RNSteph75

HouTx thank you so much for your response. I truly want to learn all that I can from the experience and use it to make me an even better nurse. I agree wholeheartedly that honesty is the best policy. I believe somehow this will come through for my best and the best for my nursing career, despite how painful and confusing it is right now. Human Resources did tell me that I am eligible for rehire, so that is at least to my benefit. Again thanks for your reply and encouragement!

Thank you Cat365. I am hoping I can project my passion and eagerness for critical care and possibly earn the opportunity of being worth a chance at another hospital. Like you said however, I am open to other areas. I'm also realistic that the likelihood might not be high that a manager would be willing to hire me to the same area I just essentially "failed" in. I also want to be wise in the aspect of placing myself in a good environment for the development of my own nursing skills and most importantly to provide safe care to my patients. Thanks for your encouragement and feedback!

Hello Eagerbeaver1 there is a way to look up what states licenses transfer to I would just spend some time on Google to find out. As far as study materials, I used a website called UWorld. It was about $60 but the layout looks EXACTLY like the NCLEX and there are more than enough questions to get you prepared. I would ask other nurses in your area if they have any NCLEX prep books you can borrow if money is tight. There are so many of them out there. I used Saunders and really liked it. But I cannot say enough about UWorld, I definitely recommend that. I have also heard VERY good things about HURST review courses. Best of luck to you, don't give up!

I was just let go this week a the end of my orientation in an intensive care unit. This was my first nursing job. I am devastated. I truly loved this field and felt like I was ready to go on my own. Sure I had a disorganized day here and there, I'm a new nurse! But I was gaining confidence exponentially day by day. I had ONE manager that seemed to want to get rid of me, and for what I do not know. I was always friendly, responsible, respectful, diligent, and eager to learn. I even volunteered for things on the unit. But I could sense a negative vibe from her and sure enough she started pressing my preceptors for any little mistake. She started counseling me for things like a math error on a med calculation sheet the very first time I did one while trying to figure it out on my own. All of our sheets require 2 RNs to check calculations so they are MEANT to help catch human error. After the first one where I made the error, I did the next and subsequent one's without error. I NEVER made a med-error, or put a patient in harms way. I was actually handling a full patient load completely with no or VERY minimal involvement from my preceptors at the end of orientation. I have sat down and tried to carefully soul search, I have discussed the examples that were given to me with some of my preceptors and experienced nurse friends. All of them have said they were things that even experienced nurses do, and even do far worse. People gave me feedback that my competency is exactly how any new nurse is when orienting to ICU. Several people have said, "there wouldn't be any nurses left on this unit if they penalized everyone for those things" However, none of that can change the fact that I was excused from the unit as "not ready for the ICU" I know there is always something to be learned, please be kind as I am sure experience is what I am lacking. At any rate, it is what it is and I need to focus on what is before me. I am very concerned about my hire-ability and what to say when asked about my short four month nursing employment. So do I dare apply to the same field in a different hospital (I really loved it) or do I apply for something less acute? I would love to hear from those who hire nurses, and/or who have hired nurses with a similar situation. I certainly know not to say anything negative about my previous manager, or to have a victim mentality. Is it appropriate to say that it was just not a good fit? Any insight is much appreciated!