More than 10 years with the hospital, always good yearly evals. New manager. So, out with the old, in with the new, on the charge of not following the "values."
I'm so hurt, and angry, and scared. No insurance. Unemployment is not close to enough to pay the bills. And who wants an old RN?
They own the county. I can't handle LTC. So, I am applying at the stores and pharmacies for anything full-time, but think that the only thing that I will probably be offered will be a "greeter" position.
I guess I am just looking for validation as a decent human being, and as a good nurse.
You must have worked for Banner Healthcare. They use the catch phrase of 'not meeting core values' as a method of firing the older, more experienced nursing staff. They should all be ashamed of themselves! I see this happening so much and it's embarrassing to the profession of nursing! The younger, less expensive and less experienced nurses are being put into positions of power which they have not earned!!! Those of us who have been in the trenches for a long time work every day, wondering if we're going to have a job tomorrow. Worse yet, is the risk to the patients by not having us on the floor. Those young, inexperienced, robotic minds cannot see passed the physician's orders to the patient. They blindly carry them out, not contemplating that there may be an error. Those of us who manage to remain below the radar and above the firing line do whatever we can to keep ourselves looking young, just to hang onto our jobs. Guess the old phrase of 'nurses eating their young' doesn't apply anymore. Now, it's 'nurses eating their elders'. God bless you and I hope you find something soon. Just a suggestion; ever thought of working as a nurse consultant?
I've seen this already at a hospital system that is filled with young newbies and next to no older nurses. I had a family member there and the nurses wouldn't dream of questioning a doctor's orders or should I say lack of care. They were like young stepford nurses only following doctors orders and had no clue or desire to be a true patient advocate. My family member was very anemic and the doctor wouldn't give her a transfusion and the nurses just refused to speak up about this and advocate for a blood transfusion. Then when I spoke up to the attending covering that weekend one nasty young nurse in particular stood there smirking at me when he refused to give her a transfusion and claimed the labs weren't in and begged off. Of course, I later found out the labs had been there for hours! This nasty nurse felt so powerful that the doctor refused to give my poor loved one the blood she desparately needed to be stronger and able to breathe. It was a comfort measure. How someone can be so cold and unfeeling about the suffering of a patient. Frankly she was the last person who should be a nurse. We don't need cold unfeeling robot stepford nurses, most our just afraid or in awe of the doctors or lack knowledge to advocate, but she purposely tried to sabotage my family member getting the right treatmeat. Finally another specialist stepped in and gave her the needed blood transfusion, but I think it is sad that the new nurses are too busy trying to please everybody then to make waves when necessary as a patient advocate.
I know not everyone is like this but the reason hospitals prefer the young new nurses is low pay and they feel they are more moldable to their stepford nurse customer service model and they have no clue how understaffed and overworked they are as they don't know how things used to be!
Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
What I'm curious about for those who've been fired or know of someone who has been fired what happens to your pension? Do you lose it or are you allowed to keep it or do you have to get a lawyer to hold onto your pension?
Also if you are fired and they fight your unemployment but you appeal and are given unemployment do you have the legal ability to get health insurance thru HIPPA (COBRA) or is that denied the moment they fire you?
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If you are vested it should be fine unless there is a "leave in good standing" clause. Most facilities no longer offer pensions so it would be your own 401K.
If you were fired they do not offer COBRA, usually. Essentially you are out of luck.
I'm only 6 years younger, and I just got my BSN! I'm so sorry that happened to you, and just from your post and the tone of it, I'd strongly suspect that you ARE a good person, a good nurse, and were shafted by some idiot(s). I wish you the best.
You must have worked for Banner Healthcare. They use the catch phrase of 'not meeting core values' as a method of firing the older, more experienced nursing staff. They should all be ashamed of themselves! I see this happening so much and it's embarrassing to the profession of nursing! The younger, less expensive and less experienced nurses are being put into positions of power which they have not earned!!! Those of us who have been in the trenches for a long time work every day, wondering if we're going to have a job tomorrow. Worse yet, is the risk to the patients by not having us on the floor. Those young, inexperienced, robotic minds cannot see passed the physician's orders to the patient. They blindly carry them out, not contemplating that there may be an error. Those of us who manage to remain below the radar and above the firing line do whatever we can to keep ourselves looking young, just to hang onto our jobs. Guess the old phrase of 'nurses eating their young' doesn't apply anymore. Now, it's 'nurses eating their elders'. God bless you and I hope you find something soon. Just a suggestion; ever thought of working as a nurse consultant?
Gross. I still would pursue this with an attorney based on principle. What changed with her that all of a sudden she didn't meet "core values." It's disgusting. OP, please, please fight this. It should be fought just like any other EEOC violation-->sex, age, gender, orientation, religion, etc.
At Will Employment employers can fire for reason OR NO REASON AT ALL--the HUGE CAVEAT to that is violation of federal EEOC law.
OP GET a smart employment lawyer and file an EEOC complaint ASAP. Note the question I put forth; that is, why, after all this time, was it considered that you had not met core values
It looks very suspicious and BAD for the employer.
I am not one to endorse fighting wrongful termination suits where the probability of winning a case in very low; but for certain things, like firing someone when they are out on family leave or something that clearly falls under EEOC, such as your situation, well, this is able to be fought with a much greater probability of winning or settling out of court than a general wrongful termination suit.
No pressure, but you do yourself and other nurses and folks in the same age bracket a great injustice if you don't fight such things. If it happened once, it can happen again. This is blatantly wrong on the face of it, and you could be at jeopardy if you don't pursue it. The reason I say this is that age may be a factor in finding another nursing position.
Wow, things are getting really bad, and I feel like it will only get worse all the way around for those over 60.
Again I don't think it is statistically beneficial for a nurse to fight many unfair, wrongful termination suits, but one that clearly violates federal law should be pursued. Don't waste anytime doing this--even if you have to borrow the money from someone in order to see a lawyer.
The comment about the HUC and CNA's being used to report the nurses:
This was a large part of the scene. CNA's were enlisted, encouraged to report the RN's. Especially the RN's who expected the CNAs to do their jobs... that's another whole story.. There were STELLAR CNA's on my floor.. and there were CNA's that really liked being in the manager's pocket. I really loved my job.. I took the students for the day, I precepted the new nurses, I was one of the resources for the computer, and the docs, after all this time, liked and respected me.. Apparently, they were angered by my termination, as well, but this is considered to be a "nurse issue," so what the docs think about this doesn't matter...
I said I loved my job, and my patients and most of my co-workers.. but the place, I don't know, hostile environment, elitist... going for Magnet in a big way, and I guess I just didn't fit the mold that the new manager wanted.
Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
If you were fired they do not offer COBRA, usually. Essentially you are out of luck.
Not true. COBRA must be available unless one is fired for gross misconduct, which doesn't appear to be the case here. Remember that COBRA doesn't cost the employer anything, as the worker is picking up the full cost of group coverage, plus possibly a service fee to the employer.
The comment about the HUC and CNA's being used to report the nurses:
This was a large part of the scene. CNA's were enlisted, encouraged to report the RN's. Especially the RN's who expected the CNAs to do their jobs... that's another whole story.. There were STELLAR CNA's on my floor.. and there were CNA's that really liked being in the manager's pocket. I really loved my job.. I took the students for the day, I precepted the new nurses, I was one of the resources for the computer, and the docs, after all this time, liked and respected me.. Apparently, they were angered by my termination, as well, but this is considered to be a "nurse issue," so what the docs think about this doesn't matter...
I said I loved my job, and my patients and most of my co-workers.. but the place, I don't know, hostile environment, elitist... going for Magnet in a big way, and I guess I just didn't fit the mold that the new manager wanted.
Is it possible you could get a job working for one of the doctors that support you. I remember one nurse that management wanted to get rid of quit and took a job with a doctors office.
If the EEOC could do anything about it, they might.
Please, look again at the link I posted earlier regarding "RFOA" (Reasonable Factors Other than Age) as a means employers use to escape age discrimination lawsuits. This is highly complex stuff...
If you go to this page: EEOC Home Page and look at EEOC lawsuits in the left sidebar, yes, some age discrimination lawsuits are being won.
Our hospital used the preemptive tactic of offering "early retirement packages" en masse, after a period of media propaganda, fear tactics and fear mongering including systematic targeting, and a series of provocative letters from the CEO outlining our dire financial straits ... and it worked: they successfully got rid of a whole lot of people in one fell swoop, while keeping their noses clean. They played the victim role by using the downturn in the economy as a platform to launch the plan.
A year later and all those "retired", laid off, and otherwise nefariously fired nurses have been replaced in short order with constant supply of cheaper newbs churned out of our local nurse mill-->cough
You RN's with less than ten years experience take heed. Tomorrow it's you.
Ocyn
4 Posts
What about nurse navigator? Your experience may be valuable for someone who needs a "seasoned" nurse.