got fired/got hired, but confidence shaken

Nurses General Nursing

Published

So, I'm going to throw this out there.

Despite a spotless career and being well regarded in my field, I didn't read the signs of a manager who was targeting me + skittish HR and was fired. Nothing to do with patient care or interpersonal skills, I was basically written up over not following policy. Things that were not a big deal. Instead of realizing a paper trail was being started I thought I was doing the grown up thing by taking responsibility for my actions, apologizing, and making sure I never did it again. Unfortunately these admin things were so little/picky it was only a matter of time. I live in a right to work state so there is no protection or appeal. The experience of getting fired itself was quite traumatic. It was the whole 9 yards, get your stuff now and turn in your badge. Especially because I didn't see it coming.

The happy ending is that I found a new job in my field after only a few days. I have a strong professional network. When I let others know what happened they were shocked and thought it was a gross overreaction. I did some stressing over how to explain it at interviews but literally no one cared. I start my new job very soon... although I don't recommend getting fired, I honestly feel it worked out for the best.

The whole turn around for this has been very fast. I'm an NP so I'm brushing up on every guideline I can think of, but I realize I'm having a confidence issue. Fear that I won't meet expectations or will be fired again. Fear that I won't learn the new job fast enough to get up to speed.

Has anyone gone through this? Do you have any advice for me as I start anew?

i work with a relatively new grad, almost a yr post nclex. her first job was in a local er spot. from all her co-workers there that i new claim that she was always on time, very helpful to staff and pts, always seemed to do her best and was making a honnest attempt to become competent in her job. well after about 2 mos. she got canned out of the blue. really dont know why some folks claim for a issue that should have been just a warning. however she is now in our er, and a changed person. no longer the happy go luckey girl that was always eager beaver attitude. now, she makes it clear that she will do just what is expected from her and will stay under the radar screen along with having so much contempt for managers and admin types. here is proof that getting fired is traumatic and will change your whole outlook on what you do.

While her new attitude is easy to understand, hope it does not provide the groundwork for a new path toward rejection for her. Yes, getting terminated for no good reason does place one into a negative place with regard to managers and admin, particularly when the manager is directly responsible for an injustice.

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Specializes in icu/er.

i agree, but she just reminds me of someone who really is mistrusting of any athurative figure. i think she really got screwd over by previous boss. hell, at times im very hypicritical and vigilant of my bosses too.

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I have been fired and i look at it where a door closes another one will open. Take what you learned from it and build on it and make it a strength I have also been arrested a few times. And its funny with my mug shots they never seem to get my good side. I remember when i was going to go to nursing school you know how they tell you to get finger printed.. Well it's not good when you can tell the person doing the finger prints ( I GOT THIS ! ) And proceed to do it with little to no help lol.

I'm glad you found another job you were better off with out that employer good luck at your new job. I live in a right to work state as well. Some stunts employers pull well you know. These are my thoughts use them as you wish..

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To the OP...It's clear your manager has some issues with you if they fire you for something petty that should have simply been a verbal warning at most. If you were being targeted as you say, then you had no chance. You don't want to work with this type of micromanaging supervision. Managers like this have no business in managing and should be the ones who are fired...and I've seen it happen. They typically have personality issues, problems understanding people and handling situations, relationship problems...and the list goes on. This manager would never be a pleasant one to work for.

Bottom line is that you're out of that place, and you don't have to deal with the stress of walking on eggshells or watching over your back while at work. So count it as a blessing. Imagine the fear she/he has put into all of the other workers now that she/he has fired you for something very minor...they will all be walking on eggshells now. What a terrible person to work under.

And one last note...your manager fired you for some small policy that was broken...that should have been a verbal warning at most. She/He had probably been watching your every move just waiting to catch you doing something wrong...and this was the only thing they could find. That shows how good of a worker you really are: the manager could only find a minor infraction. And we are all guilty of those...even your manager.

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I've never been fired/hired into the same field, so I DON'T know how THAT feels, BUT I have been fired/hired in the service industry before.

First off, congrats on finding a new job because that's a super hard portion of the process.

Secondly, it's something that you will get over, but it'll be some time. It's kind of like a PTSD type thing for me. I was completely blind sighted myself, so the only thing I saw I could do was buck up, DON'T do what I did to get me fired, and go on from there.

PS- I was fired for a BS reason myself, and quite honestly if I wasn't so young when it happened, I could have had a very nice payout from the company for a hostile work environment. Long story short I was prodded on the shoulder and SCREAMED at that if a person died on my watch (mind you NOT healthcare, AND *I* was doing my job, but that's all I can say) that I would be held personally responsible for negligence (which they would have NO ability to do towards me what-so-ever, but I didn't know this at the time.

Finally keep in mind people get their just desserts. The person that had me fired was in the end fired himself. Not for that particular instance, however in the end said person had to find a new job.

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Ah, all of you are so wonderful! Being fired is such a stigmatizing thing it's refreshing to know that it's happened to so many others who survived and thrived. Thanks for your support!

That first day really did feel like the end of the world. But hey, you have to get back up again. I should not have stayed as long as I did but I really enjoyed the job and the patients. I told myself, you like your job 90% of the time, all jobs have issues, you can handle your boss trying to mess with you from time to time. Apparently not!

I like to think the best of people and kept making mental excuses for her behavior, ie maybe she's having a bad day, maybe she has a personal problem I don't know about, maybe she's trying to assert her authority and if I let her she'll simmer down. Well, I'm older and wiser now.

I'm glad I'm not alone.

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Specializes in Occupational health, Corrections, PACU.
Ah, all of you are so wonderful! Being fired is such a stigmatizing thing it's refreshing to know that it's happened to so many others who survived and thrived. Thanks for your support!

That first day really did feel like the end of the world. But hey, you have to get back up again. I should not have stayed as long as I did but I really enjoyed the job and the patients. I told myself, you like your job 90% of the time, all jobs have issues, you can handle your boss trying to mess with you from time to time. Apparently not!

I like to think the best of people and kept making mental excuses for her behavior, ie maybe she's having a bad day, maybe she has a personal problem I don't know about, maybe she's trying to assert her authority and if I let her she'll simmer down. Well, I'm older and wiser now.

I'm glad I'm not alone.

Definitely not alone....been there...done that. You just pick up and go on. But didn't it feel good when you finally walked out the door and knew you didn't have to go back?

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

Viva, I feel for you. It is never an easy road to rebuild self confidence after such a reeling experience.

So with your new job, I would sit down with your new manager and set YOUR expectations and listen to THEIRS as well. It would be great if you could have sort of a "progress report" every few months (3 at the most) from your manager discussing the things that you are doing well and things you find challenging. This way, the expectation is not only verbalized, but it is also DOCUMENTED. You are in essence protecting both yourself and the employer. It is a win-win situation because simply by asking your manager to meet with you to discuss your progress gives her/him the impression that you ARE the professional that you are, and that you take your job and your responsibilities very seriously.

I am so glad that you are embarking on another journey that will further your career. I wish you only the best!

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I was fired February 1, after two months on the job. I was told that there had been "staff complaints." The supervisor claimed she didn't have her notes with her, so she was unable to tell me what sort of complaint there was. The only person I'd ever had so much as a vaguely awkward interaction with was the QA Nurse who instructed me to falsify a medical record. Of course I refused to falsify anything. The QA Nurse asked me why I was refusing. I told her that it was illegal, immoral, and unethical to falsify a legal document. I made it clear that I was not jeopardizing my license, the license of the agency, or the agency's status for Medicare/Medicaid billing. I further explained to her that falsifying records is fraud, and that fraud will land you in jail.

I have come to the conclusion that SOME people in administrative positions are uncomfortable being in the same room with integrity. They are also uncomfortable being in the same room with a competent, capable, well spoken, experienced employee. For some reason some administrators are threatened by warmly regarded, capable, competent employees. I believe they lack confidence. They don't see good employees as an asset or a valued resource. They see good employees as threats to their own positions.

In my work and personal life, I prefer to surround myself with competent capable people of all sorts. I feel lucky to be around them. I do not feel that they diminish me in any way.

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Hi Ruth,

I hope you are doing ok. This sounds like a challenging situation to say the least!

Good luck!

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Hi Ruth,

I hope you are doing ok. This sounds like a challenging situation to say the least!

Good luck!

I'm OK, Max. I sent you a PM.

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Specializes in Med surg, LTC, Administration.
i work with a relatively new grad, almost a yr post nclex. her first job was in a local er spot. from all her co-workers there that i new claim that she was always on time, very helpful to staff and pts, always seemed to do her best and was making a honnest attempt to become competent in her job. well after about 2 mos. she got canned out of the blue. really dont know why some folks claim for a issue that should have been just a warning. however she is now in our er, and a changed person. no longer the happy go luckey girl that was always eager beaver attitude. now, she makes it clear that she will do just what is expected from her and will stay under the radar screen along with having so much contempt for managers and admin types. here is proof that getting fired is traumatic and will change your whole outlook on what you do.

I am sorry.

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