Anyone ever had that happen? I know many have. I never expected to have it happen to me. I started a new job not even 2 months ago, and when they let me go, they didn’t even give me specific reasons besides “not a good fit”. They mentioned the whole 90 day period thing most employers have, but they didn’t even give me a full 90 days.
What bothers me is that they must have known ALL DAY and chose to tell me 20 minutes before close. To me that is rude. I worked there all day alongside them, being out of the loop to the knowledge that they already planned to “let me go” at the end of the day.
I could also tell the past week or so one of the providers acts very cold towards me. How am I supposed to improve or know what I need to work on if no one communicates? I tried my best to communicate and do what I needed to do but I don’t feel that communication was reciprocated. And as nurses we all know how integral communication is in our field. I’d try to be friendly. I didn’t get that back. The provider would literally talk to everyone but me...it was kind of awkward but I decided to pay no mind to it and just do my job. But he was very rude and now the vibes I got have come into full play, since he obviously wanted to let me go.
I worked for a smaller private clinic so you basically worked with the same 2 or 3 people all the time. The main provider I worked with seems to have held all the “power” in the decision , which I don’t find fair. It’s as if I didn’t jive with this provider well enough, and he just didn’t like me. I got along fine with all the other providers... no one else made me nervous but I can look back now and see that I felt nervous around that particular one.
I’m kind of crushed and I don’t think this was fair. I feel like it would’ve gone down a lot different were it not a private small clinic. I suppose just one or two people hold all the power in smaller places.
anyways, just looking for encouragement. Obviously at the moment at least, my confidence is temporarily shot.
When you work in such close proximity and in a small group it is very important for everyone to jell together. There are just some people that don't mix well. It's not that there is anything wrong with anyone, that is just the way it is. My thoughts on the matter is that what they said was probably true, you just didn't fit in with that one person who held the key. I think that is what happened, he just didn't like you much. You probably are not the first person that he didn't care for. They probably couldn't even pinpoint what it was. It is unfortunate that employers aren't more sensitive when they need to tell someone goodbye.
Take a deep breath, shake it off and carry on. You'll do fine, good luck.
Such a disheartening situation, I feel for you tinybbynurse. It sounds very similar to a situation I was in a few years ago; it wasn't me who was let go it was another member of the staff but it was also a small private office and the administrator waited until all the patients were gone and we were in our wrapup, end-of-day stuff to pop in and pull aside one of the staff. It was also a Friday afternoon, what is with that system???
It was awful, she was well-liked by pretty much everyone but it was a budgeting decision and we did know that we were a bit overstaffed. It's just that their business went from quiet to crazy every few months and we figured the quiet phase was just about over....turns out they were changing their business model and reducing staff along with that. The one let go had the least skills/experience of the group so she was chosen.
She said the nurse manager (who knew of course the day before but was gagged to not say anything until the administrator arrived) gave her a good letter of recommendation. We all felt terrible. If it helps any she did go on to a really nice little part-time job that suited her well, so it worked out fine ?
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
I was let go from my first acute care position and told that I didn't really have the critical thinking necessary to be an acute care nurse. A month later I was hired into another acute care position, did quite well, and now I'm in the critical care unit. I've have had some moments of daytime fantasy where I waltz in and introduce myself to that former boss as a critical care nurse. But I've realized since then that there were issues there beyond and unrelated to my actual ability to do the job. People are people and sometimes small minded people are put into positions of power. I understand the shock, disappointment and insecurity that come from your current situation, you can, and will, move onto something bigger and better. Good luck.
Did you ask why and how to improve? It maybe could have provided direct insight to what you can control, and help you realize what you can't. Even if they had said not a good fit, they could give reasons why, for example not fast enough, inadequate charting, skipping steps, or something that could give you a clue to help you develop for your next job! (((HUGS!!!)))
@Forest2 I totally hear you. I’m generally an easy going person and get along with everyone. A lot of people were buddy-buddy there though and would crack jokes with each other and have in depth personal convos - I suppose I assumed a more professional stance - and it generally takes me a good several months at a job until I feel really personable with my co-workers. None of which is a bad thing, but I can see how I maybe wasn’t a good “social” fit. Doesn’t make any of it ok, but yeah I can definitely recognize the very real possibility of that being a factor.
I feel sort of in the same situation! I think most people liked me - as far as I know. I got along lovely with a couple of other providers, problem was they were only on the schedule once in a while -the main provider I mentioned is the one I worked with more often than not. and I actually think I may ask one of the other providers I jived with to be a reference for me if they will. I think everybody is probably right - there’s probably more going on that I just don’t know about that played into the ordeal.
@JBMmom I’m so happy to hear that you ended up excelling in an area you were previously told you didn’t have the capacity for! I’m a firm believer that if we let others tell us what *they* think we can or cannot successfully do, then so many successful people would not turn out to be successful. Believing in yourself is so important!
ya know, ideally, I should have asked for further clarification. But as you can all imagine, I of course fumbled and was in shock and didn’t really know what to say, let alone ask conducive questions regarding the situation. Actually, haha, I was probably a lot more nice and accepting than I should’ve been - not that I regret not making a scene of course- but looking back on yesterday I think I could’ve said a thing or two firmly but professionally instead of just “taking” it and walking out in a confused, shocked trance. Of course, I’m sure their minds were already made up and it doesn’t matter either way, but we always think of what we *couldve* said or done after the fact. ?
I’m kind of crushed and I don’t think this was fair. I feel like it would’ve gone down a lot different were it not a private small clinic.
Look at it this way (here's a backward silver lining): Yeah, it might have been different. You might have been blacklisted across a very large geographic area upon departure or had your professional reputation trashed before they felt comfortable letting you go, or been framed for who knows what or treated much more poorly in any number of other ways.
In a small private clinic, yes, there is going to be someone there who makes the decisions/has power. It's unfortunate that they didn't feel it was working out and apparently weren't interested in trying to work on it or communicating with you if there was a problem. Even if the decision-maker just didn't like you....well, that's one person in a tiny practice somewhere in this great big world, who doesn't like you.>> "Okay." ??♀️
50 minutes ago, tinybbynurse said:
Actually, haha, I was probably a lot more nice and accepting than I should’ve been - not that I regret not making a scene of course- but looking back on yesterday I think I could’ve said a thing or two firmly but professionally instead of just “taking” it and walking out in a confused, shocked trance.
I agree, you shouldn't regret not making a scene or trying to force an explanation. This well may have been one of those situations where your only real options were to "take it" or risk anything having anything you could possibly say simply upping the pathetic factor.
The letting people go at the end of the day thing is indeed rude. I'm sure it amps the humiliation and betrayal aspect significantly; it's adding insult to injury. But remember, all of this was their choice and it only says something about them. Not you. Try very hard not to ascribe more meaning to this entire experience than it is worth. Unless you know you were under-performing it's just one of those things that doesn't really speak to anything in particular about you. I say chin up! ?? Best of luck finding a great position!
I also had a similar experience with a small clinic, they did not extend my contract saying I was no longer a "good fit". I am so thankful I was not confined to that small clinic, because large experiences awaited me!
You are going to land on your feet! Trust me when I tell you it is going to be great!
Having been fired from three positions in my career, tinybbynurse, I empathize with you, so let's commiserate.
Without giving the now boring details, I was unjustly fired from all three and won unemployment benefits from two of the three. I would have won the third, save for the fact that I offhandedly said to the medical director, "Go ahead, fire me!"
I shouldn't have said that.
But in all three cases, tinybbynurse, I moved into better, higher paying positions.
I encourage you to pick yourself up, shake the dust from your shoes of your former employer, and head on down the road to new beginnings.
The very best to you!
What did you say on your interview if they asked if/why you had been fired
Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
21 hours ago, tinybbynurse said:
Three times? And you persevered - that is so encouraging. Thank you for sharing! I am naturally still in shock seeing as how it’s been less than 24 hours and I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel immensely insecure and crushed af the moment, but I’m trying to process those feelings, cry if I need to and move on to something better that I know is out there.
Well, yeah, tinybbynurse, but it wasn't like THREE times in a row. We're talkin' almost a 10 year time span, from 1993 until 2002.
And only two were in a row: in 2002 and 03. Then I ended up accepting a position in the bottom of the barrel where I've been for 16 years, 4 months, and 10 days, and have made the best money I ever!
But seriously- I cried in front of the DON and HR representative when I was fired the first time I got canned from a small hospital working in ER and med-surge for arguing with a coworker.
I had also been working per diem for a home health agency, told them I could pick up more work, and in a month's time, they offered me the position of nursing supervisor!
As they say, "One door doesn't close..."
I support you in processing your feelings, as you have experienced a loss and have a need to grieve. Then, as you said, "move on".
It sounds like you were done a favor. I would want to have a good working relationship with the people in the clinic that I work with. I have worked in a clinic before and it was very, us against you, and on our side or on the other side. I was even recruited (gang) and told, "we don't talk to her because of XYX". I personally thought the person was doing a good job and I could not see what they were seeing. It will be okay.
I don't like dealing with cliques and an office setting, especially a small one, is the ideal setting for that type of behavior. I'm not a social butterfly, nor am I a follower of the queen bee. I actually transferred to another floor once to get away from a queen bee and her posse. In the end, the clique broke up and she ending up leaving the hospital on her own.
I would love to find a stress free clinic job, but would worry about just such a situation. At least with my 12-hour shifts, there really are no cliques and you can go a month without seeing someone. Plus there is plenty of turnover so no real chance of the bullying and odd person out that seems to happen so often in regular jobs! I like the impersonal feel of it, not being close to management or doctors, just come and do my job and go home at the end of the day!
Forest2
625 Posts
When you work in such close proximity and in a small group it is very important for everyone to jell together. There are just some people that don't mix well. It's not that there is anything wrong with anyone, that is just the way it is. My thoughts on the matter is that what they said was probably true, you just didn't fit in with that one person who held the key. I think that is what happened, he just didn't like you much. You probably are not the first person that he didn't care for. They probably couldn't even pinpoint what it was. It is unfortunate that employers aren't more sensitive when they need to tell someone goodbye.
Take a deep breath, shake it off and carry on. You'll do fine, good luck.