How to Explain a Termination to Future Employers?

[RN_Erin]

So I need advice and have tried to research this but have been struggling to find anything that is helping me.

I landed my dream job of being an ED nurse straight out of nursing school. I did my 3-month Capstone in an ED and was immediately hired on for the ED New Grad RN program.

I was recently let go from my position after 4 months of working in this ED because I failed a drug test. I'd been injured after being kicked by a patient. On my day off the day after I was in so much pain that I was unable to get out of bed. I had been so desperate that I'd taken one pain pill from my parents that I didn't have a prescription for. I know that was unacceptable but like I said, I was desperate. When I officially reported it three days later, they said it was mandatory for me to do a drug screen.

I tested positive for that medication on the drug test and came clean and explained it to the lady from the drug screening company who then contacted HR the next Thursday with the results and my explanation. I didn't receive a call from HR so I worked my shifts through the weekend. HR called me the next Monday, and I explained once again what had happened. On Tuesday, they called and told me they didn't have a choice but to terminate me. I do realize that I had agreed to that when I took the job. The HR director told me that they wouldn't report me to DOPL. He also said that I would be considered re-hirable and that I should look for another RN job to work for a year or two and then could consider reapplying for a job at that hospital. He said that they would only tell potential employers that contacted them these things: my position that I worked there, my start and stop dates, and that I was considered re-hirable.

My question is, how do I explain the short amount of time I worked at that hospital and the circumstances under which I left? Also, do I have to list this as a termination since my former employer didn't state that telling them I was terminated was a part of something they could tell my potential employers?

I would really appreciate nonjudgmental responses since it truly was an honest mistake and I am already beating myself up about this. It truly was the first time I'd taken a pain medication that wasn't my own and have never gone to work under the influence of any medication, my own or otherwise.

[crazin01]

OP

Sorry, sort of a really bad situation. I also agree, you are very lucky the hospital isn't going to report you to the board. And while the situation is understandable, now you've learned the semi-hard way about immediately addressing any workplace injures. Especially because it was a workplace injury, it sucks all the more.

I, like you, have been somewhat naive and trusting of the employer and board, not really thinking about how they could view things and share too much information. It's unfortunate that we have to wonder about what the consequences of the board/employer are, being that they certainly are not on your side, no matter what the issue. Seems that they should be on your side, but usually are not.

I understand being honest and open about your workplace injury since they are responsible for medical care as a result of injury, but would they have drug-tested you if you had not told them about 'borrowing' the pain pill the day after the injury? Or, were they simply drug-testing you after workplace injury (days after the injury) as most places do? This seems unlikely, as they do the initial screen to see if you're 'impaired' when the injury happened. Thus, I wonder if they would have required a drug test after making them fully aware of the injury & subsequent borrowed pain pill. If they waited and the positive test was indeed days after the injury, it seems odd they wouldn't believe your reason for borrowing the pill, as your impairment were not the reason for said injury, at least they could not prove that if the urine test were days after injury.

You are also fortunate that your previous employer is listing you as re-hirable and will not divulge full situation to tentative new employers. And the board will not be notified, thus your license will remain clean. Yeah, it sucks big time, but could definitely be worse. Good luck finding a new position and not to sound jaded, but be careful with what you divulge in the same type scenario again.

Yes, it's not right to do what you did, but seems very stringent to terminate you, even though it's in the contract.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

If your employer isn't going to mention your being terminated, I wouldn't mention it either. If you are looking for a change from ER you could say that attack you were subjected to made you rethink wanting to be an ER nurse. It is common knowledge ER nurses are at a higher risk of physical abuse than other fields of nursing so it would make sense this attack made you want to change jobs.

Good luck to you I hope you have healed and find another job.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I am.confused about why you reported it?

The fact that you self-reported for that ... Really?

The OP reported a workplace injury (having been kicked by a patient). Most employers have protocols that require the injured employee submit to a urine drug screen within a predetermined amount of time after the alleged injury.

Since the OP's urine drug screen yielded a positive result for opioids, I suppose she felt she had no choice but to confess to taking a pain pill that wasn't prescribed to her. Unfortunately, taking another person's prescription medication is illegal.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I now understand the rationale, although the whole drug screening process is foreign to me because it's rare that Canadian facilities require drug screening.

Given the circumstances, this termination was unfair, in my opinion. However, it is what it is. The OP has undoubtedly learned from this. Next time, get a prescription.

[RN_Erin]

I had to do a mandatory drug test because it's required after ANY on the job injury; I made the mistake of letting people pressure me into reporting it which I wish I hadn't, I'd forgotten that they drug tested you afterwards. I did go to my doctor but hadn't even remembered taking the muscle relaxer and had thought it was the same one that my doctor gave me a prescription for the day before the drug test. It was pure stupidity on my part and an honest mistake, I swear that I never normally take pain meds, hence me having taken one of my parents since I didn't have my own. After I was confronted I felt like all I could do was come clean and hope for some leniency like being retested because I knew I couldn't lie my way out of a drug test.

Thank you for your advice and not seeming really judgmental about this, it means a lot