New Grad (sort-of) Quit or be fired, for NOT "fitting-in"!

caliotter3 · Jan 16, 2012

All you can do is to start a job search. As for what to say, "not a good fit". To me, it is deplorable that you were let go just based on people saying they did not like you. There should have been more intervention from the supervisors if you ask me. The workplace is supposed to be about doing the job, not a popularity contest. But that is my opinion, and it is assuming that your work productivity really was up to par and it really was nothing more than a poisonous work group for you. I hope you find a new job where those on the bottom of the totem pole are not calling all the shots.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2012

Sorry that this happened to you... this is absolutely ridiculous. If you are a new grad, why can't you "act like a new grad"? As far as asking questions goes... you need to ask questions! You're a new grad! I guess I would say that if this is the way that your co-workers were treating you, perhaps you're better of elsewhere.

I♥Dexter · Jan 16, 2012

Thanks for your response caliotter3, the manager is new to the position. I was one of her 1st hires. I tried to get help from the union but apparently although you pay dues starting the 1st day of work, they can't help with grievances, etc until you are off of probation... The nurse manager was a staff RN and fill-in charge on that same unit for many years before her promotion, and it was obvious that she was unable to "manage" the staff that she had been an equal to, for several years prior. I was told that she was intimidated by some of the older nurses because they harassed her when she was new...As far as my work performance, the only tangible complaint they had was over-time. As a new nurse, struggling with time management, I had accrued approx. 12 hours of OT, in the nearly 6 mos that I worked there. I can't help but think that letting me go was sort of a retaliation... I didn't mention in my original post, for fear of making it too long, the complaints I brought to the manager. Many, many times I would get report on a patient at 1500, and realize that no meds had been given since 1200... Or that the last blood sugar @ 1200 was 65 w/o notification to the doc and no notes pertaining to it... Once I took report and was told my Pt had 1 of 2 units RBC's hanging, they had been infusing for 30min... It's against protocol to hang blood less than an hour prior to shift change but as a newbie, I was too afraid to say anything... When I went in to assess/meet her, she was in rigors, with a 103 temp and come to find out, she had a Hx of transfusion reactions... Needless to say, the manager never did follow-up appropriately on these issues. I know she told the nurses involved not to do those things again, making them dislike me even more.... but if she had followed-up on the blood, I'm pretty sure I would not have still been seeing that nurse at work every day after that...

SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS · Jan 16, 2012

This sounds like a terrible work environment but you must be a very strong person to have come out of it unscathed. When that kind of behavior becomes ingrained into the fabric of a workplace it seems impossible for it to change...like the LTC unit I worked on for a few months, and one where I worked for one horrendous day. Since you had no hope of changing things, it sounds like it is for the best that you had to move on.

So sad that people in what should be a caring profession seem to care only about protecting their own interests. You're bigger than that.

merlee · Jan 16, 2012

Sorry that you quit - - in the future, make them put their reasons in a form that makes sense, and force them to fire you. You may be able to collect unemployment when you are fired, but not usually when you quit.

Just tell people that the unit wasn't a good fit. I think the person who fired you lacks ba!!s; she needs to grow some. She should have been giving you feedback all along.

Be happy you are no longer working there.

Best wishes for a short hunt.

MikeJones · Jan 16, 2012

thanks so much for sharing your story. I am a new grad also, hopefully that won't happen to me

GL

elprup, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2012

Seems to happen to alot of us.

kcmylorn · Jan 16, 2012

This is happening to the older( over 50-55 and up) experienced nurses as well now a days. I know, I have been on the receipient end of it a good number of times since this recession began and since the business backround individuals have moved in and taken over, and for some of the reasons you cite- the unmonitored blood transfusion, the large gaps in medication administration aka the messes that are left for moi to clean up and moi get's sick of them and reports them to the appropriate chain of command and moi is the "bad guy" It is floor/unit politics. The label"not a good fit" is such a dirty dehumanizing phrase - like something one would call a bra in the dressing room. Don't even get me started on that issue which I have ranted on about on these forms numerous times. Makes you wonder about the managers that are running these stink holes doesn't it.

When the manager makes this kind of ultimatium, they are admitting their failure and incompetence. You( the "complainer") are rocking their boat. They know these errors that you are reporting are negligent, but they don't want anyone pointing them out. You become a threat to the manager- their job or yours. They want you to go behind these co workers and keep cleaning up after them with out a word said. The manager can't in all honesty report you to the Board of Nursing, you're the one finding the errors, although I have come across some managers who are dumb enough to threaten to- I laughed in her face and told her to "Go ahead". The BON's are being littered with these bogus(not a good fit) complaints that are really personality issues. Some BON's have even had to even post guidance addressing this childishness on their website. Pretty sad, but unfortunately true! Mine has under the section of "what is reportable to the BON": #4 (and in plain ENGLISH) "Personality conflicts are not of interest to the Board and are therefor not reportable to the Board". Keep a log of names, dates and times and welcome the opportunity to 'rat out' these managers to the BON. These are the mangers who are "in bed" with the business/financial depts of the hospital. They have sold their nursing license for the almighty dollar. Pt care and nursing practice is nolonger their priority. Another sad fact, but true! What they have forgotton and hope you don't know is - "the nursing manager does still posses a NURSING license and has 24/7 responsibility for their unit in the eyes of the BON" In this case: report it ONCE to the nurse manager- document it, watch their reaction, document it, don't report anything else, continue to fix it, document and keep the patient safe at all times, hold out in this position as long as you can for your own best interests- to get your documentation orificenil and to stockpile enough money to hold you through a 4-6 month unemployment period. Then, file a complaint with the BON AND the Dept of Health, but don't leave yet- just watch the fur fly. The Dept of health is OBLIGATED to investigate EVERY complaint it receives- I know this for a fact too. In this downturn "we hate the older experienced nurse don't hire them full time in the hospitals they cost too much money" economy and job climate, I took a temporary position( full time hours for 6 months) with my state's Dept of Health doing investigations. I was told by the nurse Manager at the hospital I had doing per deim cardiac stepdown at for 2 years- "I was not good fit" when she found out what my temporary day job was.

As for unemployment collection eligibility, look on your state's official website under the Department of Labor Tab. If your termination is not 'job performance' related and you have worked there months(20 weeks) you ARE eligible for unemployment! "Not being a good fit" is NOT job performance. It is personality conflict related aka popularity with the "it" group BS. I know this for a fact also- I was not in the manager's inner circle or 'kiss butt' group and therefore"not a good fit" When I was presented with the ultimatium of quit or be terminated- I said nothing either way, walked out and filed unemployment. I gave every detail of this kangaroo court( had a $44.00 sony voice recorder, smaller than a cell phone, bought at Staples, in my purse) to the Unemployment Investigator. The hospital sent me COBRA paperwork, which I happily forwarded to unemployment and collected unemployment for 2 1/2 months- I painted my dining room and got paid for it- $600/week. Yes, I had a small emergency fund to carry me through in the event this would happen, knowing how nursing is now a days. This is something the debt counselors recommend- having a nest egg to carry you through an unemployment period of about 4-6 months. The debt counselors recommend 4-6 months of wages but who can afford that in today's eccomony. I saved my IRS refund (the amount could be as little as $4,000). You learn to live very CHEAP during this time. Cheap at the grocery store( only buy the specials and meal stretchers), cheap on the light bill( change out light bulbs to CFI's and turn off all lights except for the room you are in, cheap on the gas bill( only essential driving) have your TV service disconnected- keep your internet and watch shows from the internet.

As far as explaining this in an interview- this is where they are screwing the NG's they are hiring. The older experienced nursed can just delete it off their resumes. I guess try and get a second job when the writing is on the wall with the one. It is easier to get another job when you are currently working.

Unemployment is a state fund( Insurance plan) the EMPLOYER pays into to the state on each employEE's behalf. With the ecomony and high unemployment rate, the government had in 2010 up'd the amount each EMPLOYER has to pay= $15,000/employEE( was $7,500) in the event the employEE becomes unemployed and is eligible. This was done to discourage EMPLOYERS from wildly and without merit, getting rid of employees thus adding to the high unemployment rate. I guess the hospital HR depts haven't gotton the jest of why this increase being that they are so busy trying to tell the nurses how to do their jobs, they don't know their own. This 'quit or be fired' crap is their way of threatening the nursing staff- hoping the nursing staff continues to do what nursing has traditionally done- not file for unemployment just go to another job- aka job hopping and not being counted in the National unemployment numbers. Surprise, HR - now a days nurses ARE filing unemployment claims. The way I see it- the moral of the story- these HR depts need to straighten out their illegal acts( age discrimination, not a good fit- getting rid of the whistleblower/complainer") or pay up!! Because Unemployment is OBLIGATED to investigate EACH claim also.

applewhitern, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2012

KCMYLORN: I wish it were that easy in every state. I live in an "employment at-will" state. You can quit without cause, and you can be fired without cause. Unions here are almost non-existent, esp. in hospitals. And the unemployment compensation is a little over $200 bucks per week; nowhere near the $600 you got!

GoingCoastalRNCCRN · Jan 17, 2012

Sounds like lateral violence to me. . .which is a HUGE no-no where I currently work. I think you should go to HR and ask to talk to whoever represents nursing and tell them what's happening. Tell them you feel like you were a victim of lateral violence. Ask them to move you to another unit. That's just wrong.

I worked on a unit where I felt like that too, and I lasted a month before I told them to take the job and shove it. But not before I reported each and every one of them for their poor behavior. Not that it'll matter. . .thick as theives in units like that. . they'll never change.

kcmylorn · Jan 17, 2012

I don't work or live in a "right to work" state. I too live in an employment at will state. Please check your state department of labor website. That is where you will find just exactly what shinanigans these employers are allowed to pull on you and what they are not.

In my experience, years ago and for years up until the last 4-5 years(probably since 2007-2008) healthcare facility employers used to play by the employment/government rules. For the most part, all us nurses had to do was concentrate on nursing practice and the floor politics/the bullyiing high school girl crap. The managment went about their business to keep those floors running and the older managers did just that in the nursing perspective. These labor laws have not changed, but the employer attitude/climate has. Enter the "for a profit competition"aka the business mindset. Now, what ever they can get away with- they will and do and it will be done sooo sneekily, you won't know it, til it's done. These are no longer "NURSE" managers they are business managers, ruthless business managers- which is why so many of these hospitals are under the investigations that they are. A patient's life used to be sacred, not anymore. They are dollars and cents commodities. If a mistake is made or someone dies- because of short staffing, interdepartmental striff, inexperience on the caregiver's(nurse or doctor) part, that hospital is not going to come forth and accept responsibility or blame and fix the problem. They just look for a sacrifice- most of the time "The nurse" and the Nurse mananger leads the witch hunt- and not because they care, and burn you at the stake. It is on with "NEXT"!!

They cover up their dirty underhanded dealing with bookkeeping so the Medicare and Medicaid don't get after them. If they get caught- "Oh, it's the consultant firm we hired fault" I have heard a hospital CEO do that too! If they are willing to lie, cheat and steal the federal governement on reimbursements, you bet they are lying, cheating and stealing on the labor laws. Hense when they get caught( or think they are caught/found out by you) you suddenly become "not a good fit" It's smoke and mirrors. It's their mind game so you dont' go to the Dept of Labor, file an unemployment claim which means a state governemnt agency investigation for your employer on the cause for leaving in an economy when the unemployment rate is this high not to mention, they loose their $15,000 unemployment insurance on you. These employer's today do not want you knowing your rights. The amount of unemployment compensation is a certain percentage of your earnings- I don't know if that percentage varies by state, but the website will tell you that too.There is a cap on how much you can collect each week- which may vary by state also. In my state, Unemployment is capped( for every one- garbage collectors to CEO's) at $600/week and nurses do make that to satisfy that cap. With the big wig execs, that are fired or aske to step down, they get a severance pay which is a private compenstion through thier company AND on top of that they have the nerve to file for unemployment and will get it because they are "entitled" I have read that in the newspaper! and not a smalltown newspaper!! They can get caught with their hands in the till or fudging numbers and facts, have it covered up by the hospital board who ordered the little managers to do it, get a very lucrative severance pay AND collect unemployment! But want the little bedside nurse to feel they are not worth unemployment- "not a good fit" I'd say them underpants are to too tight!! Don't let these creeps pull the wool over your eyes- learn your facts.