I came to work today and felt something was wrong already. Nurses were looking at me like they wonder why I was still there. My manager came in to work and then he told me we need to go to HR. I follow him and wonder what is going on. He did not told me that he is going to fired me. He told me that we are going to HR and talk to them about my orientation. He started telling the lady in HR that I did many mistake and they had been going over my mistake many times ever since last months. My mistake was miss pronouncing the name of the diagnosis and can not critically think. I defense myself that I tried to learn it and tried my best to pronounce those diagnosis especially the long words. I also told him that when I had a hard time. I spell for the nurses, but he said I can not do that. It just take too much of the time and people will complaint on you. Then he complaint about that I did not catch one of the doctor mistake for writing the same medication. In my mine in that time, I did not know should i argued with him or not because if someone wanted to fired you they do not need you to explain or if they willing to let you explain they won't fired now. I still go ahead and explain to him and HR lady about it because I was not the one who signed the order off and I was not one who saw that order. I saw it in the computer, but then we have many medication for people with HTN. How should I know that those two medications are the same medications where they have different names. I was upset by it because I was new and I am still learning. I learned from it and the second time I saw it. I told my preceptor and call the pharmacy. But my nurse preceptor did not tell my manager about it. She only told him what I done wrong. Then he told me that the doctor hang up the phone on me once and I had to asked doctor to spell medication order for me. I was felt so sad that my manager had done this to me because I asked doctor to spell the medication out for me because I am the one who going to write the order in behave of the doctor and I do not want to write the wrong order or wrong medication. I was just making sure I am given the right things to my patients. The doctor who hang up on me. It is not my fault that the doctor hang up on me because he was busy. I was so sad because he is against me with these things.
I am new in the floor with many nurses who have so many years of hospital experiences. They compared me with them. I felt so awful. Now I had to look for another job. He said fired me I can not look for job in their system anymore. I was so sad because I did not did a mistake that kill someone. I did not hurt anyone. I know I had limited experience because I did not have much of nursing experience. He told me to find a job in nursing home and get more experience before coming back to the hospital or take some classes about how to pronounce some of the terminology. I was so stock by it. I came home and told my family exactly what happen. They said they believe it because that how he can over his position.
I really do not feel it is fair for him to do that. I never have a patients who complaints on me. I did some mistake, but i learn from it. I had patients who buy me gift and things like that. Felt so unfair that my preceptor did not tell them things I done right and they have to wait for my preceptor not there to fired me. I had no one who can back me up or anything.
Now I got fire and can never apply for any job under that system as well as I don't know how to find another job with this economy and how to tell people that I got fired or I leave the job.
I am so sorry to hear about this, and it is perfectly natural to be upset. However, as others have said, this may be a golden opportunity in disguise. Your former employer did not appear to be very supportive. Perhaps you will find a new job with a more supportive system in place.
Something to consider: I think it might be very important to keep in mind that you do speak another language besides English. In some areas of the country or in certain types of healthcare positions, this would be considered a huge asset.
Don't let this get you down. I think you are just beginning to realize your potential!
If I was you I'd go straight to a cruise ship website and apply there. Many languages would be such an asset, and you'd spend time travelling most anywhere you wanted. Anyone really sick gets transported out, and you'd have the on site doctor to work with.
Doctors Without Borders would be another of my applications.
I'd also bet that there are translation services that would kill for a multilingual nurse.
Specializes in acute rehab, med surg, LTC, peds, home c.
I'm sorry you've had a bad experience and lost your job. Start thinking now (and practicing) about how you will talk about this in job interviews. It's important that you be honest and open about it -- don't try to hide from people that you were let go from this position -- and be able to talk about what you've done to improve your skills and avoid similar errors in the future, without sounding defensive or blaming your previous employers.
I disagree. You do not need to list this on your resume if you just graduated and only worked for a few weeks. I would act as if you never worked before as a nurse. Unless you have large gaps between nursing jobs to account for, nobody has to know about this.
I would also suggest brushing up on your English. We can understand you but for the more complex medical terminology you need to have a good grasp of the language.
I know it seems bad right now and you are down, but dont lose hope, you can get past this. You are not the first nurse to ever get fired.
I am not down anymore. It already happen. I should asked my questions earlier about how to handle my preceptor and communicate with my educator. It might not happen this way, but some of my nursing friends told me that it will still happen because it seems like they did not like me since I step in that door. I am not sure that can be possible. I am not sure. I am new, young and have a higher degree than all the nurses in that floor. My manager is going back to college of get the same degree as I am.
I really appreciated everyone comments over there. I just wish I can find another job soon and pay some of my medical bill. The economy is awful out there especially the state I am. Therefore, just crossing your finger and give me the best of wishes.
I, personally, do not know who your guys are. But some of your guys in this forum were so understanding and supporting the point that made me cried..
i lost my first job the same way. when they let me go, the administrator told me "call me when you've 'grownup' in nursing a bit and i'd hire you back in a second". he meant it in a loving way (real nice man). it took me years to figure out what he meant.
i ran into him a few years ago and thanked him and told him i finally figured out what he meant.
sometimes it is a gift that you don't realize you've been given until later.
David13, MSN, RN
137 Posts
I am so sorry to hear about this, and it is perfectly natural to be upset. However, as others have said, this may be a golden opportunity in disguise. Your former employer did not appear to be very supportive. Perhaps you will find a new job with a more supportive system in place.
Something to consider: I think it might be very important to keep in mind that you do speak another language besides English. In some areas of the country or in certain types of healthcare positions, this would be considered a huge asset.
Don't let this get you down. I think you are just beginning to realize your potential!