Got hired one day and fired the next

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

Specializes in LTC/Sub Acute Rehab.

I currently work at my job as a nurse assistant and was told that when I passed my boards that I would get a position as a LPN. Well, a few days ago, I was on the unit with my work done until rounds with NO CALL LIGHTS GOING OFF AND NO RESIDENTS UP so I made a call home to check on my son; KEEP IN MIND THAT IS 8:30-9:00 AT NIGHT, and the administrator walks up to me when I finished my call and said I shouldn't make personal calls on the unit (which I fully know better) and with NO ATTITUDE, I told her I understand and let the situation go since IT WAS AN ISOLATED EVENT FOR ME. A couple of days later I had an interview with the DON for the LPN position and she offered me one. THE VERY NEXT DAY, she told me that she had to withdraw the offer because of what happened with the phone a few days before. SHE WENT ON TO STATE THAT " YOU ARE A VERY GOOD RA( RESIDENT ASSISTANT/NURSE ASSISTANT) BUT, She (the administrator) is holding the nurses to a higher standard of professionalism than RA's. She (DON) went on to say "Don't get upset, but use this as a tool for growth for wherever you go" ( I never was upset, I actually was very calm). I asked her if this incident was REALLY THE REASON why she was withdrawing the offer and she said "YES." During our conversation I NEVER GOT A WRITE UP FOR THE INCIDENT OR A VERBAL COUNSELING SHEET FOR ME TO SIGN INDICATING THAT THIS WASNT A WRITE UP! Now, with that said, I have only been working there for about 8 weeks and in that time I have NEVER BEEN LATE, I CALLED OFF ONCE (ONLY TO TAKE MY NCLEX-PN ASAP) AND I HAD ONE VERBAL COUNSELING FOR NOT DOING AN INSERVICE POSTED. What she never elaborated on was why they didnt want a good RA to become a good LPN. I STILL HAVE MY JOB AS A RA. I AM A AF. AM. FEMALE. There are ONLY 4 AF.AM. NURSES that work there and THEY ALL WORK AT NIGHT. I have a strong belief that my race could be a factor. I go to work and do my job to the fullest everyday! So, I really dont understand but what I do understand is that I AM BEING USED BY MY JOB ESP. SINCE THEY NEED NURSE ASSISTANTS ON MY SHIFT BADLY (3-11). Sorry this is so long, I just need some opinions from others to maybe see another point of view.

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I currently work at my job as a nurse assistant and was told that when I passed my boards that I would get a position as a LPN. Well, a few days ago, I was on the unit with my work done until rounds with NO CALL LIGHTS GOING OFF AND NO RESIDENTS UP so I made a call home to check on my son; KEEP IN MIND THAT IS 8:30-9:00 AT NIGHT, and the administrator walks up to me when I finished my call and said I shouldn't make personal calls on the unit (which I fully know better) and with NO ATTITUDE, I told her I understand and let the situation go since IT WAS AN ISOLATED EVENT FOR ME. A couple of days later I had an interview with the DON for the LPN position and she offered me one. THE VERY NEXT DAY, she told me that she had to withdraw the offer because of what happened with the phone a few days before. SHE WENT ON TO STATE THAT " YOU ARE A VERY GOOD RA( RESIDENT ASSISTANT/NURSE ASSISTANT) BUT, She (the administrator) is holding the nurses to a higher standard of professionalism than RA's. She (DON)
Honey, That is thiere lost and you gain for better opertunity a better position elsewhere, don't let them get to you and then you wonder why thier is a shortage in nursing hmmmm why is that??? we both know why...move on like I said what thier lost is you gain and job like LPN come a dime of a dozen...:chuckle :chuckle
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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Ya,, you havent worked for them very long anyway,, nothing lost. Move on to bigger and better things. She probly has a friend who has a neice she promised a job to or something.

As far as the phone goes,, good grief if everyone i work with got canned for making a phone call, or getting one, i wouldnt have anyone there to work with. Some of the people i work with spend more time on the phone than they do working.

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Get out fast.

Even if they changed their mind and offered you an LPN position again, it's still a sign of a badly run facility.

What does that say about them if their hiring decisions are based on one personal phone call?

And so what if race was any factor? Regardless of race, would you want to work for some crazy person like that who makes those kind of snap judgements about your performance?

And let's talk about the sneaky, nothing in writing way they went about disciplining you for the phone call.

It's true, LPN jobs in LTC are a dime a dozen!

LTC facilities need you, you don't need them. That facility doesn't deserve you, you can do much better. Let them continue to employ the bottom of the barrel who may tolerate their practices while you move on to bigger and better things.

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There is absolutely nothing wrong with calling home to see how your child is doing, especially during a quiet moment at work. If TPTB disciplined every single one of us who calls home during a 12 hour stretch what else do they have time to do? That is just a lame, stupid excuse on their part. If they need NA's so badly they should take better care of them so they want to stick around.

As for the race issue, it's really a moot point, isn't it? Why would you want to work somewhere with people who might be racist? Administration should be color-blind and they know that. If they aren't, they are too ignorant to be in their positions, but they are, and the outcome is not going to change for you.

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

I'm sorry that you got fired, but you're probably better off not working there. I can't stand co-workers who are always on the phone instead of doing their work, but we all need to be able to use our discretion and touch base with our family from time to time. It sounds like if this hadn't happened now, it would have happened eventually. Any administrator who expects all family obligations to just disappear anytime you walk into work is incredibly unreasonable and you were bound to have nothing but trouble with her.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Get out fast.

Even if they changed their mind and offered you an LPN position again, it's still a sign of a badly run facility.

What does that say about them if their hiring decisions are based on one personal phone call?

:yeahthat:

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Specializes in Onc/Hem, School/Community.

Get out of there fast and move on to a better place.

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There was a great poll out a few months back that had nursing home administrators at the bottom for perceptions of honesty and trust. Find you a job in a hospital--you will get a lot of experience too. I dont know why they did this to you. Calling to check on your child while there is down time is fine. A lot of time the powers to be in these places just want to come off as being in total control.

You worked hard to be a LPN--now be one!

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Specializes in LTC/Sub Acute Rehab.

Thanx to everyone who has posted. Your kind words are just what I need to deal with this situation. Just a clarification though, I WASNT FIRED FROM THE FACILITY, THEY JUST WANT TO KEEP ME EMPLOYED THERE AS AN RA/NURSE ASSISTANT. Here shortly, I will be going in and I know that some of the nurses (who are extremely happy for me) are going to want to know why I havent started working the floor, which I have no problem telling them at all b/c I have no reason to be embarrased. For me, I just want to know the reason why. I think that Im going to type up a letter to the don as suggested by the unit clerk, to ask the don to write me a letter recommendation since she said to me during our conversation that " I AM A GOOD RA", to see if she is willing to do so and to force her hand to see if she REALLY believes what she said to me; I have a good feeling though THAT SHE WILL DECLINE TO DO SO b/c it's her credibility on the line. Remember, the don was the one who was happy for me during my initial meeting with her. Just before I left her during the interview, she asked if I had anymore ?'s for her and I told her "no" and she extended her hand and said," IM SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE A NURSE", THEN she dropped what she believed was a bomb on me the following day. Again thanx to all, and please keep coming with the words of encouragement b/c I'm gonna need them to carry on with the job search. I just cant wait to go to GA and hopefully receive a little southern hospitality on a PERMANENT basis! I check with ya'll later!

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Just a clarification though, I WASNT FIRED FROM THE FACILITY, THEY JUST WANT TO KEEP ME EMPLOYED THERE AS AN RA/NURSE ASSISTANT.

It makes even more sense now.

I once had a job where I was promised a bartender position if I agreed to wait tables until they got more wait staff hired. They never seemed to have enough wait staff employed to put me in the bar.

After several new hires came on, I kept asking for them to make good on their promise and they'd say:

"But you're such a great waiter, we'd hate to lose a great waiter. We already have plenty of great bartenders."

Goodbye! I know when I'm being played and I ended up being a great bartender down the street instead at a nicer bar. See ya!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I am sorry to hear about what happend, let me know what the outcome is.

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