NEWBEE2

Hello all, Here's my story in a nut shell.....I graduated may 2008 with my RN degree and have since held three positions as an RN. I was fired from my second position with in 60 days of hire and my third after about six months. I did make mistakes at these places I made medication errors (running antibiotic too quickly, forgetting to chart on patients at end of shift, and not documenting reasons why I did not give meds i.e...pt vs did not warrant giving med and headache with nitropaste) all mistakes that caused no patient harm yet I know I still need to grow from these mistakes and become better at charting everything right away and better managing my time to ensure everything gets done. I had HORRIBLE preceptorships in these positions and they did not prepare me well for the job but, that is NOT an excuse..I get that. Nothing has been reported to the board of nursing in these situations but now I'm having trouble deciding if I should disclose this information on applications or not. I am already finding it hard to get anyone to look at me seriously holding 3 jobs in less than 2 years as an RN . I still want to be a nurse just haven't found my "nitch"..to make it harder to sell myself... Ive been in three different speciality areas to add to it.....Any advice would be much appreciated!!!!!!! I'm currently doing agencey work and it is the worst agencey around in my area....they only have a few ltac client s and I get canceled ALL the time. But, its the only job I got offered so far besides home health which I am very nervous about taking on w/time management being an issue for me on the med-tele unit I worked on (6-7 patients). What can I do to re-establish myself? Any advice on what to say in interviews about these experiences or someone who has been through terminations and rehires??? PLEASE ANY ADVICE would be much appreciated....one disgruntled and burnt out nurse THANKS ALL!!!!!!!

Thanks for your suggestions. I guess in trying to keep me long story short I left out the fact that I also discussed it w/my unit manager and the unit manager of L/D (no director at the time). There advice to me was to move past it and ended up floating me around w/various preceptors for the last few weeks of my orientation. They were not very sympathetic and summed it up to the fact that personal conflicts exist in regards to the preceptor situation. THe fact that they misrepresented the hiring process into L/D is equally discouraging and is not motivation to stay. I am sticking it out for the time being but if something comes up were I feel I would gain more challenging experience and the opportunity to enhance upon existing nursing skills I'll take it in a heart bit. Did I mention I am contracted to pay of my BSN... I think the fact that all the Hospitals are seperate intities under one umbrella makes changing positions harder than applying to an outside organization. Thanks again for your input. Have you always done critical care?

Hi all! Like many new grads I was eager to get new position postgraduation and excited about taking on all the new responsibilites and learning experiences I would have throughout orientation. I completed a great capstone experience in Labor/Delivery but was told after graduation that the policy on the unit was to train new GNs in all areas (i.e.Mother-Baby, Nursery and Levle 2 NICU) before transfer to L/D. So b/c had great experience thought it was worth the 6mo-year I would have to committ to in order to reach my ultimate goal. Little did I know Mother-Baby was not a good fit, very slow paced, didn't feel challenged or learning much from day one and to make it worse..my preceptor was aweful. She too hated her job was promised L/D and hadn't gotten it so she dumped pt's on me from day one and didn't want to spend any time teaching me anything, just belittling me for mistakes. So I almost quit, applied at another hospital a few weeks into oreintation and then got talked into staying by HR. Long story short stayed I still hate it, they hired a recent grad who hired on behind me b/c she was a "doula" a midwifes labor coach. Now I am having trouble finding a hosptial to look at me for any area outside Mother-Baby or Nursery which I don't want to do anymore. Any advice to "sell" myself in an interview to other hosptials and get out of this rut would be much appreciated. Thanks!!! Hope there are new grads out there having a better go at nursing than me.

How did it go did you end up changing hospitals? I had a similiar experience but haven't had the courage to find another position yet. My preceptor was horrible, they didn't train me, I had pt's from day one, was promised to move over from Mother-Baby to L/D and given the speel that that hire w/in first, need to start in Mother/Baby and then they hired a doula!!! I am miserable and need to know that it worked from someone else to change. Best of Luck to you. Hope you find a good fit for you and get out of there sounds like a hospital that does not value you as an employee. :)

Its good to know that others have left and found happiness in the work place. I had a horrible orientation, never got properly trained, had pt's on my own from day one and had a preceptor who made it her job to belittle me and try to get me fired b/c of personality incompatibility. I am still in the job... interviewed at another hospital and then they talked me into staying so thinking it would get better i did. Going on 6 months now and am absolutely hating it still. Problem is I hired into Mother-Baby in hopes of getting Labor/Delivery and now can't find openings in these areas for new grads and am having trouble getting respect from other areas b/c of current position. ANY advice would be GREAT!! Thanks

I can relate to your distress! I too had a horrible orientation...got singled out by my preceptor and almost quit 2 weeks into orientation. To make it worse she went to my boss and tried to get me fired b/c she disliked me soo much. I am quickly learning that working w/competitive women can be very draining emotionally and physically!! I ended up sticking it out, advocating for myself and still work in the same position but, wish I would have left already. I am looking for other positions but made the mistake of going into a speciality area postgraduation (womens services) and am having trouble finding a compatible opening. Hope things have gotten better for you. Keep on keepnig on. It's got to get better!!