Forced to resign after 7 weeks

[porkdumpling]

I desperately need advice. I was forced to resign my first new grad RN position after 7 weeks, and it's been almost Impossible getting another position. I've used sources on now to articulating my failed experience in a positive light. How I have grown from it, and why I am a better candidate because of it. I used the whole the whole positive, negative, positive formula.

I've even been told by recruiters that I interviewed so well, but the manager probably won't hire me because of it... and I've not gotten a call back yet.

Do I actually NEED to disclose this at all?!

But here is why I was forced to resign:

I was hired as a new grad RN to a med/surg unit. Orientation was 4 weeks in class, and 4 weeks bedside. Week 5, my first week bedside I was not precepted on the unit I was hired for. When I got to my unit I had a different preceptor every day, and it became evident that I did not fit in with the culture of the unit.

How I learn, is by asking (appropriate) questions. I always understood that it was good to ask questions (appropriate), it shows you are interested and actively engaged. Unfortunately on this unit, my inquisitive learning style was constantly misinterpreted as a potential error/mistake and NOT a method learning.

Some examples of my "potential errors" are:

A) Bringing an order for 75 units of lantus to my preceptors attention, (THAT'S A LOT!) questioning the order, and asking her what 75 units of lantus looked like.

-I have never seen 75 units of insulin, and an insulin syringe only holds 30 units of humalog. I couldn't fathom what 75 units of lantus looked like.

**viewed as potential medication error

B) I was in the process hanging Zosyn when my patient told me he was in pain. He had an order for prn dilaudid he could get now.

I know Zosyn runs for 4 hours. I also know give the dilaudid I needed to document a pain assessment, go to the Pyxis, get a vitals machine, document vitals, flush, push over 2-3mins,and flush. All that could take me 15mins.

I know some meds can't be given close together, So I asked my preceptor if I should stop hanging the zosyn and get the dilaudid. She didn't answer me, so I just finished hanging the zosyn then took care of the dilaudid. I did not want to make a medication error by stopping the zosyn in 15 mins to give the dilaudid, but since she didn't answer me I just finished what I was already doing.

******My preceptor told my manager I WAS NOT ASSESSING MY PATIENTS PAIN!!! I NEVER intended on holding the dilaudid for 4 hours, and that is NOT what I DID. I just wanted to know if the zosyn drip could be stopped to give the dilaudid.

When being forced to resign, what the had documented as "ISSUES" were my situation appropriate learning questions. I never DID anything wrong or made ANY errors!! I was beyond floored while being confronted with LEARNING as reason for me being forced to resign.

So- once again, here are my question.. any anyone could answer them:

A) do I need to disclose this 7 week employment on my best job interview(s)?

B) will this job show up on a background check?

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I've been leaving it off my resume, which as least usually gets me an interview. Then the first question at my interviews so far have been:

"so you're a new grad and never work as a RN before, right?"

OR

"So you have no hospital experience, right."

and I AM honest about the 7 weeks when they ask that question... but then they want to know why, ask specific questions, want examples.. etc

Oh and yes, i resigned. I was not terminated. But I'm sure they know what that means.

The FACT is you have no hospital experience. The fact is you could not complete a lousy orientation.

In an interview do not say you have hospital experience, or refer to that fiasco.

[Qing]

Honestly, the way you came off asking those questions did make you look questionable. Its okay to ask questions but you just have to judge who you are dealing with. Some preceptors will undermine you and have the expectation that you know a certain knowledge. We all at first don't know how to deal or react with situations at first, but we need someone who will help us to get through this period of transition after getting out of school. I had a preceptor who really did not help me and made me feel unsure of myself, where I had a second at the same time that showed me the way. In terms of the employment, I would leave it out of your resume and you do not have to tell them. In the background check, I don't think it will be a problem. The employer does not need to know every detail as it can disadvantage you. Any experience would help and volunteering helps on the resume. So don't give up and keep applying, because someone will give you a chance.I was a new nurse just out of school before and that feeling is a big thing to overcome.

[injured1]

I might be off kilter here. I am not a nurse. However, I am someone who in class, asks a ton of questions. I like to learn. Example, if I see someone with an internal rotation of head of humerus....and they are complaining of shoulder pain. It could be a bicep tendon, as this inserts into the radius and into the pec. Also internal rotation( most have it ) can cause impindgement. So yeah one could get an x-ray. What would that reveal? Nothing, unless a bone spur. MRI is needed because we are talking soft tissue. Now will an insurance want an x-ray first? Yes. Why? Healthcare is a business. If they can find something on x-ray( cheaper ) than that dx which is a code, will be cheaper to fix. This is just me observing people who body build. It's easy to spot, feel their upper back and see that their scapulas are flat, but chest is big.....but shoulder problems.

Also with hormones, inject more exogenous hormone....guess what? You will shut down the LH, FSH....do to negative feedback loop. However, what about DHT? Estrogen? Free Test? They will spike. The free test has to convert to something.

I could talk about scenerios all day. Point being OP, when I finished my classes, I was helping out others who took the same classes I did, at the same university. I learned bc I thought like the above. Simply stating...Well T Cells are Target cells. Then taking a test and remembering the little definition, does what? Yeah gets you an A or B....but does what?

In chemistry, I kept asking questions and liked how Carbon 11 and fl 18 are used for brain imagery and how you can see on images the glucose response. In thyroid, Iodine 131...and it's reaction, and the images.

All That being said, I am not tooting my horn, I am not a know it all....or else I would not ask questions. If I get a 90% on a test, I ask why I got it wrong. I like new challenges. This is viewed by some profs...as well....annoying. To others, great. I remember we were talking about blood and how it gets dumped into the body, I then asked, " Well are you going to go over the medulla and how it dumps hormones into the body." The prof stopped.....and goes, Yeah I will cover that I think because it's important with drugs. So in some cases OP critical thinking is viewed as an asset. No stone unturned, no prisoners, etc. In lab, I prob held hearts in my hand the longest to the point, the liguid was penetrating the gloves. I was telling others to look for the blood flow and imagine it in your head. I also made jokes with the heart, I made a comment, that's what my beef stew looks like after 3 days old...their heart had liquid in their tray lol.

- I also was told I do not think like a Nurse. I have been told this, to a point, a fellow class mate told me, " Remember us and how hard this was when your in administration." Also been told, I think like a Physician Asst. Idk if any of this is true, I really don't, I just view the body the way I do. A lot may come from critical thinking. So OP have you ever thought about advancing into grad school instead, and utilizing critical thinking skills? Maybe practice part time while doing it, at maybe a place that suits you better?

P.S...I am not a nurse, just a student in school. However, I would say, leave it off your resume. Does it make sense to leave an employer who would bad talk you? Would you put a reference down of someone who would leave bad feedback? No.

[NeoJS]

Heya, I hope the original poster is still reading this. I just wanted to say that they sound a bit like me in that they may ask too many questions. It can be rough as you do things for the first time and you think everything is a big deal, or over think it.

There are problems inherent in asking too many questions, I've discovered. For one, many times you can find the answer on your own if you just take some extra time. Perhaps the biggest issue with it is that people, at least in the nursing profession, tend to equate questions with a lack of confidence. It's really scary and kind of a double edged sword as we are taught all through school and even our initial orientations (you know how you spend a week or so just going to classes) that new grads should always ask.

I say it's scary because throughout school I saw many people with the whole "fake it until you make it" style, and unfortunately, they were seen as having confidence, despite bumbling their way through things. You thought that you had to draw up 75 units of insulin and didn't know what kind of syringe to use, so you asked. All the preceptor had to say was that it comes up from pharmacy like that, pre-filled. You have to remember that a lot of people act like they were never new.

As far as looking for another job. Well, I quit my first nursing job after five months. I live in a big city, so it was a huge teaching campus hospital. I literally just called one day and quit. When I quit, my manager tried to scare me by telling me that if any other employers called for a reference, they would have to tell them that I was not rehireable. I spent months not working, dreading how I would explain this, and thinking I would now have to go to a nursing home or long term care facility.

When I finally applied at the other major hospital in the city, I got a call from the recruiter, the gatekeeper if you will. He sounded like a police officer honestly. He of course asked me what happened at my past job. I never said I straight quit, but I was honest about the job not being a good fit. You're right, that really isn't enough. In my case it may have been different in that I was hired as a new grad into the ICU, so recruiters and interviewers more easily could see how it wasn't a good fit. Again, I simply let them assume how I left, I never told anyone that I called one day and quit.

I never bad mouthed the other hospital, despite that I felt the whole environment was toxic, and set up for the doctors benefit at the expense of nursing. I simply said that I was happy that they gave me that opportunity, but it wasn't for me.

The next week I get three calls for interviews, for positions that I didn't even apply to. The recruiter had forwarded my resume to other units. I'm much happier now, the environment at this hospital is so much better, and I always have resources to deal with situations on my own, and I always get an hour lunch!

One thing I've learned is that you have to choose when to be honest and how much. For instance, when I got the job offer at the new hospital, I was smoking cigarettes. They wanted to hire me fast and I knew I would fail the nicotine test. My mom thought I should be honest and tell them I was smoking. But that was a bad idea all around, maybe the recruiter would think I was trying to cover a worse drug addiction, or maybe it's just the hospital's policy that you not have had tobacco products for three months. I simply told them I needed a week to consider the offer, which bought me more time. I quit smoking cigarettes and passed the drug screen.

You say you've had a lot of interviews, so unfortunately your options are a bit limited now. I'd say employers are more worried about hiring someone and spending all the time and money training someone only to have it not work out.

When you do get a new position, just remember that at first you are an outsider to a whole crew that know, and talk amongst themselves. Just try to keep your mouth shut as much as possible, be friendly, but always think before you speak to these people about what.

Good luck

[injured1]

My Opinion was kind of the sediment this person above said^^^^ I see Nursing students over think things to much. Again, I am not a nurse, but it seems a lot lose logic from what they learned. Not bc their stupid, or anything of the like....it's because they are less confident and nervous. Kind of like over studying for a simple test. Simple that is, if you trust yourself and are prepared. I mean How can I take PathoPhys, not be in nursing yet....and think Patho was easy? Bc I studied like cray in Mirco and Ap1 and 2....and there is a lot of Patho in those classes, if you pay deep close attention and keep your logic, or sense of concept. Always ask...why does this do this? Or How? Then you typically get into some sort of Physiology or Patho in those early classes. Also, another foot, My patho is online so...I find it simple, and I am learning zero, which ticks me off. I am piggy backing a 100% A in Patho bc of my previous classes. Sad.......But again. Ever think of grad school to harness those critical thinking skills? Some people get paid to ask q's and to know and get answers to improve outcomes. You can work part time and go to grad school. However, again, I am told I do not think like a Nurse....by students, even Staff telling me that. Idk what it is. So I say that because I ask q's all the time. Just a thought. I am viewing nursing school, just for grad school really. From what people say, I would dislike being a bedside nurse. I like crazy stuff, and challenges...when I mean challenges, new. If I just did the samething over and over and over and over, and the challenge is gone....I admit, that would stink. So I say this bc some people who ask q's, and want to know things, how they things work...dx codes..what are you worth? How many pts do you see s day? Reimbursements? ..the patient as a whole. Reading x-rays, Ct's....knowing the chemistry behind the images....Holding a heart in your hand and can make a joke in lab about it, while leading your group in analyzing it. It's fun!

Hope all goes well OP!

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I might be off kilter here. I am not a nurse. However, I am someone who in class, asks a ton of questions. I like to learn. Example, if I see someone with an internal rotation of head of humerus....and they are complaining of shoulder pain. It could be a bicep tendon, as this inserts into the radius and into the pec. Also internal rotation( most have it ) can cause impindgement. So yeah one could get an x-ray. What would that reveal? Nothing, unless a bone spur. MRI is needed because we are talking soft tissue. Now will an insurance want an x-ray first? Yes. Why? Healthcare is a business. If they can find something on x-ray( cheaper ) than that dx which is a code, will be cheaper to fix. This is just me observing people who body build. It's easy to spot, feel their upper back and see that their scapulas are flat, but chest is big.....but shoulder problems.

Also with hormones, inject more exogenous hormone....guess what? You will shut down the LH, FSH....do to negative feedback loop. However, what about DHT? Estrogen? Free Test? They will spike. The free test has to convert to something.

I could talk about scenerios all day. Point being OP, when I finished my classes, I was helping out others who took the same classes I did, at the same university. I learned bc I thought like the above. Simply stating...Well T Cells are Target cells. Then taking a test and remembering the little definition, does what? Yeah gets you an A or B....but does what?

In chemistry, I kept asking questions and liked how Carbon 11 and fl 18 are used for brain imagery and how you can see on images the glucose response. In thyroid, Iodine 131...and it's reaction, and the images.

All That being said, I am not tooting my horn, I am not a know it all....or else I would not ask questions. If I get a 90% on a test, I ask why I got it wrong. I like new challenges. This is viewed by some profs...as well....annoying. To others, great. I remember we were talking about blood and how it gets dumped into the body, I then asked, " Well are you going to go over the medulla and how it dumps hormones into the body." The prof stopped.....and goes, Yeah I will cover that I think because it's important with drugs. So in some cases OP critical thinking is viewed as an asset. No stone unturned, no prisoners, etc. In lab, I prob held hearts in my hand the longest to the point, the liguid was penetrating the gloves. I was telling others to look for the blood flow and imagine it in your head. I also made jokes with the heart, I made a comment, that's what my beef stew looks like after 3 days old...their heart had liquid in their tray lol.

- I also was told I do not think like a Nurse. I have been told this, to a point, a fellow class mate told me, " Remember us and how hard this was when your in administration." Also been told, I think like a Physician Asst. Idk if any of this is true, I really don't, I just view the body the way I do. A lot may come from critical thinking. So OP have you ever thought about advancing into grad school instead, and utilizing critical thinking skills? Maybe practice part time while doing it, at maybe a place that suits you better?

P.S...I am not a nurse, just a student in school. However, I would say, leave it off your resume. Does it make sense to leave an employer who would bad talk you? Would you put a reference down of someone who would leave bad feedback? No.

You're coming across as a know-it-all, whether you think you are or not. You may want to temper that a bit before you get into the work place.

[AtLeastMyDogLovesMe]

I can't imagine how hard it would be to start out in acute care today, I was fortunate to have graduated in a much different climate. In my area of nursing it is evident that school prep doesn't always reconcile with today's acuities and responsibilities.

But what I'm gleaning from your explanation is a lack of understanding why you didn't succeed where others have. It is very hard to look at ourselves objectively but that can remain a constant barrier to success if we don't.

I agree with Jules A and suspect that your idea of appropriate questioning was outside the norm, possibly in terms of both quantity and content. It might have given away your level of judgment and resourcefulness, an essential in nursing where we don't have the luxury to provide the length snd concentration of one on one mentoring that you might have appeared to need.

For pursuing a new job, I think you need to be prepared to demonstrate that you've learned that and have already applied a solution.

I agree. Sometimes asking the question that your mind is processing can be received poorly. We weren't there so we can't say but perhaps you don't exude confidence with your questions?

For example, your discription of the Zocyn situation seems pretty cut and dry. You either A) prime the zocyn, grab the dilaudid, push, then attach zocyn or you do it the long way by running the zocyn then stopping it to give the pain medication. I think you are overcomplicating things. You obviously know what to do just do it.

Sorry your first experience was so rough. Maybe your next gig will have a more patient staff. Shake it off and in my mind no need to mention it in interviews.

Good luck!

[FutureDNP2021, ASN, RN]

Employers (or anyone for that matter) can view your tax information. So if you were being paid during your orientation, which is typically the case, your pay records are public information.

[BedsideNurse]

I agree with LVAC's being much more acute than med surg. Years ago I did a brief stint (about 4 months) doing agency work at a LTAC facility and thought it was very difficult, work-horse work, and some of the patients were pretty darn sick too (sepsis, PNA, etc), and all of them had a lot of potential to go south (and not so infrequently they did). I was comfortable nursing wise as over the years I'd worked on various floors and then the last ten years had been in ICU/MICU. Still, LTAC can be overwhelming just dealing with the tasks at hand, even if nothing goes wrong, as the nursing to do list scrolls into the floor of every disaster of a room you walk into, and with (generally) 5 patients, it is a LOT. Typical patient: came from an ICU, significantly debilitated, vented,and/ or trached, PICC line, boatloads of meds, skin issues, Foley, G-tube, tube feed, diabetic, incontinent and a turn. Long medical histories....Conscientious, good nursing care is so important to keep these people from developing complications. You really need to have strong nursing assessment and trouble shooting skills at LTAC's, and they do have labs, XR's, & ABG's, albeit usually not as frequent as the hospital, but plenty of them daily. A couple of my shifts I was doing q2 ABG's and labs. Pretty ridiculous really....CNA's are scarce. I would often have to struggle to turn people myself. Anyway, you have a lot lonely, frightened sickly patients, and families are usually either not present or present but exhausted and overwhelmed. The charting was awful. Then, somehow you had to try to find the time to do a few little extras for these poor people--holding hands, back rubs, talking to patient, offering reassurance, providing extra comfort measures, just being there with the patient, whatever--so they didn't feel totally uncared for as a person. Hard to do when you worked your way down the hall like an assembly line at a fever pitch. There's a lot of profound loss, anxiety and depression in these places. It's hard to get it all done...impossible, really. I could hardly find anyone to witness at the Pyxis, much less answer 50 questions. I know it is possible to be a new grad in a LTAC environment, and not all LTAC facilities are the same, but I think it would be a very tough gig for anyone who was the least bit needy learning wise. It was tough on me; I couldn't wait to get back to ICU.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

How would knowing the home meds have helped in this situation?

When I get pts with weird doses, if that's the dose they take at home, then I am less likely to question it. saves time , and the doc going " umm that's their home dose" "click"

[Jules A, MSN]

When I get pts with weird doses, if that's the dose they take at home, then I am less likely to question it. saves time , and the doc going " umm that's their home dose" "click"

Excellent strategy as long as you also take the time to look it up and know the usual range. There will be times a patient will insist on something that is so out of range there is no possible way so it is important for the RN to know and phrase your question to the Doc in a way that shows you know what you are talking about even if the patient doesn't.

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

Excellent strategy as long as you also take the time to look it up and know the usual range. There will be times a patient will insist on something that is so out of range there is no possible way so it is important for the RN to know and phrase your question to the Doc in a way that shows you know what you are talking about even if the patient doesn't.

True- but I meant it as sort of a reference point. Of course if it's way off , I would call anyway.