First ever termination

[Christi]

I had accepted a position as an ADON for a memory community in January 2020. I’ve worked in SNF/Rehab over 18 years. Without experience I was excited to be given this opportunity to expand my nursing knowledge. One month, 3 days outside the community to shadow a sister community. The DON that was attempting to train was not only performing her duties, she was also covering the ADON who had left weeks prior to me starting. The severe lack of training, job description was concerning. By the end of February I was left in the community alone, no other nurse just myself. Expected to keep up with not only my position but as well as the DONs position. I repeated asked upper management for help, training, whatever they could give me to help understand and perform my tasks. I was in call 24/7, walked into the community with over 40 service plans that were past due, impossible expectations of one person. ED was fired in April, and I was talked to April 20th by the regional nurse and interim ED, to come up with a plan to get caught up on the past due service plans. I was told 30 days and we would meet again to touch base and see where things stood. I worked hard in between COVID, charting, incident reports, being on call, telehealth, wound care etc to get through the list. Mind you, no one ever sat down with me and went through a service plan from start to finish. May 20th came and went, there was no follow up meeting. May 18th, a new DON started. By May 22nd I was sitting in her office being written up for many opinions and views, no other manager was present. Words such as undermining, fall guy, treating residents without compassion, not knowing every single resident, inappropriate communication and undermining conversations with hospice. She stated I had 2 weeks to be caught up on the service plans, that I would chart weekly on every 58 residents due on Friday of each week. She wanted to why I wasn’t keeping up. Hello! I have been alone for months! She knew this. She did not have me sign anything at that time. I defended myself against her accusations. May 27th she sent an email, staying 3 topics that she covered during that meeting. Later that day she brought a typed out extensive summary that she said I needed to date the 22nd not the 27th. This didn’t set well. I reached out to the regional nurse who never responded back, I then talked to the DON in our sister community who advised me to reach out to the campus ED. We met June 1st in her office. She reviewed the paper I had been given, and listened to me share what had happened. The ED stated the DON did not follow policy, not only was what I was given NOT a write up, that a second manager was not present during the time I was talked to. The ED went on to say these are opinions of hers not facts. That being we are AL we do not chart on every single resident. She stated she would reach out to HR and get back to me Wednesday. This never happened. Thursday June 4th the DON came into my office and took my laptop. I was then called to the office where the regional nurse, the DON and the assistant executive director say. I knew immediately what was coming. It started with the DON stating you are not a good fit, you are unhappy, and the list continued with undermining, unprofessional, etc. As I attempted to wrap my thoughts around what I was hearing, I started to read the plan of correction. So many untrue statements, including addressing the so called write up in April that was stated in section 2. Which section 2 was blank. Low and behold it also stated there were 30 service plans currently over due. I questioned that, I know for a fact as I have 2 screen shots of the dashboard. They decided to change the due dates of the service plans from quarterly to semi annually which not only affected the ones I had already completed, at that time I was talked to there were 0 overdue. I had completed the final one the day before. I have asked for the write up that they stated I signed in April, as of today I have not received it. I did write corporate, with my documents to support what I shared requesting that the termination be removed from my personnel file and replaced with resignation. I have never in my entire nursing career even been fired from a position and never have I ever been spoke to in a manor that I was with this company. It’s unbelievable and wrong in so many moral levels. This was a good lesson that I learned, which has left me scrambling to obtain another job.

[HandsOffMySteth]

Just a super toxic environment, be glad to be out. If it's of any consolation, that new DON will most likely be losing her job soon. There seems to be a pattern here.

A high turn around rate indicates a poor work environment. Look for red flags before taking a position.

I know what it's like. I have been fired in the past because a co worker personally didn't like me. She told several lies about me and I was not allowed to give my side nor provide evidence that they were lies.

[Christi]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. In the big picture of it, it’s a true blessing in disguise ?