Any new grad ever been let go after 6 month trial period?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm a new grad who is almost at the end of the six month probation or trial period in my hospital job. The manager who hired me left and the new manager seems to not be pleased with my work. Besides being talked to virtually every day about some non-clinical situation I should have handled differently, I was told "I'm hearing bad things about you since I've taken over here", and not given details. I know there are still many things I don't know in nursing and I don't mind constructive criticism or coaching, but I'm at the point where I simply dread to see this manager.

I am updating my resume and starting to look just in case. Unfortunately this hospital is part of a big health care network in this area, and if I have to leave this network, my job options are quite a bit more limited.

What should I be doing at this point?

I just wrote a long reply to your question and with one wrong button push it got deleted:chuckle anyhoo a smiliar thing happened to me. I'm still on orientation but when I got called into the office that night I applied for another job. I got the other job and agreed to a per diem position. I realized that on my unit there is an inner circle made up of nurses, nursing assistants and unit coordinators. If that inner circle doesn't like you then you'll continue to receive bad reviews (reminds me of high school) anyhoo...last night a nurse that is just off her 6 months told me she'll be leaving the unit in two weeks. Apparently she's been asked to resign. This nurse is fabulous, she's a great nurse, great person, just great all around I couldn't believe it when she told me. She also told me she thinks it's because "they don't like her." From my own experience with the inner circle I totally agree with her. I feel bad because she has no job to go to and she has children.

So I agree with you update your resume and start the job hunt, and if you're asked to resign, thank them for giving you the opportunity to find the unit where you belong. Good luck to you, you are not alone in your situation, don't let someone's lack of management skills make yousecond guess yourself as a professional. PM if I can be of more help.

Specializes in ER/Geriatrics.

I have never been let go.....have rarely heard of people that have been let go....but around here there is such a shortage of nurses that the only requirement for a secure position is a pulse.

Liz

I just wrote a long reply to your question and with one wrong button push it got deleted:chuckle anyhoo a smiliar thing happened to me. I'm still on orientation but when I got called into the office that night I applied for another job. I got the other job and agreed to a per diem position. I realized that on my unit there is an inner circle made up of nurses, nursing assistants and unit coordinators. If that inner circle doesn't like you then you'll continue to receive bad reviews (reminds me of high school) anyhoo...last night a nurse that is just off her 6 months told me she'll be leaving the unit in two weeks. Apparently she's been asked to resign. This nurse is fabulous, she's a great nurse, great person, just great all around I couldn't believe it when she told me. She also told me she thinks it's because "they don't like her." From my own experience with the inner circle I totally agree with her. I feel bad because she has no job to go to and she has children.

So I agree with you update your resume and start the job hunt, and if you're asked to resign, thank them for giving you the opportunity to find the unit where you belong. Good luck to you, you are not alone in your situation, don't let someone's lack of management skills make yousecond guess yourself as a professional. PM if I can be of more help.

you are right on the money with this one. Yes unfortunately healthcare settings are like high school with the little clique's & things. Thats why I suggest a agency job or a job somewhere where you can float on a regular basis. I think your day would be much easier & stress free

Specializes in rehab and LTC, some psych.
I would look for another job and leave that place without any further hesitation. It's not even worth trying to straighten things out by talking to the manager, although that's the way textbooks suggest. But in a real world that usually won't work.

I personally hate people doing this kind of backstabbing, and the worse is that they smile in front of you so that you never know who reported you to a manager!

I totally agree with you. Once the handwriting is on the wall, read it, face it and be real with yourself. What's the point in trying to change one's opinion of you when they've already made up their mind about you. It'll be a never ending battle that will eventually end up with a nasty dismal. Get out before the battle begins. Believe me, there will be a battle and it will only get nastier and attempting to convince them of how valuable of a nurse you are is seen as weakness on their part. That's when they go in for the jugular. The fight is not worth the mental stress that you will endure, and you will endure it if you choose to stay. There is a inner circle mentality in some facilities and it can get viscious, especially if you've made it clear you have no intention of joining the "inner sanctum". They don't take being snubbed to highly. Very much like high school. I do feel there is a certain amount of politics with agency, less of it, but nonetheless, it's there. Agencies are vying for assignments and agency managers can get caught up in the high school inner circle mentality in attempts to get in good with a certain facility to be reassured repeat business.

Ashes

You have been given some powerful clues as to what's going on here... take it from someone in a similar situation who didn't pay attention - and ended up being forced to resign by an abusive, psychopathic head nurse (no exaggeration, I promise) after only 11 weeks as a new grad. Like a fool, I put this on future applications ("Have you ever been fired or asked to resign?" used to be a common question), and it has haunted me ever since.

Well, not anymore, but this is 8 years later. Spare yourself the agony and do the only thing that makes sense: quit before you're fired, or "asked to resign".

Best wishes,

DeLana

Specializes in Geriatrics and emergency medicine.

Huh,,what is with this six month thing tonight. At work tonight, had a 6 month GPN get into a verbal with our supervisor. This GPN has convinced herself she is gonna fail her boards, so she is just not gonna take them, hense out of a job, out of 14,000 bucks and probably the sadest, is she is out of self confidence. Had this male CNA hanging all over her tonight, (and practically every night they were on shift together) had her evaluation of ME tonight (Since when is she my supervisor) told the RN supervisor she was Lazy!! (GASP!) and was throwing charts and meds everywhere. Geesh,,where do they get these guys from??? She is just a kid, and before she wants to be a nurse,,,had better start acting like a professional, and acting more mature. Must be something in the air

Specializes in CTICU.

this situation happened to me recently and i wish i wouldn't have ignored my gut and started looking for another job. i'm devastated. my self esteem hasn't been hit this hard since high school. if you can transfer to another floor, do so. if you are unionized by all means request a rep present whenever your manager has a meeting with you, another regret of mine. apparently smart, responsible, and hard-working isn't enough in some units. best wishes.

Specializes in ICU, nutrition.

Honestly, I'd try to transfer before I just quit completely. Some areas, some nurses, are just toxic. Sometimes, though, it just takes some time to fit in. At my first job I was there for nearly a year before I finally felt like I belonged there. A couple of the more experienced nurses were very tough on new grads, and I felt like they "had it in for me." However, once I proved that I wasn't dangerous, they accepted me, and I even keep in touch with one of them since I moved away almost 4 years ago.

Make sure you really are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing, though. I've seen new folks that think they are doing OK, only to be shocked when someone tells them that they are not helpful, always seem to be on break, or always trying to get someone else to do their work for them.

Good luck to you.

Konni

I'm a new grad who is almost at the end of the six month probation or trial period in my hospital job. The manager who hired me left and the new manager seems to not be pleased with my work. Besides being talked to virtually every day about some non-clinical situation I should have handled differently, I was told "I'm hearing bad things about you since I've taken over here", and not given details. I know there are still many things I don't know in nursing and I don't mind constructive criticism or coaching, but I'm at the point where I simply dread to see this manager.

I am updating my resume and starting to look just in case. Unfortunately this hospital is part of a big health care network in this area, and if I have to leave this network, my job options are quite a bit more limited.

What should I be doing at this point?

I hear where you are coming from... I just got 8 months in at my job...which I've only been out of my preceptorship 3 days...(problems with PBDS test... so got extended precoptorship...which was fine with me.) Anyway I get call from mgr a week or so ago...she tells me she can't keep me on preceptorship any longer...did I mention I was working Oncology side...nite shift...they normally have 6-7 pts each on nites...I already know I have problems dealing with that many pts/time management...I would always ask preceptors how I was doing and tell them to be honest with me...of course they would always say you are doing fine...don't worry about it...it will come with time....well mgr says night preceptors told her I was struggling with that many pts and would not be able to handle going on my own...I told mgr I already knew that...well she says you might want to resign, instead...silence...so I told the mgr I thought the plan was that you were going to put me on med-surg side...because I was not able to work a critical care unit due to PBDS test...she says well I have thought about that...so I ask her what she wants me to do...so she says go on that side...fine...no more mention of resigning. I want to say that the whole time I have been on that floor, everything has been like a treasure hunt...Needless to say my confidence has totally been wiped away...I was thinking I was the problem...now I'm thinking that my mgr is my problem...she's never around, except when she calls...she has said a few times that so and so said you were struggling...but I never got anymore info on what I needed to improve on...so since the call I have strained my back...been off a couple of days...and do not want to go back...mgr was not happy when I called in with that...so I've had time to think about what I should do...figure she will probably fire me anyway when I go back. I think I'm a good nurse with my pts...I know I'm still slow...but it gets done...the problem is alot of the pts are total care types...we have had lots of diarrhea problems on our floor...so we are constantly changing the pts...our floor is suppose to get aides...but they have none to give us...so we have to do aides jobs, plus the ward clerks...many nights... I wish you luck in whatever you decide to do...I am going to resign from my job...it's driving me crazy...and my health is going to come before all their crap...thinking about doing some home health/hospice...which is what I have always wanted to do...but felt I needed to get the hospital experience first...

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

I agree with others that a transfer to a different unit might be preferable to resignation, if it's feasible. The climate can vary a great deal from one floor to another. At my facility, new recruits went through a couple of weeks of orientation and training to the hospital prior to starting orientation to a specific unit, and the preceptor for that initial training continued to be a resource throughout the orientation process. Had I had a similar problem, I could have contacted her for advice and assistance. If you have anyone like that to go to, you should immediately. If not, you might talk to human resources. I don't care where you are--a licensed RN is a valuable commodity, these days, and if your present manager doesn't realize that, others will. (I'm assuming you're trying hard and doing your best to be a good nurse. If so, you are worth nurturing. Many excellent nurses have a hard time starting out.)

Whoever you approach, you should avoid playing the blame game. No matter how deserved, it never helps. It's not "My manager's a nut and out to get me." It's "I don't think my personality is quite compatible with the established climate." or "We don't seem to mesh as well as I would like." I do not mean you should blame yourself. You may want to ask yourself whether you contributed to the problem, but that should be an inner dialogue. Outwardly, your attitude is that you ARE going to be a great nurse, and the only question is where. Besides, that's probably true! Good luck.

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