So I moved for a job 300 miles away from home...this was my first nursing job...I have no prior hospital experience,this was a big change for me but I was also quite excited (it took me nearly 6 months to find a job)...well the position I found was in a private teaching hospital on a telemetry floor...very nice unit,nice people I guess you can say a dream job...I was happy despite being far away from my hometown and my family,friends and a boyfriend..When I was first introduced my preceptor she appeared to be nice and pleasant but also had that look about her that told you "be aware of her she might smile but she looks tough" Well at first she was nice and enouraging,telling me when she first started working on this unit she felt overwhelmed and she didnt know a lots of meds etc..so I thought that she was humble and "cool".Then fast forward to a day when she asked me to give an IM injection in the arm (flu shoot) Ok so I graduated from a ADN program and we didnt get any experience in a flu clinics during our school so I asked her if she could demonstrate an IM injection on a patient just this one time for me (since I never had given an IM injection in the arm before) Mistake number one!! She got upset and was "shocked" that I never gave an IM injection in the arm...then she told me straight up to my face "that I must come from a lousy school" That day she went into manager office and told her that my school didnt prepare me well enough for the real world,strike number one....then she went ahead and told everyone on the floor that I dont know anything...oh and she also asked me "if I like it over here and if I ever though about transferring?" Mind you this was my second week on the floor!!! But despite being discouraged I kept going and showing up every day one hour earlier before my start time....It is worth to mention that my preceptor never discussed our patients with me,never asked my opinion,what was the plan for the day etc,during lunch never spoke about our patients,nothing....I often had a feeling that she "was bothered by questions and I was hesistant to ask questions and I often felt discourage to ask questions or even scared at that point! Well then came strike number two,patient had a low blood pressure and she asked me to take his bloood pressure manually,so I put on a cuff on the patient inflated the cuff but for the life of me I couldnt hear a thing....so anyway since the patient was unstable and she was in the room with me I told her if she could recheck for me since I couldnt hear anything....she did..Later I realized that my stethoscope somehow got turned off,but I guess it was too late cause she run to the manager office and told her that she doubts that I can handle unstable patient,so later that day my manager call me and her to the office for a meeting.....the manager voiced her concern to me with the preceptor backup,the manager told me that according my preceptor I'm not meeting my goals and she is giving me one week to improve (I should have known right there and then I was going to be terminated in the near future)..so I tried my best the following week,yes I did my share of mistakes (nothing major,nothing to do with a patient safety)...all of the sudden (that week) my preceptor started to take interest in me....asking me which patient I think I should go see first,what did I think the plan for the day was for each patient...asking me did I check my labs etc??? I swear to you she never bothered to ask me that before...I guess she got scared after the previous meeting with the manager...So like I was saying that week I made some mistakes but also I caugh a lot of things (like inflitrating IVs,patient pulling out IVs,pressure ulcers) my skills were getting better,I was gaining more and more confidence and started to feel that I can do it....still had some trouble with prioritizing but I think that is expected of a new grad,unfortunately not on this floor..well fastforward to yesterday (sunday)...very busy day,my preceptor was a charge nurse and one of the nurses overslept and she had to take care of her patients so she left me with 'our patients" well I handle my patients quite smoothly,finally felt like a real nurse and went home with a light heart and happy that things finally are coming together for...hah what a dillusionment of my part....today monday my manager calls me home in the morning to come in to see her ( I was suppose work a night shift today with my preceptor)..I have a feeling that something is wrong...so I go with a heavy heart...the human resource person is there,all of the sudden I know I'm getting fired...so the manager tells me that she doesnt think I'm a good fit for this floor,that she spoke with my preceptor friday and she still thinks I have trouble prioritizing...I'm crushed I'm trying to explain that I'm a new nurse and that comes with an experience and that there is always someone there to help...but my manager is set on her mind...she tells me that I should go into med surg first and then maybe after one year reapply if I want (is she ******* kiddding or what??)..I almost burst into tears,yep,signed the termination papers and left...yep so that is my story what do yo think?
there are very nice, helpful, and knowledgeable preceptors-----but at the same time, there are also very hateful, miserable, and evil ones who wouldn't want to give a newbie a chance. nursing is really tough-----and i believe that a success of a new nurse has also got something to do with her preceptor. but things already happened, so i hope you'd just keep these in mind: learn from your mistakes and don’t do the same error. secondly, although some of your co-workers appear nice-----keep in mind that they are not your “friendly friends”. their first goal there is to work, thrive, survive and bring home something to eat for them and for their families, it just so happened that they met you there as a co-worker-----and any thing that can intimidate their livelihood may be a threat. be civil-----but you don't have to pour out all your thoughts and feelings to them.
OMG Sweety I am so sorry this happened. That is just horrible you move away and then this. I will say this I am surprised that you were never given the opportunity to administer an im injection during clincals at school or had the opportunity to practice taking blood pressure manually.. That is def horrible on your school's end OMG. These are basics that we all should graduate knowing..
I am in a ADN program too and have actually been giving Im injections since my second semester, sometimes in the legs sometimes in the arm, and fortunately my clinical group was chosen to participate in a H1N1 flu clininc , as well as some other clincal groups in my program.
Everyone in my program has administered IM injections since their second semester during clinicals, I just can't imagine finishing school without having done that. Giving Im injections and taking a manual blood pressure is something you have to get signed off on in clinicals, and i guess the Hiring Managers assume that all Nursing Students get that training. We all really should because it is very basic.
I completely agree with VIRGo RN and SUESQUATCH RN
I just think that is a rough one, they should have given you more time to get your self situated. I truly hope you find another job soon.
( and It may not be a bad idea to start off in med surge.) Keep your head up.
I did get a chance to practice skills..but you have to understand during clinicals you wont be able to see or get every patient out there...like I stated before I did an IM shot on a baby and I think that it is even harder to make such shot on a little tiny human being than on adult but I never got the opportunity to give a flu shot..also about a blood pressure I know how to take a blood pressure but my stethoscope was turned off...
there are very nice, helpful, and knowledgeable preceptors-----but at the same time, there are also very hateful, miserable, and evil ones who wouldn't want to give a newbie a chance. nursing is really tough-----and i believe that a success of a new nurse has also got something to do with her preceptor. but things already happened, so i hope you'd just keep these in mind: learn from your mistakes and don't do the same error. secondly, although some of your co-workers appear nice-----keep in mind that they are not your "friendly friends". their first goal there is to work, thrive, survive and bring home something to eat for them and for their families, it just so happened that they met you there as a co-worker-----and any thing that can intimidate their livelihood may be a threat. be civil-----but you don't have to pour out all your thoughts and feelings to them.
yes i really do think my preceptor was a combination of the second characteristics you described..she even told me once that she is surprised that i got a job at this particular hospital only with an adn associate..she easily throwed her bsn in my face.
I've skimmed through the thread but haven't read it in depth...my only comment to you after reading your initial post is, your preceptor was an idiot and your manager was a sleaze. Unless you're leaving out something crucial (like a major mistake or the like), your getting fired was a matter of bad luck. You chose the wrong hospital, but understanding the politics of a floor or the way they treat new grads is nearly impossible during an interview. I'd guarantee that you're not the only one that's happened to. A lot of what's wrong with nursing today is summed up in your post.
Try not to let it get you down; your next job will be better.
I've skimmed through the thread but haven't read it in depth...my only comment to you after reading your initial post is, your preceptor was an idiot and your manager was a sleaze. Unless you're leaving out something crucial (like a major mistake or the like), your getting fired was a matter of bad luck. You chose the wrong hospital, but understanding the politics of a floor or the way they treat new grads is nearly impossible during an interview. I'd guarantee that you're not the only one that's happened to. A lot of what's wrong with nursing today is summed up in your post.
Try not to let it get you down; your next job will be better.
No I swear I have not done anything MAJOR,my manager said she will even rehire me when I get more experience,haha like I would come back.She stated that the reason she fired me was she is not sure if I can handle unstable patient or patient that is going down per say.
I didn't read every single post here, but I read your original post.
I'm sorry to say, but you've been had. You were hired into a less-than-ideal situation as a new grad. You had a miserable orientation at best, and what happened to you was well beyond your control. They would have done this to any new grad. Grabbed them in, chewed them up and spit them out.
So sorry this happened to you. Keep your chin up, everything happens for a reason and this is only a blessing in disguise. :heartbeat
I almost burst into tears,yep,signed the termination papers and left...yep so that is my story what do yo think?
As a person who has been terminated from a job, I am very sorry this happened to you. Please take some time to reflect on your experience, then try to do your best and move on.
I have a comment on the general nature of this forum. When you posted your problems with your preceptor ("I get yelled at for doing the right thing"), I felt you recieved a lot of inadvisable support for your actions. In my opinion, many posters gave you the idea you were indeed doing the right thing and to continue to, in my words, "push back" against your preceptor.
I have no way of knowing if any of the supportive comments you received on this forum affected your actions or outcome at your former employer and I am not saying you did anything wrong. However, I think other posters tried to empower you in ways that would be detrimental to your livelihood.
This is not an, "I told you so" comment and it is NOT an admonishment of you in any way. I am, however, imploring other posters on allnurses to much more carefully consider the career advice they give to people on this forum.
No I swear I have not done anything MAJOR,my manager said she will even rehire me when I get more experience,haha like I would come back.She stated that the reason she fired me was she is not sure if I can handle unstable patient or patient that is going down per say.
Shhhh! Don't tell her anyone told you this, but guess what? It is your supervisor's job there to make certain that you are capable of handling an unstable patient. When you graduate from nursing school and get your license, you are at the novice nurse level. Not every novice nurse can handle an unstable patient without some assistance. You gain your experience and expertise on the job, under the guidance of your supervisor. But then, maybe this wasn't a good place for a novice nurse!
I'm so sorry!!! I feel terrible for you. I too remember reading your posts; how frustrating your job hunt was and how you decided to expand your search to out of state hospitals and how exited you were to land your 1st jOb!
I don't know what to say... I am shocked!
Just pick yourself up , go back and demand to talk to manager....demand to be transferred or re hired to med surge or whatever they think is your "fit"
In the mean time, start applying for other jobs...there must be something...clinic LTC...something. Don't give up!!!
i really dont think that your preceptor was a "back stabber". (watch what you say, seems that you need to check your attitude..remember this is a "profession") you also have to remember that you are dealing with peoples lives... and that if you cant take a simple bp reading how would you react or handle a situation that actually required critical thinking and application of that skill?? i am only in my second semester of an adn program and from what you described i feel more advance than you?? so something is not right there? i hope dont dont take this the wrong way, but you need to remember to be a nurse takes alot of skill...(yes most comes with time) but you should still have a solid base line.... you are dealing with lives... not dummies like in school!! ekk... i hope you find your zin ... much love
i really dont think that your preceptor was a "back stabber". (watch what you say, seems that you need to check your attitude..remember this is a "profession") you also have to remember that you are dealing with peoples lives... and that if you cant take a simple bp reading how would you react or handle a situation that actually required critical thinking and application of that skill?? i am only in my second semester of an adn program and from what you described i feel more advance than you?? so something is not right there? i hope dont dont take this the wrong way, but you need to remember to be a nurse takes alot of skill...(yes most comes with time) but you should still have a solid base line.... you are dealing with lives... not dummies like in school!! ekk... i hope you find your zin ... much love
i stated couple of times arleady that i know how to take a bp (my stethoscope somehow got turned off and i didnt realize that..anyway i wanted to be safe that is why i asked her to recheck the bp since i couldnt hear it...i actually witnessed on couple of occasions that nurses couldnt hear bp or techs and asked someone else to step in.i dont know how can i bre more clear on this particular issueand yes a matter of fact i strongly believe that she was a huge back stabber...and you mention professionalism,i saw a huge lack of it on her part,otherwise how would you explain her talking trash about me on the unit,i always kept my mouth shut even though she made her share of mistakes that i wont get into to deep,i havent said anything to the manager even though she treated me poorly because i'm not a backstabber, and most importantly i never lied,i think i did a safe thing even though this honesty most likely have caused me my job,when ever i didnt know how to perform something i spoke up,asked for help,did not make up numbers did not pretend i know something that i did.
i bet you she is smiling now on the tought of me being fired,i bet ya.
ps.prepare for the real world,what ever you learned in nursing school you will have to throw out of the window!! it is a totally different animal,believe me when i tell you.
the point of the matter is that you failed 2 tests that she was giving you... she was testing you to see your skill level (a very basic skill level at that) ... those 2 tests you should have thrived on... i just believe that was a huge red flag to her that you might not be ready to work on that skilled level of care/unit. i can tell you now, if my stethoscope "turned off" ... im not sure how that works? or if i didnt know now to give im inj ...my teachers would ripe me apart...regardless of my equip not working correctly... i dont think you are seeing the big picture.. as why this situation went the way it did, and i dont think until you do see the big picture you will find a job you can keep! there will always be something diff (challanges) everyday you go to work with a pt (like your steth during "off") and there will always be someone watching you stumble... and it might be something more serious next time, like your pts life.... you have to understand that... i really believe regardless of your preceptor not so good teaching/mentor habbits...she was over all looking out for the best interest of that hospital and those pts!!! seriously take a step back and realllly think about it!! so that way you can learn from this experience...cause until you do...you will never gain anything from this but thinking "me getting fired was not my fault, no one likes me, and that preceptor was a back stabber!" i really hope you can find something helpful out of what i have to say... im not trying to be rude... so please take it with a grain of salt!
rn4ever?
686 Posts
there are very nice, helpful, and knowledgeable preceptors-----but at the same time, there are also very hateful, miserable, and evil ones who wouldn't want to give a newbie a chance. nursing is really tough-----and i believe that a success of a new nurse has also got something to do with her preceptor. but things already happened, so i hope you'd just keep these in mind: learn from your mistakes and don’t do the same error. secondly, although some of your co-workers appear nice-----keep in mind that they are not your “friendly friends”. their first goal there is to work, thrive, survive and bring home something to eat for them and for their families, it just so happened that they met you there as a co-worker-----and any thing that can intimidate their livelihood may be a threat. be civil-----but you don't have to pour out all your thoughts and feelings to them.