got fired/terminated

[YesYesRN]

I was working as a new grad RN and had a wonderful experience at a magnet hospital. However after being assigned to a new preceptor everything changed. She was very moody and changes her mind very often. I watched her picking up fights with other nurses. She has a very positive relationship with the management. Another new RN from my cohort who trained under her quit the job. I was, fired/terminated with less than 6 months of experience without any warning. She disliked me and complained to my boss in a daily basis. I was a new vulnerable nurse who's concerns and issues were not taken seriously nor heard. The firing process was unprofessional and unfair.

Now, I'm extremely worried about my future. Because many job application would ask if I have ever been fired before. What should I do? Can anyone share their experience?

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Wasn't a good fit ;-)

I was going to say something like "HR and I had differing opinions regarding my continued employment." lol

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

@Horseshoe,

it is all correct before things get to real business of lawsuit.

For example, "opinions are generally protected" as long as they are based on something, and that "something" is timely and properly documented. A nurse's "incompetence" may be manager's personal opinion, but if there is talk about Court, then the manager better get some evidence of the said "incompetencies".

It is easy enough to create a paper trail justifying termination, but to make up something worth Court hearing takes way more efforts and creativity, especially if one has to make things up out of nothing. In my experience, former employers rather say nothing at all if they feel that the water gets any more than pleasantly tepid.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

@katiemi It's good to hear that the agency was knowledgeable about your skills and did not send you anywhere unsafe or where you did not to know what to do. I suspect your physical assessment skills were/are stronger than the average new grads and an agency position would be less risky to patients than it would be for many other new grads.

I understand about acting the role and mouthing the right words so that a hiring manager will give a previously terminated nurse a chance. Employers are not always fair, it is possible for a nurse to be terminated because of a personality clash and miscommunication, I have seen it, (not often), it does damage to the person's confidence and trust and does make it more difficult to get hired.

YesYesRN what kind of career advice do you find helpful to your situation?

[Glycerine82, LPN]

I was going to say something like "HR and I had differing opinions regarding my continued employment." lol

"Conflict of interest"

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

"As time went by, we discovered certain subtle discrepancies in our views and perceptions of (insert specialty of your choice) nursing which were, in all our good faith in each other, somewhat problematic to be brought to the point of congruency".

[RunnerNurse09, BSN, RN]

I was never fired, but had a terrible preceptor as a new grad, and I was not the only one who had issue with her. Thankfully I got off orientation unscathed, but I realized what a bully is and that I will never treat someone that way. The nurse who precepted me was bffs with management, and a few yrs later after I left the hospital, I learned that my former preceptor transfered to the exact hospital that the manager did, and got her own management position (under her friend), along with some of their mutual friends (how appropriate, right?).

Point being, there are people out there who are terrible preceptors. To the OP, shake it off, and you will succeed.

[quazar]

I had a hideous preceptor as a new grad; she was known for being a unit bully, especially to new grads and new orientees. She had a reputation for driving away new nurses. Why on earth they allowed her to continue to precept is beyond me. One day I was "overconfident" and the next day I was "too timid." I could not please her, no matter what I did. The irony here is that I got that job because I did my senior year practicum there, which was great. I ended up leaving the unit on mutual agreement and transferring to another department within the hospital. Technically not fired, but it sure felt like it. So yes, a preceptor CAN be that bad, and they CAN be driven to see/make you fail, even at a world-renowned magnet hospital (which this was).

As for the OP, the advice you've been given here is good. I would put it on your resume, and just chalk it up to a learning experience and move on. My experience hurt, but it did teach me how to stand up for myself as a nurse, and it also taught me how to identify the potential bullies on a unit so that I could steer clear of them. If it makes you feel any better, a few years later, after leaving that first job, those same nurses would run into me at conferences and ask me when I was going to come back. Unbelievable.

[Wake88, BSN, RN]

You need to work on a better response to explain why you were fired, "my preceptor was mean' isn't going to get you anywhere. Showing that you understand how you failed to meet your employer's expectations and what steps you took to improve, demonstrate self awareness and ability to grow as a professional. Talk to someone you trust about your performance evaluation and make a plan as to how you can improve your performance for your next job.

This assumes we live in a world where members of upper management can do no wrong.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

This assumes we live in a world where members of upper management can do no wrong.

We do live in a world where members of upper management's perception is that they do no wrong. When job hunting after termination, applicants need to use the language that potential employers expect to hear.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

We do live in a world where members of upper management's perception is that they do no wrong. When job hunting after termination, applicants need to use the language that potential employers expect to hear.

Especially if the previous job is the only evidence of anything even remotely resembling paid work experience.

[Axgrinder]

My husband just graduated from a COTA program with an associates degree, and he is studying to take his state boards currently.

The program he graduated from was an accelerated program which was pretty intense, squeezing everything into a 20 month program. It was tough and fast paced - and made me think of that 1985 movie, Bad Medicine ("We are NOT Mickie Mice!"). It was so fast paced that it made me think of someone trying to eat a whole turkey in one bite.

This program was composed of 16 months of academics in the classroom, and the last 4 months spent in 2 separate clinical rotations 40 hr's/wk practical time doing pt therapy/care. An accelerated program can be great because one finishes quicker, however this whirling dervish of a program also had plenty of opportunities to choke on the turkey bones too.

During clinical rotations each student is teamed up with a

field work educator [FWE]. The FWE is not an instructor at the school, but rather a paid employee of the facility each student is placed in. The FWE has the God-like power to pass or fail each student, and not even the instructor can reverse a failed clinical rotation once meted out.

At his first clinical rotation he was placed with a patient, kind (if not somewhat inexperienced) FWE. Despite his FWE's limited clinical experience, she still managed to teach him quite a bit regarding the basic clinical skills he will need once he is licensed and employed. She also had a gift of calmly and effortlessly fostering a healthy sense of self esteem in frightened, insecure students who've never worked with actual pt's before.

Next comes clinical rotation #2 (the last one) at another facility: disaster strikes. He again is teamed up a FWE with limited clinical experience, however that is where the similarities end. This FWE was a young woman (half his age) with something to prove, whom enjoyed humiliating him loudly and publicly every single day of the clinical rotation (which according to my husband lasted approximately 25 eons). He said she often yelled at him in front of pt's and staff, making him feel like a child. She took great pleasure in ripping his self esteem to shreds, and actually seemed to enjoy his distress and anxiety. She taught him very little, and arrived up to 2 hr's late on a daily basis. One day while he struggled to do an unfamiiiar therapy with a pt that really required a 2 person therapy team, she sat behind him in the pt's wheel chair alternating between dozing, and singing the verse: "under pressure" over and over again.

Though only at the facility a little over a year, multiple staff members had complained about her interpersonal skills (or lack there of) and several pt's reported she had threatened them. Overall, it was a horribly stressful experience he wishes he could expunge from his memory permanently.

My husband never missed a day during the entire program, was always punctual, academically knowledgeable regarding therapies, and clinically prepared. He always arrived neat and dressed appropriately, was kind and respectful, and created therapy tools and activities on his off days to bring to clinical for use in actual pt therapy.

This 2nd FWE held passing over his head the entire clinical rotation, and would not tell him whether he passed or failed until he was getting ready to leave on the very last day (although she had no solid basis to fail him she could have).

It has been more than 22 years since I graduated and took my state boards, but I never stopped to actually appreciate the program I went through more than I have recently.

A preceptor has quite a bit of power entrusted in them - if abused (if so inclined) there is usually little recourse for the student/orientee. Not all facilities are created equal either - some places may be clear as mud regarding one's progress. Taking my husband's recent experience into account, I most definitely can see how it could come as a surprise to some new grads that they were being terminated, and really had no idea that the situation was that dire. Also, conversely, some people are cruel and twisted, and actually enjoy other's pain like a drug. Fair or not, personality conflicts can ruin you professionally.

[Axgrinder]

Thankfully I got off orientation unscathed, but I realized what a bully is and that I will never treat someone that way. The nurse who precepted me was bffs with management, and a few yrs later after I left the hospital, I learned that my former preceptor transfered to the exact hospital that the manager did, and got her own management position (under her friend), along with some of their mutual friends (how appropriate, right?).

Professional nepotism anyone?