How common is it to get fired?

[TurtleCat]

How common is it to be fired from a nursing job? I've been reading these forums and I hear reports all over the place of being fired over minor things, like being slow or unsure of how to do things at first, etc. and as an aspiring nurse it kind of scares me. I can understand being fired over obvious abuse or negligence, careless med errors, etc. but a lot of these seem excessive. It just scares me because I'm in nursing school right now and I'm wondering if I'm just wasting my time if I'm going to have difficulty getting or holding a job.

[Blackheartednurse]

a lot is the politics, sometimes it is a manager that dont like you, sometimes it is a nurse that dont like and will tell on you and run to the manager over some really silly stuff, beware nursing is a sea full of sharks, honestly everybody is trying to cover their own a$$$.

[Blackheartednurse]

I agree with Ashley. We hear only one side of the story here, and progressive disciplinary action is most likely the part of the story we aren't getting.

Three years ago when I first starting working in my current position, a co-worker was telling me all about how management was 'out to get her' and how she was a 'victim of the system'. I believed her because I didn't know any better. As I learned more about her, the unit and hospital policies, I figured out that she was pointing the finger to everyone else because she didn't understand accountability. At all. Seriously.

This same employee has been called to the carpet more times than I can count. She constantly dances on the edge of getting fired. Every write up was an avoidable one...totally under her control.

To answer your question, nursing isn't an area where you make one mistake, get fired and then blackballed from local hospitals UNLESS you made a gross error in judgment resulting in a sentinel event.

If you keep patient safety and professional conduct in the forefront of your mind while at work, you will do just fine.

I have seen an excellent nurse being fired for one med error because the manager didnt like her. I think because she was much wiser and had higher education that the manager herself, also she was seasoned therefore made more money than brand new fresh young grad.

[tom7044]

i think it truy depends on the philosophy of the organization that you are working for l it also depends on the managers and supervisors that the organization has put into place and that the authority they have to hire and fire. most organizations are supportive and a nurse that shows up to work on time and is ready to work and doses a good job and follows the rules and provides the best care possible for his or her patients can be secure that only in a situation where there is gross neglect, abandonment, knowingly doing something that could result in patient harm or performs consistently on a sub-standard level or is using excessive sick time and doesn't communicate with his or her supervisor, would they be fired. there is one newer reason i am seeing that nurses are now being terminated for more and more; "failure to collaborate" meaning that something went wrong usually - patient harm or potential patient harm - while there was another person available of equal classification that is asked or discussed about a situation with, the harm or potential harm could have been averted. if you are working for a for profit organization and because of excessive sick time or not being productive as to time management and that yo are not performing at the expected level of your job description compared to your peers. these organizations look at your patient care in terms of dollars and cents and dividends for stock holders. if a nurse becomes a "threat" to an uncertain manager with poor management and/or poor nursing skills and that nurse documents the poor performance and the possible unsafe working conditions caused by that manager there is always the possibility of that manager "targeting" that nurse and either by creating such an unpleasant working environment (shift change etc) and forcing them to resign or documenting information, that overtime, might look to be detremental to that nurse. documenting things out of context or documenting things from "hearsay". good luck, tom

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I must be especially talented. Every time I've been fired it's been right on the spot, and having nothing to do with errors.

[hope3456, ASN, RN]

I got fired 3 months ago from a LTC. I got a **much**better job offer the next day, I couldn't believe my luck. It was over a couple minor documentation indiscrepancies.....long long story. I probably could have slid thru the cracks and still have my job but I chose to 'do the right thing" IMHO and confront a corporate bigwig about some issues that needed fixed and issues with the DON. They would not let me give my side of the issue at all - not saying I'm perfect but I'm pretty sure they were just looking for a reason. I worked at this place 2 years under a mgr who didn't do her job either and was also 'fired.' This place is pretty shady. It may have been a blessing because i've heard the place has gotten worse lately. I too am in a 'right to work' state and have seen many other nurses let go also so I take it with a grain of salt. I never took breaks, had near perfect attendance, I caught many many changes of conditions and sent residents to ER, called docs, ect but who cares about that.

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

If you go by the posts here, you'd be inclined to think that a good percentage of nurses get fired very easily. Look at the # of member here; this represents a very small percentage of nurses in this country. And we all know how the Internet works: people do a lot more complaining than praising. It's just human nature.

If you're fired once, it's likely a fluke. Maybe the job was just not the right fit for you. If it happens more than once, then I think there needs to be some deeper reflection. What is going on, is everyone really "out to get" you?

I was asked to resign from a job once. It was not the right fit, nor the right time in my life to take it on. I could totally spin that into a different story, citing the hospital, manager and administrator as the problem, but there's really no point. Sure, I resigned to save myself from being fired. But technically, I was not fired.

[Multicollinearity, BSN, RN]

I used to think being fired was rare and unusual. I have seen two nurses fired and one strongly encouraged to resign during the last year, and my unit is very small. It happens. One made frightening errors, repeatedly. The other simply didn't work. Both did not deserve their jobs. The third had a history of interpersonal conflict with the leadership, but was an excellent nurse. Considering how small our unit is, I've seen a significant percentage fired or forced out. I think it's the new economy - it gives employers power, particularly in right-to-work states. I've been told where I work in the past, nurses were NEVER fired.

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

One made frightening errors, repeatedly. The other simply didn't work. Both did not deserve their jobs.

And there you have it. I agree, based on what you said. And my guess is that both of these nurses did not see it this way. If they posted here, I am sure it would be someone else's fault.

[beckster_01, BSN, RN]

In the 1.5 years I have been at my job, only one person has been fired. He was heard bad-mouthing (loudly) a patient and their family. Leading up to this event had been poor progress during orientation and multiple run-ins with coworkers.

There have been a few people who just weren't good fits on my floor, but rather than being fired they were transferred to other units. *Most* hospitals feel that they have put way too much money into orienting a new grad nurse to fire them for a trivial reason. Ask any nurse manager about the expense of training a brand new employee, they will be happy to give you specifics.

[caliotter3]

I figure that I must not be smart enough to be a nurse because I can not understand why the terrible employees remain for years while a good nurse gets fired. I have seen this so often that it is no longer a surprise to me.

[Zookeeper3]

In 16 years of nursing, I have seen many nurses down graded from the ICU to safer places like step down and the floor. As far as firing? Maybe only 5 people in 16 years. Not everyone is ICU material, doesn't mean that they don't have qualities that can grow in another environment... why fire, unless diverting narcs, dangerous with med errors or too many patient complaints.... I say allow nurses to try another are they can excel at if the first choice isn't a good fit.

It's like throwing out the baby with the bath water.

[NoviceRN10]

Apparently not too common on my unit. We have three nurses who constantly get complained about by pts, and they continuously make errors or leave their work for the next shift to pick up. For some reason they are still working. Not sure why the management thinks its better to keep them than give a better nurse a job. I guess it's all about money.