Fired for Yelling at Preceptor!

[ladylikeRN]

Hi, I am a fairly new RN and was being trained by two preceptors at a hospital. The one preceptor was very very good, the other was very rude and condescending to me for the two days that I had her. The second day of me working with the condescending preceptor, she was even more rude since it was the weekend. At the end of shift she was still talking down on me and I told her please don't talk to me like that because if you do not want to precept me then you don't have to. She responded "why do you feel that way?" I then told her that she seems negative toward me and makes me feel as though I am bugging her when I ask questions. I also told her that she does not check me off in my orientation packet on things that I have done (such as care for a pneumonia pt, use of pulse ox, neuro checks, etc). She responds by telling me that "I won't sign my name to nothing that I did not see you do!" I told her that I was not asking her to do that but she clearly saw that I took care of a pneumonia pt for 8 hours of the shift.

This particular preceptor was always giving me a hard time and gossiping about other workers all the time so I never trusted her. At the end of the shift after we disagreed on checkoffs, she surprisingly seemed so nice to me in the locker room, talking to me for 30 minutes after the shift stating how well I am doing with documentation (although she never checked me off for it) and suggested that my 2 week orientation should extended another two weeks. She also seemed to be empathetic about how a new nurse is feeling. She even apologized for her mistreatment toward me stating that "it was a hectic day." She then told me that she was going to talk to the boss about extending my orientation another two weeks because two weeks on a med-surg floor was just not enough time.

This all happened this past Saturday, well my boss called me this morning and asked "What happed when you worked." I told her about how she was acting toward me and that I felt at times that she appeared to not want to work with me. Well the boss fired me on the phone and told me she believes the preceptor and other staff which stated that I yelled at the preceptor. The boss said that since I was only orientating for a week, then losses should be cut now.

I never yelled at this preceptor and I know that this is unfair to me for being lied on and fired for hear-say. This has never happened to me before and I want to ask what do you all think that I should do? Have you ever heard of something like this before? I am now filing a complaint against this hospital with the HR dpt.

Well turns out, I am not fired, yet resigned as I wanted. After talking to HR and following MY instincts..I can and will be able to transfer to another facility and/or unit as my boss has now said that she would check the box on the resignation form that asks if she would recommend me. HR is also giving me everything in writing and I won't be barred from any of its facilities. I already have two interviews on different units, different hospitals, but same company. So, for those of you who thought that it was stupid for me to pursue my rights..I got what I wanted which was a clean record with this hospital. I never yelled at anyone and they can't prove that. The boss told me that I was not a good fit but feels that I will make an awesome nurse elsewhere...fine with me.

[tencat]

Count yourself lucky that you got out of that place. It sounds like the ultimate toxic environment. You really don't want to work for people who will not hear your side of the story. The important thing to ask yourself is 'what have I learned from this?"

[suzanne4, RN]

You should have contacted manager right from the beginning if you were having issues with working with this preceptor, that is always the best way to handle things.

If your manager had spoken to you that way in the beginning, what would you have said to her?

Preceptors are normally made preceptors because of their history of training new people and they have been there for a long time. Just because someone is very nice to you does not make them a much better preceptor.

This is not the place for us to take sides, but there are always two sides to a story.

And if this was just between you and the preceptor, why did others hear it and know about it? Was it done at the nurse station where you told her things that you did not like the way she was handling things?

Sometimes someone just is not a good fit with the existing staff that is already in a unit, and they can also be like a family. They need to be accepting of you as well.

As far as taking on a hospital just after your first week? You were in an orientation period and the facility has the right not to keep you employed there, that is their choice. It is a period for them to see if they like you and if you like them.

I would just cut your losses now and look for another place that will be a better fit for you. Otherwise, it will make things much harder for you to get a job in another facility.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I had a couple of employees basically run me out of Dodge because they took a dislike to me. Other nurses were going to the NM telling her that I was being tormented but I lost the job. The manager isn't going to make the current employees unhappy by siding with a newcomer.

It isn't fair, but it's life.

I would certainly not grieve it. That will close the door to that hospital should you ever want to return. And never say never - I am interviewing today at the first place I ever worked, which fired me.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I agree with Suzanne - cut your losses, learn from your mistakes and forge ahead...there will be other facilities - good luck.

[TazziRN, RN]

The part that really jumped out at me was the part about other nurses also telling the manager that you were yelling. Something I have learned over the years is that our perception of things is often not the actual truth.......you may not think you were yelling but if more than one person perceived it as such, you probably were not as nice as you believe you were.

Suzanne is right: during orientation/new hire probation, people can be let go for sneezing too many times. I doubt you'll get anywhere with HR.

[ladylikeRN]

You should have contacted manager right from the beginning if you were having issues with working with this preceptor, that is always the best way to handle things.

If your manager had spoken to you that way in the beginning, what would you have said to her?

Preceptors are normally made preceptors because of their history of training new people and they have been there for a long time. Just because someone is very nice to you does not make them a much better preceptor.

This is not the place for us to take sides, but there are always two sides to a story.

And if this was just between you and the preceptor, why did others hear it and know about it? Was it done at the nurse station where you told her things that you did not like the way she was handling things?

Sometimes someone just is not a good fit with the existing staff that is already in a unit, and they can also be like a family. They need to be accepting of you as well.

As far as taking on a hospital just after your first week? You were in an orientation period and the facility has the right not to keep you employed there, that is their choice. It is a period for them to see if they like you and if you like them.

I would just cut your losses now and look for another place that will be a better fit for you. Otherwise, it will make things much harder for you to get a job in another facility.

Thanks for the response, but yes I did have a funny feeling about her on day one and I contacted the assistant manager and she told me to talk the regular manager. However, by the end of the first shift that we worked together, the preceptor was very professional. However, on Saturday, she finished acting the way that she did on early Friday morning. As far as the checklist, we were discussing it at the nursing station and after reporting off to the oncoming staff, while in the locker room we talked for another 30 minutes..not being hostile or anything, in fact she was praising me for all of the good that I was doing. I am talking to HR since this is a big hospital system and I do not want this to hinder me in the future at other locations. Also, the other preceptor was very professional and had patience with me all of the time. She was also constantly giving me pointers and carried herself in a confident, positive way, giving me enough room to breathe but being there for me when I had questions. She actually loved nursing!

[TazziRN, RN]

Addendum: I agree with the preceptor about not checking you off on stuff she did not see you do. It doesn't matter that she knew you had a pneumonia pt for 8 hours, if she didn't see you do an oximetry or at least have you demonstrate how, she should not be checking you off on it. To check off a new nurse on a procedure not directly observed can come back and bite the preceptor in the patootie. Most nurses are rather fond of their patooties staying in one piece.

[llg, PhD, RN]

In addition to what other posters have said about just letting this one go ...

I am impressed by how negative and judgmental you were/are after only working with this particlar preceptor for 1 day. By the time you got to day #2, you had already decided that she was a bad preceptor. I can understand the manager's point-of-view of not wanting to continue investing in a new nurse who would be so quick to write off their preceptor so fast. You should have worked WITH your preceptor more and given her a chance before making any kind of fuss. If you had bad feelings about her, you should have handled it discretely by going to your manager or unit educator and discussing it privately. Getting into any sort of argument (yelling or not) on your 2nd day with her is not a positive approach to problem-solving and it makes you look bad.

Managers are becoming increasingly quick to "cut their losses" when a new employee gives the impression that things might not work out. Too many resources (money and human resources) are being spent on new staff who either don't work out or who leave after only a few months. Managers are being pressured to identify those folks early and conserve their resources by not investing as much in the orientations of people who have a low probability of long-term employment there. By making a fuss on day #2, you probaby set yourself up as a taget for "weeding out."

[sissiesmama, ASN, RN]

Hey Ladylike! Taz hit the nail on the head! She is always a great resourse (sp!) person to bounce ideas off of, vent and get an HONEST opinion.Tazzi always makes things clear when answering.

And, others may not agree with me, but I don't think that was the type of nurse that needs to precept. Heck, if she treated you like that, God only knows how she treats hes payients, esp. the ones who cannot help themselves.

I am so very sorry that you had to go through that. Feel free to pm me anytime if you need to vent or anything. Keep the faith if nursing is what youi want to do. And, keep plugging along. When you get one door RUDELY SLAMMED IN YOUR FACE, something else, usually better comes along! Don't give up one trotten a-- nuirse. Sounds like she has had an experience that has made her that way, and it was probably NOT you. You just happend to be in her line of fire!:thankya:PS, I have pprecepted nurses before, both RNs and LPNs, and I have Never treated one of mine that. There a no excuse for that!

[ladylikeRN]

Addendum: I agree with the preceptor about not checking you off on stuff she did not see you do. It doesn't matter that she knew you had a pneumonia pt for 8 hours, if she didn't see you do an oximetry or at least have you demonstrate how, she should not be checking you off on it. To check off a new nurse on a procedure not directly observed can come back and bite the preceptor in the patootie. Most nurses are rather fond of their patooties staying in one piece.

I also very much agree that she should never check me off on things that she did not see me do. However, the line to be checked off on stated..cared for a pneumonia pt. I had a pneumonia pt for 8 hrs..she saw me do cpt, have pt deep breath and cough and also saw me assess lung fields and saw me give all of the meds, contacted doc about lab changes and talked to family members of pt. She checked me off with no problem when I worked with an COPD pt the day previous. What more could I give her? I am only standing up for what I though was right. To me, I would never put any licensed personnel in any position to check me off on things that they did not see and that is why I never pressed the issue with the pulse ox being checked off. After all the praising that she did toward my documentation, she could have checked me off on that as well. She read my documentation since day one and was very impressed but on the line that stated..Documentation..no check off.

[ladylikeRN]

In addition to what other posters have said about just letting this one go ...

I am impressed by how negative and judgmental you were/are after only working with this particlar preceptor for 1 day. By the time you got to day #2, you had already decided that she was a bad preceptor. I can understand the manager's point-of-view of not wanting to continue investing in a new nurse who would be so quick to write off their preceptor so fast. You should have worked WITH your preceptor more and given her a chance before making any kind of fuss. If you had bad feelings about her, you should have handled it discretely by going to your manager or unit educator and discussing it privately. Getting into any sort of argument (yelling or not) on your 2nd day with her is not a positive approach to problem-solving and it makes you look bad.

Managers are becoming increasingly quick to "cut their losses" when a new employee gives the impression that things might not work out. Too many resources (money and human resources) are being spent on new staff who either don't work out or who leave after only a few months. Managers are being pressured to identify those folks early and conserve their resources by not investing as much in the orientations of people who have a low probability of long-term employment there. By making a fuss on day #2, you probaby set yourself up as a taget for "weeding out."

No, I was only put off by the fact that on day 1 she was whispering to other staff about others. She put down other nurses in front of me and she gossiped to other co-workers in front of me. I found that odd and felt that maybe I could not trust her being that I am not one to gossip about others behind their back and I tend to not trust others who do. I also felt that I may have had a problem with her personality so I kept it professional. In fact, to me I felt that she had already had her mind made up about me from the start, by quizzing me on my age (since I am young and look very young), school attended, GPA...she was demeaning to me. My intuition kicked in so I did discreetly talk to the assistant manager because the preceptor was talking to me bad from the start and I felt that maybe she was not a good fit for me. Day 1, she asked, "You are licensed as a RN right?" although the badge that I was wearing stated the obvious. Gosh, people can be so rude to new nurses and it is not fair. I was very open to giving her a chance and that is why at the end of the shift of day 1 with her, when the manager asked me how things were going, I explained that I would see how things played out before making any decisions.

It's fine though now, because I will get a job elsewhere but I have to stand up for what is right in the meantime.