New Grad RN dropped from orientation. How to proceed?

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Hi All,

I have read similar posts that are very similar to the situation that I am going to briefly post about here. I started orientation in Oct 2012 at a large prestigious specialty hospital in NYC. The nature of the floor was challenging for a new grad, I do admit. However, I worked effortlessly. Eventually, the NM decided I was not a good fit and asked me to resign. I had previous years of experience at this hospital in a non nursing position with excellent references of support. I "fought" my way through and bought myself another month on orientation. During this month, I told myself that if my performance did not improve then I should accept that this was not a good start. However, I returned with a comeback. My preceptor, CNS, and coworkers were cheering me on as I increased patient load, discharged, admitted, and overall improved my critical thinking. Unfortunately, the NM had already firmly decided that she did not wish to keep me staffed and ultimately terminated me due to performance just recently. The hospital decided to rehire me into my old non-nursing position as I decide how to move on in my career. My question to you all is, how or should I use this experience on my resume? Should I leave it out?

I graduated in Dec 2011 and had finally begun a nursing job in Oct 2012. Here we are in March 2013 and I am back at square one. I gained loads of valuable experience during these few months in this job that I can equate to a nursing externship and I am grateful I had this start as opposed to none. I can certainly grow from this experience. But it does come up as a red flag for future employers, depending on how I play it out to them. Does anyone have any advice as to how I should talk about this experience? I believe in myself and know that I can handle the acuity somewhere else. I just need to assure future employers that this is true without scaring them away with flat out stating that my NM dropped me from orientation. I also don't plan to bad mouth anyone as that is not professional so it is not my intent. I just want to know how I can carry this along with me? I've never been placed in this position in my life. Should I omit the whole thing? What would you do? I do have many references available to me from this hospital, including 1 from the Nurse Specialist and my preceptor from this floor.

Any sound advice would be appreciated. I'm happy to have this place as an outlet during this rough time. Good luck to everyone trying to get their first year started out there.

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I just want to say how very sorry I am that you were terminated. You seem like you really tried to become a good competent nurse. So you have hx with this hospital so you have to put it down. I say if you were at a job atleast 90 days list it on your resume.

Try to put down co-workers you trust for a reference. Ask the CNS if he/she would give you a good reference. Don't give up hope. I had something similiar happen to me and I ended up resigning. I did not have the support you did from co-workers and staff so I did what was best for me.

Wishing you all the best and hang in there. It is okay to cry, but remember tomorrow is a brighter day.

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I agree with crazy&cuteRN, you should try to find persons even other nursing staff that were very supportive and have them write references. After all, you are a graduate nurse and it is not an easy transition from student to working RN. I do not believe any nurse should be terminated during orientation unless they are blatantly practicing unsafely. I remember being a GN and everyday just seemed to run together and I didn't feel like I was learning anything. Now I'm finishing my MSN/ANP. So like she said, hang in there, your next experience will prove to be a better one.

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Those are really kind words of wisdom. Thank you. How did you move on from your experience?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

As a nurse educator (non academic), I get so darned ANGRY when I come across these types of experiences. It's just wrong because I believe that it violates the most basic "Orientee Rights"

IMO, Orientees must be provided with:

1. copies of all documents that are used to record orientee performance, and policies/guidelines, etc. that serve as the foundation for orientation

2. a written outline of all mandatory orientation goals/outcomes and the criteria that will be used to evaluate success for each of them. (eliminate subjectivity & problems related to 'personality conflict')

3. timeline/deadlines for accomplishment of each item listed in #2

4. regularly scheduled, formal feedback sessions in which performance to date is reviewed - & documentation updated for #2.

5. (written) 'mid-course' correction plans for each timelines for a goal achievement has not been met - AKA "No Surprises"

6. consistent preceptor

7. the opportunity to change preceptors if they desire to do so

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I am so sorry this happened to you! I have been terminated due to not being a good fit for the level of acuity for over a month now. I would have succeeded if I only had 1-2 preceptors, I am positive! I I have applied everywhere! Yesterday was the happiest day of my life , I got 3 recruiters calling me 10 minutes apart!!! I had an interview today, I bombed it--- I studied the website, read so many interview tips, and how to answer questions and recruiter 1 said, you're not a good fit. I have one interview tomorrow and one Friday and my confidence is so low right now, I feel so depressed I have no energy to go and interview tomorrow or the next day because I feel like I am going to fail again and again! I officially agree that I suck at interviews!

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Sounds like my experience...ditto that...yup...been there...I sank into a depression that immobilized me for the better part of 6 months after my termination. Antidepressants and counseling helped, but I'm still lacking confidence to put myself out there, to apply and interview. Time is flying by...it will soon be 2 years since my graduation. Since termination I've had a job doing flu shots and another retrieving medical records. I enjoyed both and the pay was decent, but they were both short-term assignments. What I know is that you can't give up, need to apply over and over, read lots of books on job searching, PRACTICE interviewing with questions from those job search books or tips found online here at allnurses.com. Believe me, reading your stories gives me support, though my heart goes out to those who have been booted from their first jobs, like I was. Where I am now, is little by little getting nearer to being able to apply and interview again. It's necessary to keep skills and knowledge sharp, too, so am trying to review, review, review -- as much as possible. I gain strength from the words of wisdom and understanding on this site.

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Fear of "failing again" haunts me too. I am trying to excise those negative phrases and thoughts from my mind and replace them with more positive ones. This is difficult to do because it comes so naturally to use the self-derogatory terms. But it's a killer of the psyche. I'm also trying to turn the low energy around by making myself do the things that seem too hard and exhausting. Paradoxically, I find energy returning when I start taking positive, productive action (even if it's only sweeping the floor or organizing my paperwork). Getting up in the morning, exercising, having a good breakfast, dressing nicely, doing my hair and makeup...it's amazing the lift I can get from just those simple things. I hope you find strength and support here, as I have.

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As a nurse educator (non academic), I get so darned ANGRY when I come across these types of experiences. It's just wrong because I believe that it violates the most basic "Orientee Rights"

IMO, Orientees must be provided with:

1. copies of all documents that are used to record orientee performance, and policies/guidelines, etc. that serve as the foundation for orientation

2. a written outline of all mandatory orientation goals/outcomes and the criteria that will be used to evaluate success for each of them. (eliminate subjectivity & problems related to 'personality conflict')

3. timeline/deadlines for accomplishment of each item listed in #2

4. regularly scheduled, formal feedback sessions in which performance to date is reviewed - & documentation updated for #2.

5. (written) 'mid-course' correction plans for each timelines for a goal achievement has not been met - AKA "No Surprises"

6. consistent preceptor

7. the opportunity to change preceptors if they desire to do so

Wow. You could not have said this any better. 100% fair and true. There are many lessons I am carrying on with me as I proceed to build my career. The transition from graduate to practitioner is not a simple one. Finding a hospital with solid support to aid in a proper transition will benefit the employer, employee, and the patient! I remember countless times I asked for feedback because it was crucial and it helped build confidence and skill. I know that I and other nurses in similar position will find a place to grow. Its just unfortunate that opportunities for us new grads are so limited. But I firmly believe that if we keep an open mind, strong will, and an open heart we will find out place to grow and enjoy a gratifying career, as it should. Thank you for that. It makes me feel like I'm not alone.

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I am so sorry this happened to you! I have been terminated due to not being a good fit for the level of acuity for over a month now. I would have succeeded if I only had 1-2 preceptors, I am positive! I I have applied everywhere! Yesterday was the happiest day of my life , I got 3 recruiters calling me 10 minutes apart!!! I had an interview today, I bombed it--- I studied the website, read so many interview tips, and how to answer questions and recruiter 1 said, you're not a good fit. I have one interview tomorrow and one Friday and my confidence is so low right now, I feel so depressed I have no energy to go and interview tomorrow or the next day because I feel like I am going to fail again and again! I officially agree that I suck at interviews!

Good look, Healthstar! Its a start in the right direction. And I commend you for having the courage to move forward. @Flatlander, I too had to seek a counselor for this experience because it launched me into a bottomless pit of depression that while I know is temporary, its hard! I have personal stressors going on concurrently as most of us do because hey, thats life! So this just made things worse. Like I mentioned in my post above, just persist. If you're heart is in there, use your will to get where you need to be. Things really do happen for a reason. And @Healthstar and @Flatlander, when they say you're not a good fit, take it and run. Because in the long-run, this will only hurt your professional growth if you ended up there. That's how I view this experience.

My MAJOR question really is [POLL!]:

Should I use this experience on my resume?

Someone above suggested to do so. And I know what they mean. But from hiring managers/recruiters point of views, do you think listing it is worse? I mean the hospital did rehire me into my old admin job until I find my path. But I think the toughest part will be explaining the experience without scaring them away or immediately dumping my resume to the side. Thats my fear. But I do have strong references as the advantage. I just need to get to that stage in the application process! Anyway, I've been reluctantly going back and forth.

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Re: including that job on your resume. I think it's better to include it than to leave it off and be "found out" later. Besides, leaving it off discounts all the experience and learning that you truly did have in that position. I worry about this, too, though, and about how to explain in an interview. I think a prepared statement or two is best without need to go into great detail. Then assertively stick to this line by rephrasing in various ways for all those probing follow-up questions designed to make you elaborate and say something you wish you hadn't. :sneaky: Some will NOT want to hire you because of your first poor fit, others will be more enlightened, like HouTx above. The worst mistake is to not keep trying and learning in the process... (I say this for myself to hear, too!)

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