I find myself today some how discourage and with a low spirit, I would like to know the opinion and hear experiences from either new grads or more experience nurses about my story.
I was hired exactly one year ago as a New Grad at the ER in a local hospital. We all new grads were hired with a $5000 contract for 3 years. This contract involved educational training for New Grad ER nurses, This will include a preceptors and a Regional ER course. Well at the time and as a New grad looking for a new experience and any job that came across the ER sounded great, and 3 years contract really did not felt like much.
Well my journey started, I was trying to get use to be called the orientee, because this was the way all our coworkers were referring to us.
Well one day after a couple of week of orientations and lots of CE courses online required by the hospital, our manager said to us the ER course will start next week, but we have to make an addendum to your contract, is not going to be $5000 anymore now is $7500, I was forced to sign it at that point. We all sign it . The ER regional course was 4 or 5 weeks and it was useless, poor teachers nothing ER related really broad and vague. It was like assisting to one of those fast track NCLEX courses, basic stuff but nothing that I didn't knew already from nursing school. I really felt robbed, but again I needed a job and I was still excited about ER. We were suppose to have a ONE preceptor to follow through what you were learning, not many and who ever was willing to take you that day. This is what happened, I had multiple preceptors, some good, some hate to have an orientee and some just care less about teaching you. I completed my 6 month review with clean record :-) I even call dad , I am good I passed my probation period clean with clean record. that was a huge relieve, up to that point all my managers and directors were being some how nice to me. Well things change, once you are on your own with no preceptor, I was oriented during day shift for 3 months and now I was sent to nights. That was a major change for me, keeping in mind I had never ever work a night shift in my life, but that was my agreement and I was willing to fulfill it.
I was hired in March and I managed to keep up my new grad record clean, until season started, most of the techs were either fired or left, I see many nurses leave but I really didn't get involved, I was there to earn my living not to gossip around.
December 31th I was called for the first time to my managers office, I had gave another patient papers mixed with the packet the doctor handled me to discharge this patient, and I mislabeled a blood tube. I was being written up for the first time, my manager didn't look or acted as nice as before, she was rough, mean and really not understanding. I assumed my fault, but I accept my personality is sometimes talkative and I said I am not sure I gave those papers to the patient, because this is the case many times where the charge nurses give discharges or doctors do and then you have to sign on them, and ER is really busy things like this are hard to remember. But I guess I should just assume my fault and leave that office. Well I managed to just say I am sorry I will pay more attention to detail, this was what they counsel me about, attention to detail. Well after that I felt they were watching me, I was so sad and anxious not to make any mistakes that I feel the more careful I was the more clumsy I was becoming. I was called one more time to the office, A Retired Nurse who came to my ER almost at change of shift placed a complaint that she was never place in the monitor, and also I had place a urine sample in the same bag with the tubes, this according to the lab contaminates specimen and she made me withdraw the labs again. I gained a second write up. I appeal the monitor case because it was charted, but manager said patient was a reliable source and eve though I had patient for less than 30 minutes and even if I gave bedside report and it was documented in my chart, it wasn't valid and I had to keep the write up. I did not appeal this write up not until I received the 3rd write up.
The third write up happened last week march, we are talking of 3 write ups in a matter of 3 months. The last write up that caused me a suspension was about my biggest fault, I entered the medication list of one of my patients into another patients chart. They found out when the patient went to the floor and the nurse wrote me up, I have no excuse the ER has been to explosion level and my anxiety because I knew this was going to happened, my charge nurses being of no help, no techs in the ER , many normal factors of the ER.. no Excuse I am making stupid mistakes. I was told by my managers who were very aggressive in front of the ER director in this write up appeal meeting, We are seeing a pattern here you are not having attention to detail and also you don't accept your blames. They also told me that one more error and I will be fired. What should I do? Is this a good time to resign and take a deep breath before making more mistakes? Is my manager going to give bad references about me once I start looking for a job? I really feel stupid for making all this rookie mistakes :-(, mostly because my manager has told me I don't belong in the hospital world.
I am scared of resigning, but I am more afraid of being fired, how to handle this and leave with my head up ?
Congratulations on the interview, your manager is better off providing a good reference, because when you resign and go to a new job you will be required to pay the remaining amount on your contract.
My interview went really well, hope my current manager won't trash my reputation, what you guys think?
Don't worry, I'm sure you will be fine. I know a nurse who was fired, but recently accepted a job at one of the most prestigious hospitals in the country - yes, the COUNTRY. What type of position is this?
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
So much negativity and assumptions being thrown out here.
I also can't believe some of you have time to look up old posts and use them against the OP. This is exactly what I can't stand about this site.
OP was looking for guidance and reassurance and for the most part, you all told OP how incompetent she is.
I've had enough.
Good luck OP! ER is a hard place for new grads and unless there are posters that have been a new grad in ER, their comments have no value to me. Keep your head up!
If you want reassurance, you should probably stick to the student forums; they seem to excell in that. If you want guidance, that's a different thing. The OP made several rather large errors in a short period of time and doesn't seem to understand the seriousness of that situation. Furthermore, she has difficulty communicating in the English language which is sure to lead to more errors (especially combined with the attitude) in the near future. She insults those she disagrees with, calls her charge nurses lazy (oh, and they might be bullying her) and doesn't like anyone who she sees as arrogant and judgemental -- which seems to be most anyone who disagrees with her. The OP is experiencing a cultural misfit on many levels. It would be doing her an enormous disservice to merely reassure and agree with her.
Your penultimate sentence makes me wonder about your attitude and ability to get along with colleagues as well.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Hi there!
I am currently an LPN...worked under fabulous nurse managers who have a spot for me already. It's important to know your strengths (MY OPINION) and play on them. I've been "managing" the clinic in their absences so I have that experience.
Be blessed.
I wonder if you know how condescending that "be blessed" comes across. Did you mean it that way?
So you are telling I should quit being a Nurse? Just because in my first year I made some mistakes? is ok, I have met people like you, and I appreciate your time to comment, but I am not getting nothing productive from your post.
I get along well with all my coworkers, not sure why your assumptions, my patients love me and I have made long term friends in the medical field. May be I had a bad month, and I made important mistakes. But I see more clear now and my head is up. I appreciate your tough love. But still don't get why you get so angry about this? I was just looking for guidance. I am sure I am not the first new grad who has made a mistake during the first year of practice. Why not to guide instead of burn the new grads? this is emotionally bullying, I feel pain every time people like you call me incompetent, I guess you feel happy under grading people? why still don't get why? where is all the good people in this field? we are called to be nurses and care for others why not to take care of our own?. If it makes you feel better, yes I feel bad for what I did, but I ask GOD for forgiveness if in any means my mistakes could of harm a patient, and yes I am moving on to continue being a Nurse.
So you are telling I should quit being a Nurse? Just because in my first year I made some mistakes? is ok, I have met people like you, and I appreciate your time to comment, but I am not getting nothing productive from your post.
I hope your next position is a less acute place, you do not seem to see the errors in your practice,while the system maybe toxic you need to be accountable for your actions. Find a mentor who can give you feedback positive and negative. good luck. You have gotten some great feedback here use it!
If you are not getting anything productive from the posts in the thread, perhaps you should look elsewhere for guidance. Let us know when you get your new position, so that we may wish you well at your new job.
Elan84
39 Posts
My interview went really well, hope my current manager won't trash my reputation, what you guys think?