Getting Fired or Resign?

[trustsupplyguy]

I'm in the process of getting fired. My question is, do I stay and make them fire me, or do I resign and move on? I'm starting my second year as a RN. Financially I'm fine, and I'm not interested in fighting anything, I just want to minimize the damage to my future job possibilities.

Ideally, I'd like to hang on until I have another job, but I don't want to wait so long that I lose the option to resign. When do you know it's time to resign? Also, how do I present this situation going forward to future prospective employers?

I've already applied at one hospital, and from the feedback I've received I think I'm very close to being hired. I also have an application in at a temp agency.

I say I'm in the process of getting fired because my manager is building a case against me using errors and problems that others don't seem to be getting in trouble for, and there is little recognition of the efforts I've made to improve. I feel the die has already been cast. My biggest fear is how this whole thing will look to future employers.

I'm especially interested in feedback from nurses who have been through similar situations. Thanks in advance!

[ktwlpn, LPN]

I say I'm in the process of getting fired because my manager is building a case against me using errors and problems that others don't seem to be getting in trouble for, and there is little recognition of the efforts I've made to improve. I feel the die has already been cast. My biggest fear is how this whole thing will look to future employers.

![/quote------ Your biggest fear should be preventing the same thing from happening at your next place of employment,IMHO.....I'm just saying....

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I would rather resign than be fired. If you resign professionally (written notice, etc) you aren't buring any bridges, usually. Although you might not like the facility you are at, you may one day want to work at another facility that is connected to the one you resign from. Its of my personal opinion that it is always better to explain why you resigned from a postion that to have to explain why you were let go.

Its best to just walk away. Since you financially don't need unemployment, I'd get that notice in and count down the days you can get out of that place.

[nurseshepherd]

I would resign short of being fired, so I would continue to do what your doing, activily searching out another job, it sucks to work where you dont feel welcome/. If you have any PTO or vacation/sick days, take them now while you search for work,. try and work as little as possible at your current job yet still be on the payroll, the less your there the less chances they have to write you up!! While you are there keep your nose clean and document document document!!!! CYA more than usual. \ \Best of luck!!

Totally agree with PPs, RESIGN now and do it in writting giving proper notice so your HR record is good. Many places will pay you for your PTO if you resign which could give you some breathing room until you secure another job. I have one family member who was fired from a nursing job and even though it was a personality conflict with her manager, she has had that to deal with every time she fills out a job application.....most will ask if you have ever been terminated. Good luck, better things await you!:wink2:

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

Resign. On next job interview just say the job was not a good fit for you.

[laketrash]

I'm so sorry you are going through this :cry:and altho it has never happened to me, I know from a friend's experience it is better to resign, She is a very caring nurse who made a mistake and didn't quit her job when they called her and told her not to come in until further notice.I told her she shoud resign but she didn't and sure enough she was terminated,She was able to draw unemployment because the hosp didn't show for the hearing but she had a hard time finding a good job. Ironically she said that on the new job, the nures were rountinely doing what she did and mgmt just sent a memo out saying they were changing the computer charting so that things couldn't be copied and pasted.We live in an area where there are like 2 hugh companies to work for besides nsg homes etc so she really had a hard time.She has since tried getting hired back at least part time but they never answer her. She even called the main HR person for the hosp and asked if she was a no rehire and they wouldn't tell her, so please think whatever you do thru carefully. Best of luck !:loveya:

[gran8]

resign. I HAVE BEEN A NURSE FOR 25 YEARS AND WAS INJURIED ONE YEAR AGO. NOW SINCE WE ARE ABOUT TO OBTAIN A HOSPITAL AND JOIN WITH THE OTHER HOSPITAL STAFF BECAUSE WE ARE CLOSING THE OLD HOSPITAL, WE HAVE TO CULL OUR STAFFING. AFTER BEING HURT EVEN ON LIGHT DUTY I MAINTAIN THE SAME DUTIES WITH THE ADON AND THE DON INSTUCTION TO USE MY JUDGEMENT NOT TO GET HURT. NOW AFTER THE YEAR WITH THE MERGER I AM BEING TERMINATED BUT I WAS GIVEN A MONTH NOTICE. I HAVE BEEN DOING CHART AUDITS AND APPLING FOR JOBS THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE PATIENT'S CARE BUT THEY ALWAYS HAVE SOMEONE ELSE IN MIND FOR THAT JOB. I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN REQUESTED TO DO AND GUESS WHAT MY TERMINATION IS STILL THE 29TH OF THIS MONTH. SO RESIGN AND SAVE FACE BELIEVE ME IT'S NOT WORTH IT. I HAVE A 5% DISABLITY AND SO I'M NOW BEING TOLD I CAN'T DO THE THING I LOVE. THEY HAVE TO TERMINATED NURSING DUE TO THE COMBINING OF 2 HOSPITAL. SO I'M ONE OF THE NURSES TO BE TERMINATED. OH YES THEY SAID I CAN DRAW MY UNEMPLOYMENT. BUT THE TRUTH I WAS GOING TO RETIRE THE 22ND OF THIS MONTH BUT NOW I WILL BE THERE ON THE 29TH TO LET THEM DO THE TERMINATION OF A GOOD NURSE. SORRY ALITTLE BITTER.

[trustsupplyguy]

Thank you so much for all of these wonderful responses!

Sometimes it is difficult to see the forrest for the trees, especially in a situation like this.

I had a chance to sleep on it, and this morning 90% of me felt like I should resign. But there was still that pesky 10%.

However, after reading all your messages, I know what I have to do. You have been so kind to share your thoughts with me! Thank you for your love and support!

Now for the next phase: Any more thoughts on how to deal with this in upcoming interviews?

Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart!

[Batman24]

You simply state it wasn't a good fit for you. Leave it at that.

[debi49]

Or say you were ready for something new. Don't bad mouth the place or the supervisor. HR depts are used to people moving on.

[NightshiftRN69]

I agree resign. After giving notice use your PTO or vaction time so you can be there less so there will be less for them to nit pick over. If as you say they are looking for every reason to write you up it will get even worse after you give notice. If you wait it will be much much harder to find a new position. I know I went through this and they fired me before my time was up. And finding another position was very very difficult. Good luck.

[trustsupplyguy]

Hi Racing-Mom4,

Thanks for your helpful feedback!

I've learned a lot from my "lessons", and I think the core issue for me is to manage my stress and guilt buttons going forward, so that I remain pleasant and helpful to other nurses at all times, especially when I'm burned out and behind at the end of the shift. I also need to better manage my sense of humor, which I have used for stress relief. In general, the patients and many of my coworkers love my joking, but it can get me in trouble with certain nurses. Too, I wish I was faster with everything, so I would have things all wrapped up better at the end of the shift, but I don't have an easy answer for this one, other than to hope it will get better with more experience.

Here's a brief synopsis:

- a while back I got on the bad side of an assistant manager -- she came up behind me and overheard a joke; my manager at the time said it was just a mistake and didn't make a big deal out of it, but the assistant manager got me back on my eval (ouch!).

More recently:

- a certain night shift nurse was grilling me in report with questions no other nurses were asking me; eventually I began to feel terroriized of giving report to this nurse and finally I told her, "I don't know that particular thing, but I took good care of the patient all shift; if it's that important to you, look it up."

- night shift manager started in on me because I hadn't had time to check the orders on a new admission that came in late on the shift, even though a nurse from another floor had come down to help and she checked the orders (no one bothered to tell me that, however); rather than say, "I agree, I need to improve" and staying calm, I was "defensive."

- at this point I was so terrified of leaving anything for the night shift to do, I ended up forgetting to get a pt off a bedpan -- my bad, I handed them this one, and I admitted my error and apologized.

- not checking the PCA pump at midshift, although I pointed out that no one on days (where I was trained) or evening shift does that and, sure enough, the copy of the PCA flowsheet the manager was using as evidence against me showed the dayshift hadn't checked it midshift either (and so far this has not changed).

In all of the above cases, there was no harm to the patient. My manager actually seemed more upset over the communications issues rather than the medical problems. At her advice, I sought counseling with Employee Assistance, who helped me overcome my defensiveness issue. We had a meeting in the EA counselors office, where I was rational and non-defensive. Even the EA counselor told me she was impressed. However, the manager made no mention of any improvements, and had a list of other problems:

- giving in-room report to a nightshift nurse: we entered the room and the patient was not straight in bed, nor was he covered (he was restless like this all shift); the nurse said she wanted to straighten him up in bed, but I asked the patient if he was comfortable, and he said "yes." I looked at the nurse for feedback, got none, we moved to the next room. She complained later.

- giving insulin late for a critically high blood sugar; when asked for my rationale, I said I had a new admission and I focused on getting him situated and medicated, because he hadn't had his heart meds for over a day; I know that low blood sugar is an emergent situation, but thought that high blood sugar is a chronic situation; I called the doctor immediately after doing the finger stick, and he said to give the scheduled insulin and do another finger stick in four hours; I gave the insulin as soon as I took care of the new admission, and passed the doctor's new finger stick order to the night shift. My manager told me insulin has to be given within 15 minutes of the fingerstick (I didn't argue, but this NEVER happens on the shift -- by the time the lunch & break nurse does the bedtime fingersticks, gets the info to the nurses, and the nurses give the insulin, an hour has gone by.)

- PCA error: the problem originated on the day shift somehow but was not apparent from either the order or the flowsheet; day shift passed it to me, I passed it to night shift, who got a call from the pharmacy about it. It was something that reviewing the order and doing the PCA flowsheet obviously did not catch.

Again, in all of the above cases, there was no harm to the patient, and to the best of my knowledge no one else is being penalized. Believe me, I know I'm not perfect, but at this point I feel I'm being held to a higher standard than other nurses, nurses with much more experience than me. That's the main reason I think I need to move on.

Thanks again!

[rn4ever?]

trustsupplyguy, resigning from your job might not be an easy decision-----there will always be a part of you that would say "what if". But trust your instinct. Resigning would be a better option. As soon as you get the formal offer from the other employer, hand in your two weeks' notice. You mentioned though that financially you are okay right? So if you can afford not having a job, you can already quit. I wish you the best.