and I am not sure how to move forward with looking for a job. Do I add it to my resume? Is anyone going to hire me after getting terminated? Ive never been fired before and I am so disheartened that I got fired in my nursing career - if you can call it a career after 2 months. Do I just start over fresh like I have had no experience?
It was mostly related to skills, and my DON who fired me suggested I look online and review my skills, etc. so when I do start looking (which I need to do soon) I can say what happened, and that I have been reviewing my skills to make myself better.
Sometimes I got the feeling that they expected more from me as a brand new nurse than I was able to give. I was always there on time, asked questions, jumped in and tried new things, was willing to help - but its almost like they forgot what it was like to be a new nurse and took forgranted that I was a brand new nurse just learning the ropes. Regardless, my license wont be affected - just my bruised ego. I am especially concerned that since LTC seems to be the only place hiring "inexperienced" (less than a year experience) nurses and that is the field I was in that I am not going to find anyone that is understanding in another branch of nursing to take me in and give me another chance.
II am open to suggestions. This is fairly recent so I am still dusting myself off - but I would love to know if any other brand new nurses went thru this and how they coped with it. Thanks so much for the support.
Specializes in MICU/SICU PCU/Education/Transplant.
The problem with LTC a lot of the time is the reason they are the only place hiring is because their turn over is so high. They SHOULD have trained you the way they wanted. If there were problems they should have given you a chance to go back on orientation. Most places give you 2 months of orientation as a new nurses but it seems like you were just tossed in.
I would not put this on my resume but start fresh. I would suggest a LTAC (long term acute care). They tend to be a little more new grad friendly. Also I would call the local hospitals and find out about their new grad programs. Some places only hire new grads at a certain time a year or 2-3 at a time. I hope this helps. As a new nurse it's more likely they didn't train you as opposed to something you did. When I was a brand new nurse I worked in LTC and was constantly pulled in the office and told about things that "i did wrong". I felt awful all the time and never new whaat was right or wrong. The problem wasn't me it was the work load, expectations, and lack of training. I was a brand new nurse taking care of 16 patients some wit TPN, large wounds, multiple medications, IVF and antibiotics. It was hard but I didn't know any better. I've been a nurse 12 years now and I laugh sometimes at that first job. I had no business doing the things I was doing without training. You will move on from this. I would buy a "skills" book and make yourself a cheat sheet that has a place for name, PMH, actue problem, allergies, VS, FS and such so you can keep track of time.
Don't listen to some of the mean comments on here. This will pass and I'm sure you will be fine.
Most LTC places only train 3 days so it's a giant sink or swim thing. Why would you put a job down for reference when you know that they might give you a bad rap? Who cares if the new one finds out...just tell them the truth. Everyone's so busy trying to figure out what to say when all you have to say is the truth...works every time (well; most of the time) lol.
All I can say is that Novo's clinical skills better be perfect because there is no way, with an attitude like that, that he'd make it in psych. And then there's the fact that you need clinical skills in psych too...oh well, I guess he'll be unemployed too.
So just what should we expect from a new grad? I say bring back hospital programs...we were on the floor from the 2nd day and were ready to hit the units running when we graduated.
I have hired 4 new grads the past month. I am appalled at how little they know. One actually said she shouldn't be expected to pass medications if she didn't know what the med was for. Look on the computer screen and you'll find a link to the med we told her. It's the real world and you can't get spoonfed everything. Besides, I've been a nurse longer than most and I still have to look up a med now and then.
I'm sorry you got fired. It is not the end of the world. I worked for a DON who had been fired from 3 different jobs...all for speaking her mind and sticking up for the staff, so you can find another job...and you will.
Good luck.
I am a younger nurse but I have researched what hospital/diploma programs were about and I do think that would be more appropriate to prepare a new nurse on the floor. The classroom and the floor are two different worlds.
I do remember from nursing school the instructors told us if you do not know what a med is for you do not give it. But that doesn't mean refuse to give it... it means go look it up first then give it.
To OP- I find it ridiculous to fire a new nurse 2 months on the job because of her/his skills. And the DON's only suggestion being to look them up on the internet? You shouldn't have to learn your job from youtube. I hope you find a place that will teach you the skills you need to do your job. Don't give in.
I am a registered respiratory therapist and I got hired at the nicu in one of the most world renowned hospitals. There first 2 months they were saying " wow you are amazing. It usually takes me 100 times to train people on new equipment" and they were just going on and on about how great I was. Before I got hired I til them that it was my first job and I had never even set foot in a nicu let alone a nursery. Then one day they said " you dont fit well into our group. You yawn too much. Your clinical skills suck. In the past 20 years that I have been hiring new grads you are the worst one I have hired by far"... Talk about a total bomb drop! My ego was HURT! Some of the things I saw nurses do just flabbergasted me! I did not put them on my resume. It's my resume! I choose what expieeence I want to put on and leave off. I'm not going to put down every job I have ever had either. Employers like 2-3 jobs listed. Since I have gotten fired, I have returned back to school and in my 3rd semester of nursing school. My teachers say I'm one of the strongest students in my class ( don't know if that's true or not but then again I've had people ramble on and on about how great I am and then get canned)... But I must say, I am far LESS scared about patient care than used to be. I am now working for people in their homes taking care of terminally Ill or bed bound patients. I do all of their care, suction, peg, foley, decubitus ulcer changes, the whole 9 yards and I love the environment. In home care, the patients and family are appreciative and hardly ever criticize your work. They are just glad that someone is there taking care of their family. If you screw up something, they say" well you know not to do that again.. Learn from your mistakes honey, you are doing great!" and I'm thinking " woah that's awesome, no big shot head honcho to tell me I suck everyday! This awesome" Anyways moral of the story. Get on Craigslist and look under medical and start working for people in home. You can put that on your resume. Granted its not nursing pay but you can't put a price on expierience. That's the way I see it! I'm getting paid in expierience and that expieeence will land me the job I want when I graduate not working in a slave LTAC facility where they undermine your performance! The end! God speed!
and I am not sure how to move forward with looking for a job. Do I add it to my resume? Is anyone going to hire me after getting terminated? Ive never been fired before and I am so disheartened that I got fired in my nursing career - if you can call it a career after 2 months. Do I just start over fresh like I have had no experience? It was mostly related to skills, and my DON who fired me suggested I look online and review my skills, etc. so when I do start looking (which I need to do soon) I can say what happened, and that I have been reviewing my skills to make myself better. Sometimes I got the feeling that they expected more from me as a brand new nurse than I was able to give. I was always there on time, asked questions, jumped in and tried new things, was willing to help - but its almost like they forgot what it was like to be a new nurse and took forgranted that I was a brand new nurse just learning the ropes. Regardless, my license wont be affected - just my bruised ego. I am especially concerned that since LTC seems to be the only place hiring "inexperienced" (less than a year experience) nurses and that is the field I was in that I am not going to find anyone that is understanding in another branch of nursing to take me in and give me another chance. II am open to suggestions. This is fairly recent so I am still dusting myself off - but I would love to know if any other brand new nurses went thru this and how they coped with it. Thanks so much for the support.
Hi, you don't have to tell any future employers that you were fired and the place that let you go can't legally tell that either. Don't be disheartened you are not supposed to come out of school with awesome clinical skills, you learn those over the first few years of nursing! Keep your chin up and don't lie about the situation but you don't have to tell the whole truth either :$
Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Hi, you don't have to tell any future employers that you were fired and the place that let you go can't legally tell that either. Don't be disheartened you are not supposed to come out of school with awesome clinical skills, you learn those over the first few years of nursing! Keep your chin up and don't lie about the situation but you don't have to tell the whole truth either :$
That is not true,yes a former employer can legally inform a potential employer that you were terminated, as long as it is truthful and a fact. This is a common misconception in the working world.
That is not true,yes a former employer can legally inform a potential employer that you were terminated, as long as it is truthful and a fact. This is a common misconception in the working world.
Roger that. They can say anything they want about you--even negative--as long as it's factual. So if you were fired for certain things that you actually did do, it's fair game in the conversation. Most places adopt that policy of just confirming dates and rehire status to keep their lives simple, but that's not a law they have to follow.
Also keep in mind that employers find out a lot of info about candidates, not from HR, but from word-of-mouth from other people. Nursing is a much smaller world than you think, and you'd be surprised who knows who and where.
Hi I'm sorry this has happened but like people have said forward keep pushing . You are not the first nurse to get fired and you won't be the last. Just be open and explain what happened but don't hide it. I was fired once as a nurse based off of false allegations from a family member. believe me i was peeved and was tempted just to forget that job ever existed. But i didn't and for three months i applied to over 20 places and one placed called back. When they asked what happened and i explained, never heard from them again. You can bet i was like the truth will not set you free. my current job i didn't put it on my resume but when i did the interview with the DON. I told her everything and she was very understanding. i am not telling you to do that but it is best even if it takes some time to let them know what happened we all make mistakes. You live and learn. Good luck sweetie
my current job i didn't put it on my resume but when i did the interview with the DON. I told her everything and she was very understanding. i am not telling you to do that but it is best even if it takes some time to let them know what happened we all make mistakes. You live and learn. Good luck sweetie
Nurseykins76
8 Posts
I'm a psych nurse and if you think it doesn't involve skills you live in a glass house shielded from real life