Question About HR Process & Frmr Employer

Specialties General Specialties

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Hello all! Wondering if you can help? I was recently terminated for not documenting some medications (20 yr nurse, I don't know why it happened, I remember my computer froze) 2 meds to be exact, one a narcotic, the other was not. Now I have been terminated, and my manager is reporting me to the board for alleged diversion of said undocumented meds. (Didn't do it, all drug tests negative of course). I was on my way out of the facility and was already interviewing anyway. My question is this: When my prospective employers call this manager, is he within his rights to say when/how/why I was terminated? Thanks for any insight you can give me!

W.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

As long as it is factual, former employers may say whatever they like legally. There may be other internal policies that are more restrictive, such as dates of employment and eligibility for rehire.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

^^^^Yep.

In spite of popular belief, former employers absolutely can say why you were fired and answer questions about you, as long as they're factual. One very telling factual question I'm often asked when I'm called for references is "Would you hire this person again?"

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I don't think I would even list this manager at all. Who knows what will come out of his/her mouth. Could you just give them the number to HR and all they can do is verify you worked there? You could let prospective employers know your old place of employment doesn't allow them to be references or something of that sort.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I'd be inclined to be candid with any prospective employer. "The computer froze and I missed getting back to sign out two medications. My employer instantly terminated me for diversion, even though I've never diverted anything and he has my negative drug screens. I had hoped my clean 20 year nursing track record would have stood for something, but in this case it didn't."

Of course it also depends on the status of your license. Did your employer report you?

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