got fired/terminated

Published

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?

I am certainly sorry this happened. I know that there are still some nurses around who "eat their young." Having said that, it is really hard to believe that your performance wasn't critiqued on a week to week basis while you were working with your preceptor. Where I work we sit with our unit manager and our preceptor each week and review how the previous week went. What was good? What was bad? What could I improve with? What could the hospital improve with? Etc, Etc. I agree with the others' comments who state that you shouldn't make the argument that your preceptor was mean, etc. It's very sophomoric and unhelpful. Maybe the other person wasn't nice or the right one for you. No matter you have to realize you are the new kid on the block and you have to impress them, not the other way around. Some people should not be preceptors either. This person you had was liked by management so there must have been a reason. I think it would have been nice to at least been given a reason why they let you go so that you can use that for the future in your new job endeavor.

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Some nurses are unable to seperate there personal prejudices. And some honestly should never be preceptors as it goes to their heads. Patient saftey is primary goal but guiding our younger nurses is also an important role.

Some hospitals don't even track individual preceptors track record!

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Specializes in MICU.

I personally would rather work somewhere where I wasn't worried about being hassled by a curmudgeon nurse preceptor. Who cares about magnet. Go work at a university hospital. Better yet, get involved with a nurse residency program! It may seem like the end of the world now, but you don't even need to list them on your resume. A lot of hospitals will hire you with no experience. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Lots of interesting input here by everyone EXCEPT the OP. Hmmm.

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Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
I personally would rather work somewhere where I wasn't worried about being hassled by a curmudgeon nurse preceptor. Who cares about magnet. Go work at a university hospital. Better yet, get involved with a nurse residency program! It may seem like the end of the world now, but you don't even need to list them on your resume. A lot of hospitals will hire you with no experience. Good luck to you.

The nursing residency programs are ranged everywhere from suppirtive, education-rich environments to gestapo-like hell on the Earth. Mine gave me 6 months of lost time and stress cardiomyopathy as a free gift.

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Specializes in MICU.

I have heard that some can be bad. The one I did has been around for a long time so they have made many changes making it very doable. They were also open for input from us on how they can change to make it better for new grads. Its a great way to retain nurses and keeps the new grads from hospital jumping within their first couple of years of nursing. Usually when more experienced nurses saw that we were a "nurse resident" they would take the time to explain things to us as opposed to thinking we should already know stuff.

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Specializes in Case Managemenet.

Yesyes,

I am so sorry this has happened to you. As a new nurse years ago, I had one awful preceptor at that time we had to have 2. One I learnt a lot from. She was fantastic. I had the first part of my orientation with her, the rest went with another nurse she did not like me at all. I have no idea why. I had my orientation extended by a few weeks. I did all the checklist stuff and just decided to suck it up and kiss ass. It was difficult but I thankfully was able to do it. That was her thing to try to get one fired so I know it happens. It was a combined ICU/step down unit with 12 ICU beds at 25 step down beds. During the year I was there there were 100 nurses that left between my start and stop dates. We worked 12 and 8 hour shifts. I am talking on all shifts combined. Management did not see there was an issue. To me it would be hard not to see an issue in that. We had a total of 6-7 ICU nurses and 5-6 stepdown and one charge nurse at all times. It was full all the time. I don't think a bed was free for longer than it took to clean the room that entire year. So it you go with 13 nurses to each shift there had to be a staff of at least 35 nurse full time and then prn and part time. So probably at any one time there was 50 nurses on the schedule now think about 100 person left for variety of reasons.

Anyway, yes sometimes there is the terminate question. I would answer that it was a mutual decision and not a right fit for you. Then expand to you had to rotate shifts, moved, personal issues, never ever ever badmouth a job to the next job. Talk about how you learned a lot, got to understand nursing better and realized it was not a good fit. Then explain why you believe the new job would be a good fit. You can talk to family and personal (outside of work) friends but never mention it in the new job as it will "taint" you as a whiner, complainer, unable to take responsibility for yourself. Never outright lie but put your self in the best light possible.

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There has been enough said about learning from your experience and what not to do. Now you need a job. There are two ways to go about this. If you can find another position that is looking for new grads, just don't include the job at all! You are a new grad, just eliminate it from your resume. Six months is what it takes for many new grads just to study for Nclex so you don't need to explain it. It didn't exist. If you want to use your experience, you will have to eat it and simply indicate that you were uncomfortable with the orientation protocol. Don't be negative, just smile and say something ambiguous like "I really learned a lot but it wasn't a good fit." Many hospitals have piss poor orientation programs and recruiters are well aware of it. After you land another job it won't be that important as employers seldom check beyond your last position. Don't lie. Legally in many states, hr is free to say whatever they want about you as long as it isn't libelous. On your application you can indicate agency/department restructure, employment terminated. In an interview just say that you were unaware of new policy and that now you understand that you have to keep up with these changes and you won't make this mistake again. The fact that you still have a clean license shows you didn't do anything too egregious so don't sweat it. Just chalk it up to a learning experience and make sure that if there is a union, join it!

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Specializes in PICU, Pediatrics, Trauma.
"Reason for leaving" is not "were you ever terminated". Big difference.

Yes, technically....but take this a step further in your mind...Why did you leave? She would have to say she was fired or else lie. It is the same question.

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I worked for a major insurance company, and was terminated "for cause", from a telephonic position, for going over and above for a patient. It was a witch hunt. For months prior to termination, I was given accolades, awards, handwritten letters of commendation for my "service". When I asked how to go through the steps to possible promotion, 4 days later, I was recommended for termination. Yes, I know for certain that if you have a boss that just doesn't like you, you can and will be fired. It has kept me out of work for months. A termination that I can honestly say that I really have no clue what I did "wrong", other than try to help, which is why we are all nurses in the first place.

I feel for you. Stay positive (as I am trying), and the right opportunity will come your way.

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There are two ways to go about this. If you can find another position that is looking for new grads, just don't include the job at all! You are a new grad, just eliminate it from your resume. Six months is what it takes for many new grads just to study for Nclex so you don't need to explain it. It didn't exist.

You're recommending the OP omit employment information and pretend she just became licensed? Bad idea, employers do employment background checks and verify an applicant's license, they can see the date a nurse's license was originally issued.

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Not allowed to ask employer if you were terminated; they get around that by asking"would you rehire this person" That answer kind of tells the story

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