help me, should i include this on my employment history?

[willowRN]

Please help me.

I worked as a CNA in this facility (my first job ever) for 8 months and then i acquired my RN license since they have no openings they referred me to their sister facility. The sister facility gave me only 13 days of orientation then suddenly i was caught dumbfounded they're letting me go, forcing me to sign a poor evaluation sheet. I shouldn't have signed it was so unfair. Now they told me they're not gonna prevent other facilities from hiring me and i could give them as a good reference. but i am unsure about this since i only have the word of the hr personnel. now i'm looking for a job it was my first rn job, the nurses orientating me told me i was doing a good job and the things i miss i will learn with time but i guess this facility just decided suddenly they're not willing to invest on me. they didn't offer me a chance to resign, they terminated me. i am afraid if i put it on the resume they're gonna say they terminated me and that i have a poor work history and they only gave me 13 days of orientation.

so my problem is should i still put it in my work history. what i've been doing is i'm putting my CNA work history but i'm afraid also that if they call them they're gonna say i transferred to the sister facility and i didn't say anything like that in my resume meaning i lied. can they detect it in social security scans?

oh my God i never thought this would happen to me i'm a new nurse not an incompetent one. This is so heavy it's like my whole life and dream just crumbled. It's been a week now my family needs my share for the bills, i need to find a job but the prospective seem so dire now with what happened. Please help me what should i do?

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

I wouldn't use it. Resumes aren't work histories, they're a tool to present your relevant experience to employers. It's not meant to be comprehensive.

And no, you shouldn't have signed the poor evaluation sheet- they were already firing you so what were they going to do if you refused to sign it? Next time you are given something to sign that seems unfair, know that you are well within your rights to take time to think about it and refuse if you don't agree with what you are signing.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

This is only what I've been told (and not from a lawyer)...

If you put Facility A as a past employee they can contact Facility A and Facility A can only say that you worked there...not what type of employee you were...unless, of course, you put them as a reference (which I would tend to think you should not...IMHO).

As for the orientation--it stinks and is unfair to only give you 13 days, but it happened and it cannot be changed now. Usually when you sign one of these evaluation forms they say something to the effect of "signing this doesn't mean you agree with it; it only means you received it." This was your first eval. as an RN. I doubt other employers would hold this too much against you, if they even see it....

On your apps, I would say to be honest about what jobs you had in the past, just don't use this place for a reference.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

This is only what I've been told (and not from a lawyer)...

If you put Facility A as a past employee they can contact Facility A and Facility A can only say that you worked there...not what type of employee you were...unless, of course, you put them as a reference (which I would tend to think you should not...IMHO).

This is not true. They can give out any truthful information. Many places CHOOSE to only give out dates of employment and basic information like that to avoid liability, but its a choice the company makes and .

If you're concerned about what a company will say and plan to use them anyway, the best thing to do is have a friend call them posing as a potential employer to get a reference from them.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

This is not true. They can give out any truthful information. Many places CHOOSE to only give out dates of employment and basic information like that to avoid liability, but its a choice the company makes and .

If you're concerned about what a company will say and plan to use them anyway, the best thing to do is have a friend call them posing as a potential employer to get a reference from them.

As I said, this was not legal advice, just what I had been told in the past....the last part sounds a bit shady though.

[systoly]

Sometimes you can use it to your benefit. If the facility in question has a poor rep, a better facility might consider a short tenure at a poorly run place an indication that you will not stoop to low standards.

[hiddencatRN, BSN, RN]

As I said, this was not legal advice, just what I had been told in the past....the last part sounds a bit shady though.

I didn't say you were offering legal advice, but this myth is very widespread and letting it proliferate does a disservice to everyone.

There are companies out there that (for a fee) will conduct a test reference check for you. If you have a questionable reference, it's best to leave it off your resume but if you can't I don't see anything shady about finding out what your employer will be saying about you.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I didn't say you were offering legal advice, but this myth is very widespread and letting it proliferate does a disservice to everyone.

There are companies out there that (for a fee) will conduct a test reference check for you. If you have a questionable reference, it's best to leave it off your resume but if you can't I don't see anything shady about finding out what your employer will be saying about you.

First, I appreciate that you corrected my misinformation...

The part that I find a bit shady is having someone call the former employer and LIE about their motives.

[caliotter3]

I didn't say you were offering legal advice, but this myth is very widespread and letting it proliferate does a disservice to everyone.

There are companies out there that (for a fee) will conduct a test reference check for you. If you have a questionable reference, it's best to leave it off your resume but if you can't I don't see anything shady about finding out what your employer will be saying about you.

I sought legal advice when I found out the hard way about a former manager who was sabotaging my future employment. A former employer can say whatever they want about you as an employee, as long as it is true. The former employer saying it makes it "true". The myth about dates of employment is just that, a myth, that continues to proliferate as wishful thinking.

[FutureNurse_8708]

This is a tough one. It was so unfair of that place to make you do something that you do not agree with, plus they only gave you 13 days and probably didn't even inform you that you had that little. I would keep that off of my resume completely, but then again, it would be good to have it on there to show that you have some experience. Weigh out your pros and cons.

Good Luck!

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Oh HOLD UP!!!! You were given THIRTEEN DAYS of orientation?!? That is beyond ridiculous. A new nurse needs AT LEAST 6 months of orientation, with periodic meetings with your NM or NE to get/give feedback. Your employer was completely unreasonable. I feel so badly for you.

You are in a pickle, no doubt. My gut feeling is to list the facility on your resume, but I can see the potential harm in doing that. Any NM who looks at your resume will ask you about it, and when you tell them what happened, they will be just as shocked as I am that you only had 13 days of orientation. However, the dilemma lies in getting your foot in the door to be interviewed in the first place.

It sounds like your facility was under the budgetary gun and you were the first victim. I know that the new fiscal year starts soon and budgetary reviews are commencing now in preparation. I think you just got caught in the cross-fire, honey. Soooo unfair to you.

Do you have anywhere in particular that you are looking now? I know this has crushed you, but don't let this crisis dismantle your worthiness. You worked hard to get your license and you were given an unfair pile of (fill in the blank) to deal with. As hard as it may be, pick yourself up and carry on. There is NO WAY possible that you as a new nurse can be fairly judged on performance after 13 freaking days. That being said, you will do well to view this as THEIR loss, not YOURS. This scenario is akin to a homeowner firing a contractor because their house was not completely built in 2 weeks.

I will share with you that I worked at a facility for exactly 3 months and 4 days before I figured out that it was COMPLETELY unsafe for me to work there. The facility itself was involved in a rather large lawsuit resulting from unsafe conditions. I didn't know that when I was hired, but I soon realized that this place was the Seventh Level of Hell. I couldn't get my resume out there fast enough. I had an interview with a NM who knew of the facility, and she just shook her head and asked me why it took me so long to leave! She hired me on the spot. Nurse Managers are largely aware of what goes on in facilities that are not exactly up to par. This is why I am on the fence about whether or not you should list them on your resume.

If I could give you a gi-normous hug right now, I would do it in a skinny minute. My thoughts are with you.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Sometimes you can use it to your benefit. If the facility in question has a poor rep, a better facility might consider a short tenure at a poorly run place an indication that you will not stoop to low standards.

EXACTLY what I was trying to say in my rather laborious, wordy post. Sometimes I get "diarrhea of the mouth". Sheesh.