I am an silent avid reader of allnurses.com and fully appreciate all the tips and sage advices that you all have given to one another.
This time--Im the one who has a problem and would like your thoughts about it.
I became an RN last Oct following an accelerated program. Being an RN is my 2nd profession as has been doing my own gigs during the past 16+ years. I was hired as an ER nurse on my first job. I passed the orientation program which lasted for 8 weeks but was forced to resign after 4.5 months otj due to "lacking of assessment skills."
I reapplied and this time got into another ED department. I worked hard and really did my best on this one but apparently after several times of being "passed" around by different preceptors I was let go before my 3rd month. It was a tough pill to swallow because not only did I do my best, I believe I was not given enough time to blossom into a full fledge nurse. In my weekly evaluation, there were good eval with the same ongoing project, type. but was surprised on my final day when they forced me to resign--they list all the "bad stuff" that I've had for which some were unknown to me or not shown on the weekly eval report or if its known, basically ive improved on the next ones.
I felt betrayed because I am new and I need to learn and I was given the impression that if a newbie is not ready by the 12th week of orientation, it will be extended to 16 weeks, etc. The reality is I did not made the cut and I dont blame them because a lot of new hires here have years and years of ED experience for which I dont have.
I feel I did good but apparently, my colleagues dont think so. Of course, compared to other RN colleagues who's had 10+ years of ER experience, I am a neophyte. Whats the point of training a newbie where you can hire an "oldie" who's got experience.
My question now is--how do I get hired on a med-surg or other units with 2 jobs within 8 month period ? How do I explain the reason for leaving ? Am I considered a bad applicant for not holding a job longer than 5 months ?
Would appreciate your thoughts on this matter. Im a newbie and it just feels so discouraging to know that you cannot trust your colleagues because of the backbiting and stuff going around this profession. Sorry for the rant but thats the way I feel right now. :confused:
Thank you guys for all the comments and kind words of encouragement !
I definitely am looking at Med-surg and other non-ED positions here in my neck of the woods.
@ Carene-- I totally understand you cause we were in similar boats. Cant say bad things about my colleagues but its just that they dont say directly to you your mistakes and instead go behind you and tell the charge nurse and supervisor making a mountain out of a molehill which is rampant here in this profession. I guess its just the nature of the beast which is nursing. I've worked in a few industries--Investment banking, construction, Retail --and I would put Nursing one of the tops in terms of backstabbing and hypocrisy.
Specializes in Quality Nurse Specialist, Health Coach.
Sorry you have had some bad experiences. I too had a rocky start my first year of nursing but its made me a better nurse going through it. You will find your niche! Good luck!:hug:
Thanks once again for all your replies and comments. Appreciate it.
However, I have another question--should I still cite those 2 ER work experiences in my resume given the 1st ER job (lasted 4.5 months) while the last ER job (lasted 3 months) or just cite the 1st ER job ?
Im afraid that citing 2 ER experiences in a span of 8 months might not land me an interview because HR managers might think I am either a bad "fruit" or a job hopper. You know how ppl jump to conclusions esp now with the econ so bad and market full of RNs.
My thought is even if I cite my 1st ER expeience only omitting the 2nd one, I can still say that all these times, Im looking still for a position.
Appreciate again any thoughts and words of wisdom !
Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
I think it would look worse if you were job hopping specialities. I would be totally honest. To me, it looks like you were trying to make it work. Nothing wrong with that.
So sorry for everything you've been through. It's a shame how some nurses eat their young. Even doctors look out for each other.
Can we not automatically jump to the Nurses Eat Their Young conspiracy? The ED is a challenging atmosphere and for whatever reason not a good match for this new nurse. It doesn't mean she won't have success else where and it also doesn't mean her co-workers at both places were to blame. Why can't we support her to move forward without blaming anyone?
I'm so sorry for your disappointing start in Nursing! Please don't give up, and please try hard not to fall into a "all nurses are backstabbing and mean" defensive posture.
Personally, I agree that the ER doesn't seem an appropriate place for a new grad. The pace just doesn't allow for the time needed to properly orient a novice. I honestly feel that the hospitals that hired you for those positions did you a disservice by implying (by hiring you) that it could be done! I think that only one-in-very-very-few new nurses could really do well in an ER environment right out of school.I know I couldn't have!
I also agree that you should tell the truth. You could include a cover letter explaining briefly that, while you were initially drawn to Emergency medicine you have come to understand the importance of gaining some MedSurg experience first. Then, when you meet with the interviewer, explain briefly what happened... BUT!.. never badmouth anyone, or specifically name anyone as having mistreated you, or get carried away describing all the ugly details of what happened to you. That may seem obvious, but sometimes things can kind of slip out (at least they can out of my mouth!) and you never know to whom you are speaking. Try to be careful not to compound your situation.
Good luck to you. I hope that you have a wonderful experience in MedSurg and meet some nurses who will be happy to help you develop into a terrific nurse. There are many many more good supportive nurses than there are mean ones! Enjoy your new career.
Can we not automatically jump to the Nurses Eat Their Young conspiracy? The ED is a challenging atmosphere and for whatever reason not a good match for this new nurse. It doesn't mean she won't have success else where and it also doesn't mean her co-workers at both places were to blame. Why can't we support her to move forward without blaming anyone?
:yeah:
Great post, Jules. We can support the OP's efforts to move on without backstabbing the ED nurses who may or may not have been to blame for her past problems. As we all should know, there are multiple sides to any story -- and we have read only 1 side here. Let's not pile on and blame the ED nurses who have not had the chance to tell their side of the story.
We all know (or should know) that the transition from student to professional nurse can be a difficult one -- and that it can be even more difficult in a fast-paced high-intesity area such as an ED. Hiring managers also know these things. The OP can tell her story truthfully -- without shame or blame -- and have a reasonable chance that a hiring manager will accept it without thinking too badly of her. She can say essentially:
"I thought I was ready to handle the ED, but after a few months in my first job, I was having trouble getting to the next level of expertise required by that unit. Because I had developed some ED skills -- and I am not a quitter -- I tried again in a different ED. But with a little more time, it became apparent that the ED was simply not a good fit for me. However, I learned a lot from those experiences and I've done a lot of thinking and feel that your job would be a good fit for me because ......"
Sell yourself based on the experiences you had in those ED's, the skills and life lessons you learned, and your current readiness to put that learning to good use in the job you are interviewing for. Be prepared to discuss what you have learned and how that learning will be used to make you a good employee and a good fit for the job.
I think some new grad RN's are exceptional and can excel at an ICU or ED position if given proper training. Where I started, new grads in those units got 6 months minimum of orientation before they were reassessed to see if they needed longer, and sometimes they did, but they were not forced to resign if they needed longer. We had an awesome new grad program in which all new RN's were closely managed for 12 months following their start date. The support was amazing and we all felt extremely competent after finishing the program.
But, since this is not your case, I would definitely try a slower pace environment where you can really work on just "being a nurse" without all the chaos of the ED. Being forced to resign once might be a fluke, but twice...it should make you reconsider your "best fit."
Good luck!!
I am grateful for my place of employment. RN/pt ratio is only 3:1 AND orientation is a minimum of 6 months.
My preceptor and fellow co workers are pleasant and more than willing to help.
I struggled in my first job as well and was fired. I now have a new job at a skilled nursing facility but I would still like to work in a hospital. Is it mandatory that I list my first nursing job on my resume when I was there for only 4 months? Is there any way a facility/hospital would find out that I worked there? I also was still in my probationary period when I was fired.
Maybe you can site both experiences under one "year" ie: May 2010-May 2011 Blah Hospital, Blah Blah Hospital-ER RN. Duties included.....(and here is where you list any and all clinical skills you learned and did). When you interview I would most definetly say that because ER #1 was unproductive for you, you chose 2nd ED to really try and do what you thought you loved in what you thought would be a more supportive atmoshphere for learning. Consequently, ER nursing as you had figured out is not ideal for you as a new grad, however, your skill level has risen because of the experiences. "I know what I know, but I also am acutely aware of what I don't know, but I know how to find it". Also, you may find that Med Surg managers have no earthly desire to be in the ER, and you may be pleasantly surprised to find out that they feel your pain! Most employers want the 1 year of experience. I would most definetely focus on the clinical skill set you have learned. Also, to be considered for an ER position (x2!) as a new grad--WOW! That's awesome--and that in itself is something to be proud of. Good luck in your pursuits!!
:confused:
:yeah:
buckheimer
12 Posts
Thank you guys for all the comments and kind words of encouragement !
I definitely am looking at Med-surg and other non-ED positions here in my neck of the woods.
@ Carene-- I totally understand you cause we were in similar boats. Cant say bad things about my colleagues but its just that they dont say directly to you your mistakes and instead go behind you and tell the charge nurse and supervisor making a mountain out of a molehill which is rampant here in this profession. I guess its just the nature of the beast which is nursing. I've worked in a few industries--Investment banking, construction, Retail --and I would put Nursing one of the tops in terms of backstabbing and hypocrisy.