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.
I hope things work out for me in the future as well and I am sure that it will. I never take lightly someone trying to trash my reputation as a RN. I was a Student Nurse Associate and Graduate Nurse at another hospital system and left on good terms. I do my job well and I will not allow some preceptor to lie about me yelling at her when I am sincerely professional at all times. I knew that there was no way that she had proof (co-workers) that I yelled because that is not me..most times when I talk I am so soft spoken that people often ask me to repeat myself. Even at home I don't like to yell into another room....this is so out of character and I refuse to accept lies about me/my reputation as a nurse. So, this is why the manager now recanted and now just says "this unit is not a good fit." Fine with me, I am a very young RN and can go anywhere..with plenty of working years ahead of me!:w00t:
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I was not present to hear the interaction, but I have witnessed rude nurses who belittle newbies, set them up for embarassment and then set them up for the kill. I am assuming, also, that you spoke up for yourself because as a new nurse, you are afraid of doing anything wrong. Actually being responsible for your own practice, license and actions is much scarier in the beginning for new nurses compared to being able to lean on the clinical instructor.
Maybe you did actually yell without realizing it, maybe not. But, I have seen nurses tell others "You were fantastic..." and then, tell the manager something else. Also, I have seen shady managers buddy up with these nightmare nurses because they are really no better than they are.
Bottom line is cut your losses, learn from this, and move on. At least they allowed you to resign and still be able to use them as a reference.
ladylikeRN
60 Posts
I hope things work out for me in the future as well and I am sure that it will. I never take lightly someone trying to trash my reputation as a RN. I was a Student Nurse Associate and Graduate Nurse at another hospital system and left on good terms. I do my job well and I will not allow some preceptor to lie about me yelling at her when I am sincerely professional at all times. I knew that there was no way that she had proof (co-workers) that I yelled because that is not me..most times when I talk I am so soft spoken that people often ask me to repeat myself. Even at home I don't like to yell into another room....this is so out of character and I refuse to accept lies about me/my reputation as a nurse. So, this is why the manager now recanted and now just says "this unit is not a good fit." Fine with me, I am a very young RN and can go anywhere..with plenty of working years ahead of me!:w00t: