Interview; complicated situation

[sweetsleep28]

Hello All! I have an interview at LTC facility on Thursday morning. My predicament is that I was terminated from my last job. I was terminated at the same time as 2 other nurses both of which had been at the facility for 20+ years! The DON was not a nice lady, at all she came in after the old DON had to resign because she was diagnosed with cancer. To make a long story short, she accused me of not documentating a new pressure area on a resident with a contracted hand. Here's the thing tho I did document on the pressure area but note disappeared from the chart! But the incident report I had filled out was still there! It was rumored that the other 2 nurses were also terminated for other documentation that had also dissappered. I was suspended first pending investigation, when I went into speak with the DON she told me I was terminated because I had not documentated and because I had not notified the MD. But on the incident report I filled out it had the time and the date that the MD had been notified. I asked her how she could fire me because of the documentation on the incident report. I also told her that I had documentated about the area as well notified the treatment nurse after dressing the area myself. There was also an order in the chart that I wrote for the dressing to the pressure area! She then handed me a write up to sign that stated to the effect of what I was being accused of. I refused to sign it, because I knew that I had done nothing wrong. She also said that there were other issues with me to as why I was being terminated. Such as I had a poor attitude and I was intimading to CNA staff. Which boggled my mind because I had always thought I had got along well with my CNA staff. The DON at one point in time before all of this happened had told me that it wouldnt hurt if I went and got my highlights done because they were looking trashy. I suffer from bad allergies as well, to that she told me that it wouldnt hurt to use some concealer on my puffy eyes! Someone tampered with that residents medical record! I know in my heart of hearts that I charted on the new area to the residents hand. After I was terminated I applied for unemployment and was given it. I also made a call to the state about what had happened and subsequently an investigation was done at my former facility. The DON that terminated me abruptly put in her two week notice afther the investigation and resigned her position at the facility. So I guess what I am wondering now is how do I explain this whole situation to a perspetive new employer. I know that it doesnt look to throw your old facilty under the bus so to say and thats not what I want to do. Anyone have any suggestions on how I could handle this.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

This is why I am glad we use computer documentation that you "lock" afterwards. Usually, if someone calls your former employer, basically all they can say is "yes, she worked here from such-and-such time." They can verify your employment, but they are not allowed to divulge certain things. You still have an active nursing license with no restrictions, so I doubt there would be a problem. Unfortunately, I work in a state where you can be fired without cause, but you can also quit without cause, also. I can't believe she would say something about your looks~ I wonder if she would tell a male nurse that he needed some concealer around his eyes! As long as the nurse is clean and properly dressed, with fresh breath and no body odor, I think that would be discrimination to suggest you weren't "looking pretty enough" for the job! Good luck.