city. So people at my last place know people at the other hospitals in this town. I applied at the other large hospital in town and they won't even return my calls or emails anymore. I also applied at the VA hospital back in February, they sent my current boss a reference letter to fill out on me back in June and yet I still haven't heard anything from the VA. I know that the one nursing sup had an interview with them this past week as she told me so.....so again I am wondering if I've been blackballed at the VA now too!!

I even went an applied at a hospital that I worked at 5yrs ago......just did that this past week.

I don't know what else to do. It's disheartening to think that ONE incident is defining my career! Any advice for me? If you've read this far thanks. I am at my wits end and am very sickened at the fact that I may be stuck at my current place because of that one thing.

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Nursing is very cut throat and unforgiving. A caring profession we are told! Caring for who the patient but not each other it would seem at times. Bit of a tricky situation you have got your self into. A suggestion would be to delete the hospital that you were fired from immediately from your CV. Secondly make sure you have got reliable referees. Is moving to another city an option? How much do you enjoy your career? shift work? Lousy pay, hazardous work environment! Is a career change an option? Working holiday, agency work across America, or Canada or England or Ausltralia. Sounds like some one has tried to give you a very negative energy gift, tell them thank you but no thankyou. Best bet is to stay positive be creative and look at all your options. Good Luck

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Nursing is very cut throat and unforgiving. A caring profession we are told! Caring for who the patient but not each other it would seem at times. Bit of a tricky situation you have got your self into. A suggestion would be to delete the hospital that you were fired from immediately from your CV. Secondly make sure you have got reliable referees. Is moving to another city an option? How much do you enjoy your career? shift work? Lousy pay, hazardous work environment! Is a career change an option? Working holiday, agency work across America, or Canada or England or Ausltralia. Sounds like some one has tried to give you a very negative energy gift, tell them thank you but no thankyou. Best bet is to stay positive be creative and look at all your options. Good Luck

Thanks for reading! Moving is not an option nor is changing careers.

How do I delete the hospital from my CV and explain how I got all my Critical care experience? Where I work now it's more of a glorified med-surg unit as opposed to a true ICU. Small Community hospital....anything complex often gets shipped out.

My references are good but it seems as though prospective employers only check with former nurse managers and very RARELY call on personal references. :nono: I've been told this by former managers.

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I got fired and haven't had a problem getting hired elsewhere. Basically, in this small area everyone in health care knows the reputation of every other hospital.

I would suggest that you put down this current job and say they can't inquire because they don't know you're looking. True and acceptable. Of the previous, volunteeer nothing. Reason for leaving, seek a better opportunity.

And good luck.

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I got fired and haven't had a problem getting hired elsewhere. Basically, in this small area everyone in health care knows the reputation of every other hospital.

I would suggest that you put down this current job and say they can't inquire because they don't know you're looking. True and acceptable. Of the previous, volunteer nothing. Reason for leaving, seek a better opportunity.

And good luck.

Thanks! I believe though that in my state, a previous employer can tell a prospective employer that I am not eligible for re-hire.

Where I work,again a small town with two larger hospitals and one small one, people at one place know people at the others and when someones looking for a job, they call up the applicants former bosses that they know and are like, hey Nancy nurse applied here, what's she like? :nono: That's HIGHLY illegal BUT no one can prove anything! :madface:

My current boss has known TWO of my former managers and talked to one of them (not at the hospital where I was fired) after she hired me. Unfortunately, this place will basically hire anyone with a valid nursing license. We had a decent crew in my ICU where I work now but people have left for greener pastures, and the new RN's that've been hired, well, :down:

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We had a decent crew in my ICU where I work now but people have left for greener pastures, and the new RN's that've been hired, well, :down:

Can you contact them and see if you can join them in their pasture? They might know of openings, and an in-house referral - "I worked with her, she's incredible, she hired a helicopter to come in during a blizzard" - can do wonders.

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Specializes in MICU/SICU.
i've been told that legally they are not allowed to tell that i'm not eligible for rehire.

in our state, we are allowed to tell them dates of employment, and yes or no to rehire. no other information may be shared.

i am frequently left alone in the icu with a patient. the last time this happened, my patient crashed on me at 6am! i voiced my concerns and was basically told to "put up and shut up". our staffing policy states there should at least be an lpn or an nurse aide with the rn when there is only one patient but this rarely happens.

who attends codes on the med-surg floors? if your patient codes, who helps you? that is absolutely unsafe. i would have written it up on an occurrence form, and taken it directly to risk management myself.

when we get slammed with admits, we are told to "deal with it, it's icu"

that is true.

last fall we had at one time five patients on ventilators. i work straight nights and there is no respiratory therapy on at night so we are responsible to do our own vent checks/ nebulizer treatments/setting up a vent if needed.

that is complete bs. do you get a secretary? how many beds are in this hospital? are they trying to kill someone? i would immediately switch back to daylight if i were you.

our boss also runs another unit in the facility and spends most of her efforts dealing with their problems so basically the icu is neglected.

there are many issues that need to be dealt with by her the boss but aren't.

chain of command. go above her with your fellow staff members. my last boss got fired for the same complaints.

but enough that makes me not able to stand working there any longer.

i don't blame you.

i even went an applied at a hospital that i worked at 5yrs ago......just did that this past week.

good for you, keep looking, but make sure you have a good rep at your current job. go to higher ups with plans for improvement, not just complaints. make sure you are backed up by fellow employees.

i am at my wits end and am very sickened at the fact that i may be stuck at my current place because of that one thing.

i am sickened as well. keep looking and someone will want you, with your credentials.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.

This story sounds strange. Did your manager already have a problem with you? Had you had other incidents, or was the xanax/restoril one an isolated incident? Was there a personality clash? I just don't understand how giving a xanax and restoril together can ruin all your job options in one small city.

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Do NOT dlete the hospital you were fired from from your resume! This is called fraud.

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Where I work,again a small town with two larger hospitals and one small one, people at one place know people at the others and when someones looking for a job, they call up the applicants former bosses that they know and are like, hey Nancy nurse applied here, what's she like? :nono: That's HIGHLY illegal BUT no one can prove anything! :madface:

"I also know that LEGALLY they are only allowed to tell prospective employers that I worked there from this date to that date. I've been told that legally they are not allowed to tell that I'm not eligible for rehire."

It probably varies by state but an attorney friend in employment law claims it's legal to ask abt re-hire status & to call inside contacts. The whole thing seems very extreme for the offense of giving prn restoril & zanax togeather. Your reputation and many years of hard work are worth fighting for.

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!

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this story sounds strange. did your manager already have a problem with you? had you had other incidents, or was the xanax/restoril one an isolated incident? was there a personality clash? i just don't understand how giving a xanax and restoril together can ruin all your job options in one small city.

i didn't think so at the time that there was a personality clash. if i was unhappy with something, i let my boss know about it. apparently, they only like people who keep their mouths shut and do their jobs sight unseen. there was only one other incident that occured when i was a new hire at the other place over 3 yrs before. but it was nothing that i was written up for, it was casually mentioned at my 90 day evaluation and then never brought up again until i was fired!

like i said in my op, people at the place that fired me know management at the other places and unfortunately when it's a small town, word spreads like wildfire!!

who attends codes on the med-surg floors? if your patient codes, who helps you? that is absolutely unsafe. i would have written it up on an occurrence form, and taken it directly to risk management myself.

if my patient code, the nursing supervisor comes to help me, along with one of the floor lpn's and usually the er nurse and doc (who usually runs the codes on nocs)

i have made suggestions to my boss on improvements and have been told "that's not how we do things here" and the other nurses i work with have developed an apathetic attitude about the issues too. it does no good to complain as it goes in one ear and out the other. i've been told that i need to "quit complaining about staffing issues and giving the nursing supervisors a hard time. you are going to be left alone in this icu, you can handle it, you are a ccrn"

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in our state, we are allowed to tell them dates of employment, and yes or no to rehire. no other information may be shared.

who attends codes on the med-surg floors? if your patient codes, who helps you? that is absolutely unsafe. i would have written it up on an occurrence form, and taken it directly to risk management myself.

that is true.

that is complete bs. do you get a secretary? how many beds are in this hospital? are they trying to kill someone? i would immediately switch back to daylight if i were you.

chain of command. go above her with your fellow staff members. my last boss got fired for the same complaints.

i don't blame you.

good for you, keep looking, but make sure you have a good rep at your current job. go to higher ups with plans for improvement, not just complaints. make sure you are backed up by fellow employees.

i am sickened as well. keep looking and someone will want you, with your credentials.

some of my former co-workers that have left went to work at the place that fired me. one gal works at the local va hospital, i asked her to put in a word for me and she said she did. on night shift, we sometimes have an aide/secretary but she is frequently pulled to other units throughout the house. it's 135 beds. no secretary. i can't stand to work day shift! too crazy for me. no orderly to transport or assist with transports to ct, or,etc. we have to take our own patients to the or for procedures! you are right it's very unsafe there but it's how this place operates and the other people i work with don't want to make waves. they've tried and it's done no good. they won't fire my boss since she is doing the work of two people for the price of one! even though she's terrible! i will keep looking and if i can't hack it anymore then i will check out local nursing homes.....even though i cannot stand ltc> been there done that.

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