Getting your references to respond

EricJRN, MSN, RN · Dec 21, 2006

I've seen where it is sometimes hospital policy that managers not give references. Many times, those hospitals have an employment verification line that can at least confirm the dates of employment, job title, and whether or not you were eligible for rehire.

Are there charge nurses that you worked with who would be available as references? They've observed your work, but they might not be under the same restrictions for giving references as your administration would be.

kocoman · Dec 21, 2006

The recruiter will keep on asking if you are more references, and then say they are no good... that would eventually get you pissed off because they understand but don't care about your situation. Better off finding another company to interview.

CJ777 · Dec 30, 2006

I ended up calling HR from the place I worked and got a copy of my one year evaluation. It was was an accurate account of my patient care. So I am planning on using it if needed. Happy New Year to all...:balloons:

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 30, 2006

I ended up calling HR from the place I worked and got a copy of my one year evaluation. It was was an accurate account of my patient care. So I am planning on using it if needed. Happy New Year to all...:balloons:

I think you found a good course of action for yourself. I recommend that everyone keep copies of all their evaluations. Hospitals often don't give references to avoid the lawsuits that result when people don't get hired for a job they want. They turn around and sue the people who provided the references, saying that the references were not positive enough.

Hospitals also don't want to be sued by the new employer (or a patient's family) if the performance of the employee in the new job is not satisfactory. That happens less frequently, but it is a possibililty.

So ... to avoid the whole mess ... some hospitals simply have a policy of not supplying references. Any employer who is hiring people who doesn't understand that is behind the times. If they are up-to-date with regards to their Human Resources practices, they will understand that and accept copies of the employee's evaluations along with confirmation of employment plus "eligible for rehire" information in lieu of an official reference.

caliotter3 · Dec 30, 2006

I was blacklisted before, for no good reason. It was lots of fun trying to get anyone to hire me for anything. Was watching TV one night when a show came on about suing former employers who screw over ex employees and believe it or not the phone rang two or three times but no one was on the line when I answered. (I was not the only person subject to blacklisting at the time, several charge nurses quit around the same time for basically the same reasons and all of us had impossible times trying to get work). I assumed someone who knew the situation wanted to discuss it. I have been in type of situation more than once. An individual who stated would give a good reference, subsequently refused to sign a letter of reference. To say I am deeply hurt by the turn-around is putting it mildly, b/c not only did I do an excellent job and deserve a good reference, but I also operate under the behavior expectation that when you say you will do something for somebody, that you actually follow through. I would never tell someone that I would give a good reference and then not do so. I lost out consideration for a job because a prospective employer called this place and were actually told that my references were not even there. I then found out this was not the truth.

So what to do? You can not manufacture the names of references. You either worked for so and so or you did not. So and so is either still with the former employer or they are not. I have tried getting copies of job evaluations to substitute, but to no avail. Now, I just do the best I can. I write down the names and titles of the references. If they can be contacted. Fine. If not, or if someone else answers the phone and bad mouths my good name or lies about something, (I actually had one former employer who could not even verify that I had been an employee at all!!) then so be it. I can not control what others do and don't do. After all, managers and administrative people move from job to job also, and they certainly don't consult me before they make career moves. For the life of me, at this point in my working life, I do not even see why references are involved at all. At most one should be expected to verify dates of employment. And guess what I was told? This info can be verifed by the Employment Development Dept., the same people who have to decide whether or not you get an unemployment check. Good luck to the job seeker. Understand your position, as I am currently job hunting myself, and know exactly what I'm in for. Not enthusiastic.

caliotter3 · Dec 30, 2006

Oh, and in my first lengthy post I forgot to say that the first time when I was vigorously being blacklisted, many interviews were blatant examples of hiring personnel doing nothing more than comparing juicy stories. One interviewer was so insulting to me (she was talking about the subject of personal gossip) that she was grinning as she asked her carefully orchestrated interview questions. Then, the next day, the man who actually had the hiring authority, called and very matter of factly let me know in no uncertain terms that there was no position for me. (And we were discussing a 45 cent/hr above minimum wage job, for which I was clearly overqualified to begin with!!)

Just to show how desperate a person can get when they get unemployed.