Ever Been Fired?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Hi to all!

Just wondering how many of you have been fired.

Got a phone call on my day off, not to report to work in the morning...just come at ten to meet with DON and Administrator.

Walked into room, to see termination papers on the table.

I have been at this place for almost 10 months...no write ups, only 2 excused absences.

DON said aide turned me in for not giving a resident meds...I said I did give them...MAR signed and all.

She snapped, "No you didn't."

I said, "Whatever, your mind is already made up." Smiled, shook both of their hands and said "Good-bye."

Now, how do I fill out applications? Do I put that I was fired for reason of leaving job? I have never even had a write up before, ( 3 yrs. CENA, almost as a LPN). I really don't know how to handle this....any advice is welcome and appreciated.

Specializes in LPN.

I would like to add one more thing. I'm not sure of the size of the city you are from, but most facilities have a general idea of how the other facilities in the community work. They may already understand how difficult it was working in that place.

Specializes in midwifery, gen surgical, community.

I feel really sorry for you. I do not know the employment laws in the USA but over on this side of the pond they have to give a verbal and then written warnings to fire you. They also have to have a genuine reason for firing as well. Have you contacted your union? Can you sue for wrongful dismissal?

Specializes in Pediatrics, PICU, CM, DM.
I would not tell a potential employer that you have been fired. Just state that the job was not a good fit for you and you left. I know in CT. the employer can only give the dates you worked and cannot tell if you been fired or if you quit.

I would be really careful about this. Even in those states where corporate HR can't say that you have been fired, people still move from job to job, and people still talk. If the news of your termination from Job 1 ever reaches the HR team of Job 2 via the grapevine, and the odds are good that it will, you will then be explaining the loss of a second job if you have falsified your application. You will also have been living under a huge amount of stress in the meantime. Honesty really is the best policy, even if it makes finding that first job afterwards extremely difficult. If you had a good record otherwise, people will listen to a reasonable explanation of what happened, and what you learned from it.

Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.
I would not tell a potential employer that you have been fired. Just state that the job was not a good fit for you and you left. I know in CT. the employer can only give the dates you worked and cannot tell if you been fired or if you quit.

In Massachusetts, if this were a Wal Mart, we could tell the dates the employee worked for us and whether or not we would hire them back. But, since this is HEALTH CARE, we are allowed to share more with a prospective employer. I live in a relatively small area, but we have at least 10 skilled facilities in a 50 mile radius. Most of the DNSs either know or have heard of each other. We are all for the most part very honest when asked for a reference. I do NOT want a bad CNA who worked for me to go down the street and get a job with someone else. And I don't want their bad nurses, aides or whomever to come into my facility to get a job. Some how the bad ones must be weeded out.

A nurse in a LTC facility that I used to work in actually checked the choking patients advanced directives first to see if they were a "NO code" before doing the Heimlich, then because they were a no code she did not do the Hemlich or even call 911.And she kept her job!! The family chose not to sue and the facility never reported themselves to state. My God how can someone be left to choke to death no matter what code they were, if that patient had caught fire, would we let them burn to death?

Sorry for getting off your subject, but your description of this event is a bit confusing.Well sadley , once again the patient is the victim of the facility's mismanagemnet .They are ultimatley responsible for thier staff's competance.

Specializes in med/surg, ortho, rehab, ltc.
I have been fired before. File for unemployment immediatly. When I did that my ex-employer changed their tune. They claimed I resigned and they wanted to hire me back, but I refused. If your former employer sticks to the story of you being fired, they will most likely be liable for your unemployment benefits. As long as you are looking for a job, they are on the hook. This is a nice 'incentive' for them to say nice things about you when a prospective employer calls.

Just a side note/warning- Employers can avoid unemployment claims by saying the employee was fired for "just cause" like a violation of the facilities policies.

And the law requiring employers to just give dates of employment, position title and if employee is eligible for rehire often won't protect you. The DON just needs to say you aren't eligible for rehire & that's code for "fired."

It's all stacked in favor of the LTC. I'd leave them off my resume. It just smells a bit fishy too me.

Ingelein, all I can tell you is that I'm confused, too. And I'm too whipped today to try to explain things any better.

I think I might just not look for the next three months and blow through the RN on-line, take my clinicals in March if I can wangle it, and tough it out on money. LPNs are paid far too little for too much responsibility with too few options and I'm done. Please don't anyone criticize me today. I'm sure I deserve it, but I reallyt can't take it right now.

Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Hi to all!

Just wondering how many of you have been fired.

*** Oh Ya! A couple times. The first time I got fired for offering to kick a doctor's ass when he was yelling and screaming at nursing staff. It DID end his immature tirade and I must have scared him (I was perfectly serious) becuase nurses who stayed tell me he is much better behaved.

My advice is not to mention it if you can help it but if it comes up to be perfectly honest and never lie about it. I would also refrain from bad mouthing your former employer.

just an update for all.

the applications i filled out, i left "reason for leaving" blank. the first interview i went on, she asked, "why did you leave?" i threw my hands up and said, "honestly, i was fired." gave her a brief explanation and to my great suprise, she said, "that's why i am going to offer you a job. i appreciate honesty, and i want you to just learn from your experience and also shrug it off and move on." "sometimes these things happen in nursing and you may never know the truth behind it."

so, i will be back to work, doing what i love, with-in the next week or so.

it's been quite an eye opener, for my less than 2 yrs. of nursing experience.

as always though, i trust god to lead me to where he needs me.

i want to say, " thank you! " to all who replied and advised me.

Specializes in Looking for a career in NICU.

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Isn't it great to have someone that interviews you that understands?

I think you found a great place! Congrats!

Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

Way to go. It's good to know that honesty is still rewarded on occasion

Specializes in Med/Surg < 1yr.
In Massachusetts, if this were a Wal Mart, we could tell the dates the employee worked for us and whether or not we would hire them back. But, since this is HEALTH CARE, we are allowed to share more with a prospective employer. I live in a relatively small area, but we have at least 10 skilled facilities in a 50 mile radius. Most of the DNSs either know or have heard of each other. We are all for the most part very honest when asked for a reference. I do NOT want a bad CNA who worked for me to go down the street and get a job with someone else. And I don't want their bad nurses, aides or whomever to come into my facility to get a job. Some how the bad ones must be weeded out.

This kind of attitude is what makes it hard to find a job for good nurses who were treated bad by previous employers. Don't get me wrong, it is imperative that you weed out the bad nurses but at the same time, before you go writing someone off as a bad nurse, I think when someone tells you they were terminated, its good to listen to what they have to say instead of just depending on the previous employer's version.

For example, I worked as an accountant for 9 years at a fortune 50 company. I was burned out and decided I wanted to pursue a career in Nursing. However, my company was moving in a different direction and required that I learn more accounting skills. I didn't have time to learn accounting and nursing so as a result my work performance started to suffer. It took a while before my company terminated me and they didn't want to but their hands were tied. Theygave me good recommendations but when I go to apply for a nursing job, what am I supposed to say to a prospective employer? Do I say the truth and risk not getting the job or do I lie and risk it being found out later on? I hate having to lie because then you can never rest with that in back of your mind. Then again, I don't want to tell the truth and then not only do I not get hired by the prospective employer but then my info gets passed around to other employers who may not hire me also. That sounds like a catch 22 to me.

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