Getting Hired After Being Fired

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

Hello everyone! 

I am a current nursing student in my senior year and I am looking for some advice!

About 10 years ago I was hired at a really well known hospital in our area as a medical assistant. Long story short, I was very young (20) and learning how to cope with panic attacks and anxiety while working in an extremely toxic work environment. My manager would walk into work and tell me I look "disgusting and ghetto" because I have very curly hair and she said I needed to "fix it" (I would wear a ponytail at work) She would constantly tear down employee's emotionally and verbally and it was just overall a really unhealthy situation (she ended up getting fired after I left). Overall, I just had a really hard time in that clinic and it wasn't a great fit for me (or anybody really.) 

I ended up transferring to a branch of the same organization a year later and I was fired the first month because I came down with the flu two weeks into work during my probation period and ended up hospitalized due to complications. It took me out of work for two weeks and I was let go once I came back. (I was totally okay with this because it was completely out of my control.)

I went on to work for another reputable hospital in our area for 5 years and had an amazing experience with incredible upper management support. I left when I started nursing school and still remain in contact with them. 

My question is, will my experience and firing as an MA affect my chances of potentially getting a nursing job at that same hospital that I had some issues with 10 years ago when I graduate from nursing school? Or, is nursing a whole different entity? Has it been so long since that happened that it won't really matter? 

ANY advice is welcome! I just would like some feedback on what I should do in the event that this may pose an issue and how to go about dealing with it so that I don't miss out on any opportunities and also, that my younger-self didn't ruin anything for me. ??

Thanks all!

Dani 

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After you graduate, apply for work elsewhere.  When you have work history as a nurse on your resume, it will be time to apply at this place if it still interests you.  Count on the places where the job application asks one to list employment history for only the past seven or ten years, then you can leave the firing off.

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Specializes in Urgent Care.

@caliotter3 Thanks for the response! I've been getting so many mixed answers around this. Mainly, because this incident was when I was a medical assistant and a lot of the folks I've talked to say it is a whole different ball game with nursing.

I have considered calling up HR and just asking. I have no idea why I haven't done that yet honestly. But again, this is great advice and I really appreciate it! 

Danielle 

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I think finding out if you are re-hirable is your first step. I think you have valid reasons for not working there any longer. Simply state to anyone asking that the first position turned out to be a poor fit. Or state you were so excited to change to the other position, but unfortunately you got deathly ill immediately after hiring and your hospitalization took you out of the running during your probation period. Then stress you have been in good health since and rarely call in.

Good luck. This is not a huge mountain, but know from experience it can feel like one. 

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