I wanted to explain what happened to me...

rach_nc_03 · Sep 23, 2006

I think your response to the 'why did you leave?' question will need to be tailored to the interview at hand. also, when I worked in staff development, I was allowed to disclose (if asked) whether or not the employee was deemed eligible for rehire. do you know who would be verifying your employment if a prospective employer calls this place? if it's your DON, you may need to go into a bit of detail in the interview, as she's obviously not going to have your best interests in mind if someone calls her- she could imply a lot just with the tone of voice she uses to say whether you worked there or not. I will, however, make a suggestion that some may disagree with....

I would leave out the part about the ambien. here's my reasoning: the rest of the situation, when you explain it, will clearly show that your employer was completely unjust in firing you. Personally, I think that if you hadn't told them about the ambien, nothing would have been different, except they wouldn't have threatened to report you to the BON. It looks like they wanted to screw you over, period. But if you *do* mention the ambien, even the most reasonable person interviewing you is going to have a sliver of doubt about your explanation. that sucks, but i believe it would happen. and I'm pretty sure that no former employer, in our litigious society, would volunteer the entire scenario if called for employment verification. the bottom line is that you didn't do anything unsafe, anyway- you just got accused of looking like you were impaired. you could've just as easily taken benadryl, for instance, which zonks my husband out more than 3 beers- and, like ambien, it's not something that would show on a pee test.

it's a crappy thing that nursing is this way- reading what people have said about not taking prescribed narcotics for legitimate medical reasons- even off-shift- because of the fear of negative repercussions- it absolutely infuriates me. that's a tangent, though....

anyway, back to my original thought. you'll probably know, while you're interviewing, how you think the interviewer will react to your story. maybe the more conservative approach could be something like, 'there was an issue that arose between management and myself that could not be resolved, and I was asked to leave'. I guess I would refrain from telling the whole story to everyone you interview with- especially for jobs you don't think will be a good fit- because it's always possible that gossip could sabotage your next interview.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, lori. you seem like an incredibly caring person, and it galls me that someone would be this cruel to you.

leslie :-D · Sep 23, 2006

Even if she doesn't use them for a reference, she's going to have to list her last few places of employment. I don't think you can leave that out.
This is exactly why I would have hired a lawyer. I know that money is an issue but this is your career and your ability to make future monies. I would have him demand a full accounting of the facilities decision making process, all their paperwork, notes, how they have handled other employees in the same similar cirumstances. THEN I could tell potential future employers that I was terminated but that the legitimacy of my termination was under review by my attorney. While no employer may want to hear that, it's still more positive than being let go for being under the influence of a drug while on duty.

i'm not saying she shouldn't list this facility on an application.

but when it asks if they can contact this employer, she should check "no" for her supervisors, but possibly provide other names that know her work.

i personally would try and skirt around the issue.

if possible, it would be ideal to consult an atty for wrongful termination, to see if there is even a case.

or even pay a few hundred dollars to get legal advice from a labor law atty.

i was wrongfully terminated after working sev'l yrs for a facility, model employment history, but i had a strong case involving whistleblowing.

my atty required a small retainer fee and did the rest on contingency.

just a few prospective employers i shared it with, still perceived me as a potential problem employee, in spite of a favorable outcome.

i don't know.

lori, do you have a copy of your employee manual?

if so, go through it, see if there's anything that remotely applies to your situation and see if it was mishandled by tptb.

from what you have shared, there doesn't appear to be anything so black and white where an absolulte right or wrong verdict could result.

there was nothing intentionally malicious in your actions.

there was no pt harm.

it was a genuinely honest mistake.

only an employment lawyer could answer the legalities.

just think it through thoroughly and carefully.

leslie

Charity, RN, APRN · Sep 23, 2006

I ended up being with her all day and getting home around 9pm. I had to be at work at 11, so I decided not to sleep since it would make me more groggy to get less than an hour of sleep than it would if I just stayed up. Despite my best efforts, I fell asleep around 9:30 and when my alarm went off at 10 I was in bad shape- disoriented and nauseous.... but I got ready and went to work. I felt weird- sort of detached and sluggish but I figured it was because of lack of sleep. I'd gone without sleep before so I thought I'd be fine.

From an AORN position statement on Safe Work/On-Call Practices:

It has been reported that 17 hours without sleep can adversely affect performance to the equivalent of a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%.1 At 24 hours without sleep, performance degradation is equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10%.7 Definitions of intoxication are set by individual states and range from 0.08% to 0.10% blood alcohol concentration. Current research identifies a relationship between preexisting fatigue, total number of hours worked, task intensity, and extended work periods, which exacerbate fatigue and increase the potential for error.

Lori, You should not have been fired. You should have been sent home to sleep. You were working while impaired...from lack of sleep. The Ambien episode was not your mistake. It was a predictable consequence...a med error. The mistake was in not calling in.

You are obviously a dedicated nurse, and I have no doubt that you will be led to a place that needs your devotion and skills.

busyernurse, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2006

Hey, Lori -- I just got in and logged in, hoping for some good news for you. I am SO sorry to hear how your meeting turned out. I was saddened to see that your director wasn't any more understanding than mine was. As I said yesterday, please know that everyone has you in their prayers. I know that this is probably the worse possible news you could have gotten, with the exception of getting reported to BON.

Please know that I don't feel as though you did anything wrong, with the possible exception of caring enough about your job, co workers and residents that you didn't call in sick that shift. You would think that a director woulf at least talk with you when she got there, to maybe find out what was up, like your grandmother being ill. I know we aren't supposed to bring "home problems to work, ect, but someone like you that one can tell just by her posts would go the extra mile for both her residents and her family.

And as with my situation, my husband and I get that "oh, crap" feeling each time we check thje mail, since the powers that be threatened to report me to the BON, even with UDS coming back clean. I cried so many tears when it happened to me that I thought I would dehydrate. The facility I was working for was also the facility where my husband works as a nsg supervisor, and has worked with these same people that did that to me for 15 years. I was worried that they would consider him"guilty by association."

Good luck with the job hunting, and keep your head held high. If I can help, or you need to vent, PM me. All the other posts have good ideas about job hunying, and how many details to divulge. We have you in our prayers. Remember to take some time for you, even if it isn't long. Any facility will be blessed to hire you!

CritterLover, BSN, RN · Sep 23, 2006

i would leave out the part about the ambien. here's my reasoning: the rest of the situation, when you explain it, will clearly show that your employer was completely unjust in firing you. personally, i think that if you hadn't told them about the ambien, nothing would have been different, except they wouldn't have threatened to report you to the bon. it looks like they wanted to screw you over, period. but if you *do* mention the ambien, even the most reasonable person interviewing you is going to have a sliver of doubt about your explanation. that sucks, but i believe it would happen. and i'm pretty sure that no former employer, in our litigious society, would volunteer the entire scenario if called for employment verification. the bottom line is that you didn't do anything unsafe, anyway- you just got accused of looking like you were impaired. you could've just as easily taken benadryl, for instance, which zonks my husband out more than 3 beers- and, like ambien, it's not something that would show on a pee test.
quote]
i agree, though maybe for a slightly different reason.

if i remember correctly, you arn't sure that you had taken the ambien, correct? you didn't discover that you may have taken ambien until the next day.

it wouldn't be dishonest to leave out the part about the ambien, since you arn't sure that you actually took it. it is quite possible that you were just exhausted and emotionally drained from all that had gone on that day, rather than being chemically impaired.

by the way, ambien can show up on a drug screen. it has to be specifically requseted, but it can be tested for with a urine screen.

good luck.

weetziebat · Sep 23, 2006

{{{{{{{Lori}}}}}}} I'm soo sorry to hear how the meeting went today. Although I realize you loved your job, I'm actually glad you are out of that place. We all know that when a 'power happy' manager has it in for us, we may as well just turn around and leave, cause in 'at will' states, you'll be leaving anyway.

The fact that you are an excellent, caring, loving nurse shines through your posts. And the mistake you innocently made should have been handled by a co-worker coming up to you and asking if you were feeling O.K. - not the way it was handled at all.

Do take the week-end to cry, hide under the covers and feel miserable. Then, hold your head up high and go out to Monday's interview and shine. Anyone looking for a good nurse will grab you up in an instant! Good luck and take care. We're all rooting for you.

amygooch · Sep 23, 2006

Dear Lori,

I am sorry I am so late joining this thread. I just discovered it today. I am so sorry that this has happened to you. It breaks my heart that you are having to go thru this. But, please dont be embarrassed or ashamed for being fired. I have been fired many times. I was fired from one place 3 differant times. Yup! That is right! 3 times just from 1 place!! I think that is a record! (It was before I was in nursing...I sold cars, but I was really bad at it, so they kept firing me. But, I what can I say? I am alot of fun to be around so they missed me and kept hiring me back!!! LOL! But, they kept telling me, YOU GOTTA find another occupation! You stink at this!!! You know we only hired you back b/c we like you!!)

I was also fired from 1 job in nursing b/c my supervisor did NOT like me. So, I know the hurt, shame and embarrassment you are feeling. Let's deal with that first! What helped me more than any kind words of friends, was KNOWING that my coworkers knew my side of things and heard it from me. Whether they believed me or not, was up to them, but I was going to be damned if I didnt at least make them hear my side!! So, since I felt to awkward going in there, or even calling, I wrote each one a letter and told them that I felt I needed to explain, and needed that for closure for myself. I told them that I didnt expect or need for them to respond, but I just needed to know that I got my side heard. Then, I wrote it all out to each of them and mailed it. It was cathartic for me. Others may disagree, or think this is crazy, but I needed to do that. And you know what? Every single person called me and offered me words of hope and encouragement and some offered me references!! I personally got more from that than I could have gotten from years of therapy! But, maybe that is just me!

The important thing is for you to deal with this in your own way. My way worked for me, but it might not be right for you. Do what feels right for you.

Moving on, I know that your finances are extremely tight right now. Lord knows I have been there too! Here is some practical advice on dealing with this. First of all, you should absoltutely file for unemployment! I have no doubt you will get it, and I dont even think you will have to fight for it!

Secondly, you need to call the Administrator, and explain what happened and tell them that you have an outstanding record there and you made one mistake, and you feel it would only be fair to give you severence pay. Ask for a months pay. If they say no, ask for 2 weeks pay. Ask for any unpaid vacation and sick days you acrued to be paid. All they can say is no, and if they do, you are no worse off then you are now. But, they might say yes! (It wouldnt hurt to remember, that you worked there for a LONG time and saw lots of things that the state board and patients families might not be real happy about! If necessary, I would remind him/her of this.

While your at it, why not ask for a letter of recomendation? After all, you DO have a great record, and you ARE a good nurse! It would not hurt them to write something on your behalf saying so, and I wouldnt be surpised at all if they agree to, inspite of everything. Besides, once again, if they say no, you havent lost anything by asking!!

After completing the above, call the minister of your church and explain your situation. Ask the church to help you. If you do not attend anywhere, and you have family members who do, have them call their churches, and ask for help for help. You will be helped! My father is a minister, and our church helps people in these situations quite frequently. It is all confindential, and usually they will offer to pay several bills, or the rent, or both, or give you a check for a certain amount. But you will be helped. There is no need to be embarrassed to ask! This is what it is for!!! No one minds helping someone like you! We mind helping deadbeat, welfare moms who wont work and stay home making baby after baby! We mind helping the lazy, the drunks, and all of those. ( But, I digress!) NO ONE minds helping YOU! Everyone WANTS to help you!!

If you do not get enough this way to pay your bills, ask your family for help. If they have it, they will help you. But, you must pay it back as quickly as you can!!

If you have a 401K, borrow from it if you need to pay bills the next few months. I know you plan to be employed soon, but do the paperwork now, just in case! (And no, I dont think you will be unemployed for long, but we dont want to take any chances, do we?!!)

Then, if there are any food pantries in your area, go and get groceries. They dont mind helping you either! That is what these places are for!! USe the resources that you have! IF you feel embarrassed, go to one out of town where no one knows you, but do go!! If you feel guilty, then just promise yourself that you will pay back whatever you use when you start workiing again, plus a little more. And do it!

Also, dont forget to hint to friends with gardens about how much you LOVE home grown veggies, and would kill for any of their extras. I guarentee you they will load you down with whatever they have. I am a Southerner like you, and I grow a garden, and I can assure you that ALL Southerners who grow gardens are like this!! We are happy to share with friends!

For more cash now, raise the deducables on your home owners and auto insurance. (You can always lower them again after you are employed again!) Then ask your ins agent, to refund you the differance in the overpayment for the last few months you have paid, if you paid 3-6m at a time)

If you have a car pmt, call the bank, and explain dire necessity to them and ask to be able to pay interest only for the next month or two. (If you have good credit, most will happily oblige you for 1 month at least, and possibly 2).

Cancel the cable or satellite if you dont have a contract with them. I know this one is HARD to do, but times are hard and this is money you need!! To compensate for the missing channels, go to the public library and rent movies there. You can rent 10 at a time at most. So can your husband and kids! (If they arent with you, you can do it for them if you take their library cards!) So with a family of 4, that means you can rent 40 movies a week!! That ought to give you plenty to watch!! But, if there are still certain shows you HAVE to see, then ask a friend to tape it for you! If there is a movie you want to see that your library doesnt have, it can borrow it from another library. All for free!!

Ready for your next assignment yet?? Go to the area beauty shops and ask if you can have the magazines they plan to throw away when the new months arrive. Most will give them gladly, as they are pretty heavy in the trash. Then, enjoy reading them yourself while you lick your wounds. When you are reading to join the world again, take these mags to a care facility you hope to work in, and give them to the residents to enjoy. There are several reasons to do this: 1) It will give you free reading material. 2) It will give the residents free reading material. 3) You will be very noticable carrying a HUGE stack of mags into a nursing home, giving them away. Someone from the staff is sure to talk to you, which will get you talking about how you love old people and miss them, since you used to see them all the time where you used to work, etc. Then they will tell you how short staffed they are and how you should apply there.... blah, blah, blah!!! Then you have someone there who is SURE to tell someone how nice you are and how you brought the residents all those mags, etc!!! :) Doubt this will work? I got a job this very way!! :)

Round up all the clothes that you have that are nice, but no longer fit, and take them to a consignment shop. This will bring in some more extra money while money is tight!

For prescription meds you take regularly (like anti-depressants, birth control pills or whatever applies to you), ask your Dr for free samples. This one should be obvious to most of us here, but sometimes the obvious gets overlooked!

If an unexpected expense comes up that you have to have, such as a plumber for a clogged pipe or a car repair, try to seek out an independant business instead of a chain. This way you can negotiate the price instead of paying list. Also, you may be able to barter services by doing a trade out. For example, you might see if they have an elderly parent that you could sit with for X number of hours following surgery or hospitlization. Most people would kill to have an experianced nurse watch over a family member in a time of need. If he cant use your services in your chosen field, perhaps he would be willing to fix your car in exchange for your cleaning his house? OR, Maybe you could set up a website for him in exchanbe for the repair? The point is to think outside the box and be creative! Dont forget you have many skills!!

You are fortunate that this is one of the cheapest months of the year for the electric bill, since most people dont run the A/C or the heat in Sept or the Oct. :) However, on those cool nights, use the electric blanket instead of turning on the heat. It will save several dollars on your bill!!

The biggest electricity waster is the hot water heater. Put a timer on it for 30 min before the 1st person gets up, and for it to quit heating at whatever time the last person goes to bed. No need to pay for it to heat all night when no one will be using it!! This will save 30% on the cost of running it, which will translate to a huge chunk on your bill!!

Also, make use of the crock pot instead of the stove. Why? 1) It costs about 2% of what a stove does to operate. 2) It is quick and easy...you can put in meats frozen, and have them cooked by dinner! 3) They make great Soups/Stews. These are some of the least expensive meals, and also some of the healthiest. 4) You can put it on in the am, go job hunting, and come home to a hot dinner, which will make you less likely to order a pizza just b/c you are tired! :)

To save more on the electric bill, line dry clothes instead of tossing in the dryer. Dont have a clothes line? Layer shower curtain rods over your tub. For example, mine has the outside rod, (which holds the decorative shower curtain.) Then, behind that, is the rod that holds the shower curtain liner. Then, behind THAT, there is another rod. This one is used to hang towels that have been used to dry off after showers. (Each family member has a different color so, they dont get confused, and the towels get washed once a week.) This saves on water, detergent, wear and tear on the towels (incl. shrinking) and the irritation of seeing towels everywhere, not to mention the labor of the laundry!! But best of all, it is all hidden behind the shower curtain!! I also use this rod to drip dry undies, stockings, lingerie, etc. But, then I have ANOTHER rod behind that one. (This makes 4 rods, for anyone who is still following this!) The last rod is used to hang clothes to dry when it is too cold or rainy to use the clothesline, and also for things that cant be dried in the dryer (such as comforters that are too big!). By the way, in case you are wondering, those mini "hair claw" things are what I use as "clothes pins" for the shower rods.

We have 3 bathrooms, and I have this same set up in 2 of them. It is quite handy!! (The other bath has a garden, whirlpool tub, so I couldnt do it in there:( )

I have TONS more, but I dont want to overload you (or anyone else here.) If you want to hear any more, let me know, and I will post them or pm them to you. I just want to help. I really do.

I am not saying that all of these tips are for you. Or that any of this advice is for you. I just hope that some of it helps somehow. I have told you all of this b/c I know what it is like to be worried about money, and as upset as you are about being fired, I am sure the money is a hugs stresser. That is why I wanted to focus on telling you the tips that got me thru.

I am sure many of you think I am crazy to go to some of these frugal extremes, but I actually honest to goodness dont mind them now! I thought I would DIE when I had to cancel the satellite, but you know what? We actually have become closer as a family and as a couple, since we dont have it! We still have the library videos when we want to zone out, but once I got employed again, I didnt miss this enough to add it back! (Which was HUGE for me!!!) It is funny, but I actually ENJOY trying to save money now!

I hope some of my tips have helped you. (As you can see, I am worried about you.! :icon_hug: I wish I lived nearby so I could come over with chocolate, Margarita mix, a massusse, and good comedy to cheer you up!) But, unfortunately my cyber hugs will have to do! But please pm me anytime if I can help!

Lots of hugs,

Amy Gooch

amygooch · Sep 23, 2006

{{{{{{{Lori}}}}}}} I'm soo sorry to hear how the meeting went today. Although I realize you loved your job, I'm actually glad you are out of that place. We all know that when a 'power happy' manager has it in for us, we may as well just turn around and leave, cause in 'at will' states, you'll be leaving anyway.
The fact that you are an excellent, caring, loving nurse shines through your posts. And the mistake you innocently made should have been handled by a co-worker coming up to you and asking if you were feeling O.K. - not the way it was handled at all.
Do take the week-end to cry, hide under the covers and feel miserable. Then, hold your head up high and go out to Monday's interview and shine. Anyone looking for a good nurse will grab you up in an instant! Good luck and take care. We're all rooting for you.

:yeahthat:

GatorRN · Sep 23, 2006

Wow, this is not what I was hoping to hear when I came to check how your meeting went. I'm sooo sorry to hear things worked out this way for you. I can't believe your DON actually let you go over this...unreal. It may not seem like it now but in the long run she done you a favor. You don't need to work for somebody like that with no empathy for your situation, and so unappreciative and unsupportive. You will find another job that you like even better with ppl that will appreciate your dedication and hard work. I know you will, I have faith!!

My mother used to tell me, "everything happens for a reason, you may not understand why at the time, but you will later." I have most certainly found this to be very true! She was a wise woman, God rest her soul. When one door closes another one opens.

As far as giving a reason for why you were terminated, that's a tricky one. Legally they can only say the dates that you worked there and if they would rehire you. But we all know other information can and is given. The perspective employer can choose not to hire you without giving you an explanation as to why they chose not to, thus not disclosing what they were told by your previous employer.

Assuming your prev employer may say more than they should, I would consider saying that you were accused of being impaired at work, but have a drug screening that verifies that you were not. You do have a copy of that test, don't you? You could explain that you worked anite shift, drove out of state to visit a sick relative, (not planning on staying as long as you did) and went in for another nite shift with no sleep because you hated to call off. This is the truth, and shows your dedication as well. I don't know that I'd bring up the Ambien. You could go on to explain that your administrators best friend/co-worker wanted your job and they took an easy out. Others here may disagree with this, but I think it's what I would say if I were in your place. I'm sure you'll come up with something you're comfortable with.

As far as the title loan you asked about, DON'T do it!! My bf was in a tough spot yrs ago and took out a title loan, what a huge mistake. The interest rates were out of this world. He could never get out of it for paying so much interest, along with his reg car pmt. He was a couple days late in making his payment and they repo'd his jeep!! It was perfectly legal, he'd paid them a fortune and lost his jeep to boot! Title loans have since been outlawed in Fl. I'm sure you'll come up with other ways to get some money. Amygooch had some awesome suggestions, I was really impressed with her post.

Take this wkend and do what you need to do to deal with this awful situation. Try to put it behind you as best you can. Then come Monday, put a smile on your face, walk into your interview confident, with your head held high and sell yourself. Everything will work out, it always does somehow. You're in my thoughts and prayers. Good Luck at your interview.

chelli73 · Sep 23, 2006

Dear Lori,
I am sorry I am so late joining this thread. I just discovered it today. I am so sorry that this has happened to you. It breaks my heart that you are having to go thru this. But, please dont be embarrassed or ashamed for being fired. I have been fired many times. I was fired from one place 3 differant times. Yup! That is right! 3 times just from 1 place!! I think that is a record! (It was before I was in nursing...I sold cars, but I was really bad at it, so they kept firing me. But, I what can I say? I am alot of fun to be around so they missed me and kept hiring me back!!! LOL! But, they kept telling me, YOU GOTTA find another occupation! You stink at this!!! You know we only hired you back b/c we like you!!)
I was also fired from 1 job in nursing b/c my supervisor did NOT like me. So, I know the hurt, shame and embarrassment you are feeling. Let's deal with that first! What helped me more than any kind words of friends, was KNOWING that my coworkers knew my side of things and heard it from me. Whether they believed me or not, was up to them, but I was going to be damned if I didnt at least make them hear my side!! So, since I felt to awkward going in there, or even calling, I wrote each one a letter and told them that I felt I needed to explain, and needed that for closure for myself. I told them that I didnt expect or need for them to respond, but I just needed to know that I got my side heard. Then, I wrote it all out to each of them and mailed it. It was cathartic for me. Others may disagree, or think this is crazy, but I needed to do that. And you know what? Every single person called me and offered me words of hope and encouragement and some offered me references!! I personally got more from that than I could have gotten from years of therapy! But, maybe that is just me!
The important thing is for you to deal with this in your own way. My way worked for me, but it might not be right for you. Do what feels right for you.
Moving on, I know that your finances are extremely tight right now. Lord knows I have been there too! Here is some practical advice on dealing with this. First of all, you should absoltutely file for unemployment! I have no doubt you will get it, and I dont even think you will have to fight for it!
Secondly, you need to call the Administrator, and explain what happened and tell them that you have an outstanding record there and you made one mistake, and you feel it would only be fair to give you severence pay. Ask for a months pay. If they say no, ask for 2 weeks pay. Ask for any unpaid vacation and sick days you acrued to be paid. All they can say is no, and if they do, you are no worse off then you are now. But, they might say yes! (It wouldnt hurt to remember, that you worked there for a LONG time and saw lots of things that the state board and patients families might not be real happy about! If necessary, I would remind him/her of this.
While your at it, why not ask for a letter of recomendation? After all, you DO have a great record, and you ARE a good nurse! It would not hurt them to write something on your behalf saying so, and I wouldnt be surpised at all if they agree to, inspite of everything. Besides, once again, if they say no, you havent lost anything by asking!!
After completing the above, call the minister of your church and explain your situation. Ask the church to help you. If you do not attend anywhere, and you have family members who do, have them call their churches, and ask for help for help. You will be helped! My father is a minister, and our church helps people in these situations quite frequently. It is all confindential, and usually they will offer to pay several bills, or the rent, or both, or give you a check for a certain amount. But you will be helped. There is no need to be embarrassed to ask! This is what it is for!!! No one minds helping someone like you! We mind helping deadbeat, welfare moms who wont work and stay home making baby after baby! We mind helping the lazy, the drunks, and all of those. ( But, I digress!) NO ONE minds helping YOU! Everyone WANTS to help you!!
If you do not get enough this way to pay your bills, ask your family for help. If they have it, they will help you. But, you must pay it back as quickly as you can!!
If you have a 401K, borrow from it if you need to pay bills the next few months. I know you plan to be employed soon, but do the paperwork now, just in case! (And no, I dont think you will be unemployed for long, but we dont want to take any chances, do we?!!)
Then, if there are any food pantries in your area, go and get groceries. They dont mind helping you either! That is what these places are for!! USe the resources that you have! IF you feel embarrassed, go to one out of town where no one knows you, but do go!! If you feel guilty, then just promise yourself that you will pay back whatever you use when you start workiing again, plus a little more. And do it!
Also, dont forget to hint to friends with gardens about how much you LOVE home grown veggies, and would kill for any of their extras. I guarentee you they will load you down with whatever they have. I am a Southerner like you, and I grow a garden, and I can assure you that ALL Southerners who grow gardens are like this!! We are happy to share with friends!
For more cash now, raise the deducables on your home owners and auto insurance. (You can always lower them again after you are employed again!) Then ask your ins agent, to refund you the differance in the overpayment for the last few months you have paid, if you paid 3-6m at a time)
If you have a car pmt, call the bank, and explain dire necessity to them and ask to be able to pay interest only for the next month or two. (If you have good credit, most will happily oblige you for 1 month at least, and possibly 2).
Cancel the cable or satellite if you dont have a contract with them. I know this one is HARD to do, but times are hard and this is money you need!! To compensate for the missing channels, go to the public library and rent movies there. You can rent 10 at a time at most. So can your husband and kids! (If they arent with you, you can do it for them if you take their library cards!) So with a family of 4, that means you can rent 40 movies a week!! That ought to give you plenty to watch!! But, if there are still certain shows you HAVE to see, then ask a friend to tape it for you! If there is a movie you want to see that your library doesnt have, it can borrow it from another library. All for free!!
Ready for your next assignment yet?? Go to the area beauty shops and ask if you can have the magazines they plan to throw away when the new months arrive. Most will give them gladly, as they are pretty heavy in the trash. Then, enjoy reading them yourself while you lick your wounds. When you are reading to join the world again, take these mags to a care facility you hope to work in, and give them to the residents to enjoy. There are several reasons to do this: 1) It will give you free reading material. 2) It will give the residents free reading material. 3) You will be very noticable carrying a HUGE stack of mags into a nursing home, giving them away. Someone from the staff is sure to talk to you, which will get you talking about how you love old people and miss them, since you used to see them all the time where you used to work, etc. Then they will tell you how short staffed they are and how you should apply there.... blah, blah, blah!!! Then you have someone there who is SURE to tell someone how nice you are and how you brought the residents all those mags, etc!!! :) Doubt this will work? I got a job this very way!! :)
Round up all the clothes that you have that are nice, but no longer fit, and take them to a consignment shop. This will bring in some more extra money while money is tight!
For prescription meds you take regularly (like anti-depressants, birth control pills or whatever applies to you), ask your Dr for free samples. This one should be obvious to most of us here, but sometimes the obvious gets overlooked!
If an unexpected expense comes up that you have to have, such as a plumber for a clogged pipe or a car repair, try to seek out an independant business instead of a chain. This way you can negotiate the price instead of paying list. Also, you may be able to barter services by doing a trade out. For example, you might see if they have an elderly parent that you could sit with for X number of hours following surgery or hospitlization. Most people would kill to have an experianced nurse watch over a family member in a time of need. If he cant use your services in your chosen field, perhaps he would be willing to fix your car in exchange for your cleaning his house? OR, Maybe you could set up a website for him in exchanbe for the repair? The point is to think outside the box and be creative! Dont forget you have many skills!!
You are fortunate that this is one of the cheapest months of the year for the electric bill, since most people dont run the A/C or the heat in Sept or the Oct. :) However, on those cool nights, use the electric blanket instead of turning on the heat. It will save several dollars on your bill!!
The biggest electricity waster is the hot water heater. Put a timer on it for 30 min before the 1st person gets up, and for it to quit heating at whatever time the last person goes to bed. No need to pay for it to heat all night when no one will be using it!! This will save 30% on the cost of running it, which will translate to a huge chunk on your bill!!
Also, make use of the crock pot instead of the stove. Why? 1) It costs about 2% of what a stove does to operate. 2) It is quick and easy...you can put in meats frozen, and have them cooked by dinner! 3) They make great Soups/Stews. These are some of the least expensive meals, and also some of the healthiest. 4) You can put it on in the am, go job hunting, and come home to a hot dinner, which will make you less likely to order a pizza just b/c you are tired! :)
To save more on the electric bill, line dry clothes instead of tossing in the dryer. Dont have a clothes line? Layer shower curtain rods over your tub. For example, mine has the outside rod, (which holds the decorative shower curtain.) Then, behind that, is the rod that holds the shower curtain liner. Then, behind THAT, there is another rod. This one is used to hang towels that have been used to dry off after showers. (Each family member has a different color so, they dont get confused, and the towels get washed once a week.) This saves on water, detergent, wear and tear on the towels (incl. shrinking) and the irritation of seeing towels everywhere, not to mention the labor of the laundry!! But best of all, it is all hidden behind the shower curtain!! I also use this rod to drip dry undies, stockings, lingerie, etc. But, then I have ANOTHER rod behind that one. (This makes 4 rods, for anyone who is still following this!) The last rod is used to hang clothes to dry when it is too cold or rainy to use the clothesline, and also for things that cant be dried in the dryer (such as comforters that are too big!). By the way, in case you are wondering, those mini "hair claw" things are what I use as "clothes pins" for the shower rods.
We have 3 bathrooms, and I have this same set up in 2 of them. It is quite handy!! (The other bath has a garden, whirlpool tub, so I couldnt do it in there:( )
I have TONS more, but I dont want to overload you (or anyone else here.) If you want to hear any more, let me know, and I will post them or pm them to you. I just want to help. I really do.
I am not saying that all of these tips are for you. Or that any of this advice is for you. I just hope that some of it helps somehow. I have told you all of this b/c I know what it is like to be worried about money, and as upset as you are about being fired, I am sure the money is a hugs stresser. That is why I wanted to focus on telling you the tips that got me thru.
I am sure many of you think I am crazy to go to some of these frugal extremes, but I actually honest to goodness dont mind them now! I thought I would DIE when I had to cancel the satellite, but you know what? We actually have become closer as a family and as a couple, since we dont have it! We still have the library videos when we want to zone out, but once I got employed again, I didnt miss this enough to add it back! (Which was HUGE for me!!!) It is funny, but I actually ENJOY trying to save money now!
I hope some of my tips have helped you. (As you can see, I am worried about you.! :icon_hug: I wish I lived nearby so I could come over with chocolate, Margarita mix, a massusse, and good comedy to cheer you up!) But, unfortunately my cyber hugs will have to do! But please pm me anytime if I can help!
Lots of hugs,
Amy Gooch

Dear Lori,

May God Bless you and your family during this crisis. This poster is truly the most INFORMATIVE of them all!!!! I have gone through a similiar crisis (fired in March, running out of UE), and I am saving the above post for myself and my family! You will get through this, please be strong...

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LORD, You know what troubles my heart today. The clamor all around me distracts me and makes it difficult to find a moment of rest from the turmoil. Even now, in a quiet place, my mind races, trying to find a solution. Father, I seek Your perfect peace. You promise that I can cast all my cares on You and rest in You. Help me to let go of the things I can do nothing to change. Give me wisdom to move forward where I can make a difference. Thank You, Lord, for Your promise to give me PEACE. Amen.--"Light For My Path-for Nurses" (Hake RN & Boone 2004)

CHATSDALE · Sep 23, 2006

lori i have filed for unemployment but it has been several months and i am just for a appeal hearing next wednesday

go and try to find something monday morning, you will have to address your last employment but you can put the best spin on it---

a] attendence reccord

b] was not ccused of illegal drugs

[this was confirmed per drug test]

c] no medical mistake

d] good annual reviews

best of luck with what the future holds...i will tell you that sometimes the worst things can open the doors to a beautiful future...

and by the way print out that post by AMY GOOCH she seems like a smart lady and a really nice one to think out some many good suggestions

CseMgr1, ASN, RN · Sep 23, 2006

i was wrongfully terminated after working sev'l yrs for a facility, model employment history, but i had a strong case involving whistleblowing.
my atty required a small retainer fee and did the rest on contingency.
just a few prospective employers i shared it with, still perceived me as a potential problem employee, in spite of a favorable outcome. leslie

So you were blacklisted, huh?

Just goes to show that today's employees have NO recourse...even if they were fired for doing the right thing, as you were.

Makes me sick. :angryfire