new nurse terminated

[marcw]

ok guys, im a new grad nurse, and i just got fired yesterday. i worked at my first job for 3 months then was fired. now i desperately want to find a new job to pay my bills and support my dependants. the thing is, i don't know if i should list that on my resume or not.

i started off working day shifts, then night shift was available to me, and i had no choice but to take it. i had a fairly light schedule the whole time but then last week they decided to give me 3 afternoon shifts then immediately followed by 2 night shifts. i slept at night after my last afternoon shift, woke up in the morning, and then i had some emergency to attend to in the afternoon. it was exhausting, and i didn't get the chance to buy coffee. the result? i fell asleep at work during night shift. for 10 minutes. caught on camera and was immediately fired by the angry employer.

it was my first job, at a private clinic. providing care and doing research on mental health patients. the clinic was non-profit, infact im sure the employers take a lot of money out of their own pocket to pay employees. im not sure exactly where the other part of their funds came from, but it sounded like some fairly big organization. i also got paid in cheques without taxes. so given this situation, do you think this would show up on my employment background check? should i just not list it and apply to future jobs as a new grad?

[RNinthemaking15]

I say honesty is the best policy. It's unfortunate that you were terminated but I wold not suggest lying to gain new employment. If they found out, you could really cause yourself a snowball effect. That's just my opinion. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Are you in the US? Just asking because "cheques" spelling seems to indicate you're not. In the US, employers are required to conduct in-depth background checks & these invariably reveal all job history.

[guest937351]

I have a friend in human resources and it's her job to look up peoples work history... They do a good job looking into new employees, don't risk your professional reputation by lying about a work history you're embarrassed by. RNinthemaking15 is correct honesty is the best policy. Keep your head up :) things always have a way of working out in the end.

[bellabellabijou]

I got fired once. Well, I just left and never went back. Not a great place for me....but I digress.

Anyway. I didn't work there but for a couple of months. I have NEVER mentioned in on a resume. Best to let sleeping dogs lie. Trust me, more people do this than you can imagine.

BTW you have a duty to refuse a shift if you believe you are practicing in an unsafe condition. No sleep is unsafe.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Unfortunately, falling asleep at work while on the clock is a big no-no to most employers and usually gets you disciplined and even fired. Some even consider it abandonment and will report you to your state BON. I'm sorry it happened to you but they didn't do anything unjust. Unfair, maybe. Unjust, no.

I would be honest with your next employer about what happened. I would also avoid applying for positions with rotating shifts--at least with a consistent night schedule, you can adapt your sleeping patterns. But flipping between day, evening and night is tough on anyone.

As far as not paying taxes, some employers will pay employees without tax with the understanding that come tax time the employee will file the appropriate forms and pay the tax themselves to the government. That isn't something a larger organization would do, but a smaller one might. Regardless, YOU are responsible for declaring all the income you make when it comes tax time. I would consult with a tax lawyer in your area to see what you need to do to make sure your taxes get paid, as the last thing you need is the government on you for unpaid taxes.

Best of luck.