I just got fired... what the hell happened?

Nurses General Nursing

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Ok , this came out of left field... at least to ME!

I was fired today. Whoa, the reality is setting in now... or is that the wine I'm drinking? UGH.

Got called into a meeting w/the supervisor and HR (or, as I like to refer to them, INhumane resources).

Suddenly - thrust into my lap, are allegations of patient safety issues, complaints made by my coworkers (of a different shift).

Ok.. you're wondering.. "then why are you so shocked?"

Here's the kicker...

THEY ARE ALL, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM, LIES LIES LIES!!!!

I normally would question a post where someone stated all complaints against them were lies.. heck, I questioned my own SELF... Did I really do that? Could I have forgotten NOT taking care of a pressure 210/100? Did I NOT give an anti-inflammatory to a pt w/COPD??? Did I sign off meds that I hadn't actually GIVEN??? NEVER.. I addressed each and every one of those issues.. AND documented in notes. *****!!!

Holy crap... I've heard of being bamboozled - but never thought this would exist in a supposed caring profession.

Never thought *I* would be on the receiving end of these falsehoods!!! :eek:

And yet, here I sit - without a job - a worse yet, without hope for this profession. WHY are some people so back-biting and just plain EVIL?

And.. WHY .. WHY is their word TAKEN for truth, without being thoroughly investigated? This isn't right, it shouldn't be allowed to happen.. yet it does.

I'm happy for the time off, believe me.. I could use a break. But, damn, the humiliation - the second guessing myself - seeing those s.o.b's act as though they're so righteous, and faultless.. when.. damn, where the HELL is their conscience?

Ok.. so now I feel like a failure - like I've actually been a horrible nurse - but why can't I make myself believe that? WHY do I still find my actions correct in proper and DAMNIT GOOD care of my patients!????

Ugh.. maybe it IS the wine.. :uhoh3:

Specializes in icu/er.

nursing is a small world believe it or not,when you find yourself working at another place, you may encounter some of the rats trying to get on there for extra shifts or fulltime work. then the ball will be in your court.

I can't even imagine it coming out of left field like that. Surely you deserve an explanation! Is there no common courtesy?

Keep watch on the status of your license with your state Board. A favorite slimeball tactic of ex-employers is to lodge complaints, no matter how false, against the licenses of people that they fire.

Keep watch on the status of your license with your state Board. A favorite slimeball tactic of ex-employers is to lodge complaints, no matter how false, against the licenses of people that they fire.

wow, that is so disgusting that people stoop to such levels, knowing that allegations are false and reporting them.

Is there no shame?:confused:

Specializes in Cardiac & Medical ICU.

I'm so sorry to hear that. My mother also got fired on a complaint of something she didnt do & couldn't control (the patient's family blamed her for PURPOSELY causing the peg tube to blow) & was led on investigation for 3 months until they had the decency to show up to any of the appointments they themselves called her in for, in order to fire her. I love this field, & I can't wait to get involved in it, but that bureaucracy sure bites the biscuit.

Keep watch on the status of your license with your state Board. A favorite slimeball tactic of ex-employers is to lodge complaints, no matter how false, against the licenses of people that they fire.

I am really sorry bout what happened. We cant please everybody no matter how careful and how hard we try. This is just one of the things that makes being a nurse practically scary! :eek:

But how do get through this type of ordeal if they're up against our license? :confused:

I hope you'll get through this and find a better job...

I am sorry to hear about your predicament. I am an RN with 33 years of experience and that situation happened to me 25 years ago and no matter I I justified my legal and professional action they felt it was best I resign.

It sounds like ther may have been an underlying agenda to have you leave, but you will probably not be able to prove it.

Legally, if you use the company for references I believe they are limited in what they can legally say. The date of your employment and are your eligable for rehire. Good luck in the future and maybe it is time to cahnge your clinical area of nursing.

Mean people suck! :redbeathe

So sorry you were targeted like that, NocturneNurse. It is traumatic! It happenend to me too, nurse friend, after almost 20 years in the same 'magnet' facility, they decided I was 'rude' for going out of the chain of command. It took them long enough to figure that out, didn't it? Couldn't have anything to do with transferring to a new unprofessional bully mentality clinical area from the hospital, now could it?! Yes, I must've ruffled the wrong management feathers!

guinans speaks the truth. I got my measly unemployment, too! Thank you for such a clear scenario on that bullying, targeting, gang up behavior, guinans!

GooeyRN, you're right too. We don't want to work for dishonest people and we shouldn't have to either! I'm going to pray you can move on without too much pain. I've let myself think about it all way too much, really!

Without a nursing union we have no real protection of the licensure we worked so hard for in a will to work state, such as in the south. Corporate America owns us, too!

Much like the insurance and drug companies in America, these huge corporations all have paid lobbyists to keep us all in our places. It makes them more money in the long run. It's better for their business, profits and losses. :smokin:

I refused to believe it when I was told by someone I looked up to while contemplating nursing school that I would , 'be a number'. I actually got a little offended. I now see what they meant. I do feel like a number now, an unemployment number! A wrongfully fired number! A bullied number! A beaten number! Sorry, NocturneNrse! I'll pray you get over it lots quicker than I have to this point~ 5 years later...

You did lots of good. God and your patients and some of your previous coworkers know and so do mine, NocturneNrse, that we are good nurses. That's good enough for me. How about you? I mean what more could a nurse really ask for, other than being able to provide quality and compassionate patient care in a peaceful and supportive work environment, that is! :nurse:

I really hope I can find something new and different and maybe more autonomous! :cool: I hope you can find what you're looking for, too! Just remember, you are not :aln::bdyhdclp::dancgrp::hug:!!!

Specializes in MICU/SICU/CVICU.

My stepdad just went through this EXACT situation. And believe me that he got screwed out of every other job he applied for. His former employer even told one of his prospective employers that they were considering reporting him to the board! He hired an attorney and very promptly got not only a written apology, but a written recommendation AND a nice fat settlement. :-)

My advice? Don't roll over and play dead. Nurses are used and abused too much as it is.

I quit my first nursing job because so many of the nurses would back stabbing the nurses that did not fit in their cliques. They use to go to the manager and lied about other nurses. Before I got fired, which probably would not happened, I quit! Now, I am in such a better environment. The nurses on my floor work as a team and look out for each other in a good way.

Specializes in Psychiatric, Home Health, Geriatrics.
My stepdad just went through this EXACT situation. And believe me that he got screwed out of every other job he applied for. His former employer even told one of his prospective employers that they were considering reporting him to the board! He hired an attorney and very promptly got not only a written apology, but a written recommendation AND a nice fat settlement. :-)

My advice? Don't roll over and play dead. Nurses are used and abused too much as it is.

Excellent advice! I went through the same thing; set up, put through a peer review, & then fired. Later on, I was talking with a DON & she told me that under the circumstances they would consider it in my favor, as the hospital had earned itself a bad reputation for doing that among other things. My advice, don't lie about it - they will respect your honesty. I also carried around a letter from one of the docs explaining that the hospital was going through some political troubles and unfortunately I was blamed - that he'd highly recommend me for any job I applied for. I had no trouble getting another job. If you can get a doc to do that great but I never had to use it. Good luck - you will be fine.

if you haven't already, i'd get a hold of your p&p manual and look up their progressive discipline policy.

and don't let others discourage you from suing.

i don't care if it's an at-will state...

you can sue for wrongful termination...and win!

there are sev'l factors that an atty will look at, and just by virtue of being a long-time employee, has its own set of unspoken implication (that benefits you).

do you have commendable evals from the past?

if so, get those out.

did you do/say anything that could result in retaliatory action from your employer?

well then, that'd be their motive for getting rid of you.

i was wrongfully terminated, and i fought the bastards...and won.

if you're considering fighting this, just be prepared for a drawn out, back-stabbing cat fight.

no matter what my former employer said (lies galore!!!), i kept my cool, knowing these jerks would eventually hang themself.

and they did.

take a few days to digest all this, and how you're going to proceed.

do not talk w/anyone from work...even if they pose as your friend and/or, out of concern.

don't trust anybody from your facility.

i'm so sorry this happened...

this happens too often to nurses, who stand up for what is right.

wishing you peace and healing.

leslie

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