we often see threads with the title "fired for no reason," or "new grad harassed and fired" or something to that effect. and i always feel at least a little sympathy for the individual involved, if only because i can clearly see by reading between the lines of their self-justifying post that there was a reason for their termination, even if they just don't get it. (there are always a few posts every year from a new grad who is convinced that the reason she's not getting along with her co-workers is that she's just so beautiful they're all jealous, that crowds of mean people are following her around, that she's so wonderful she's going to rock the er or icu or nicu or or and no one sees her wonderfulness clearly, or that some mean, tired, old nurse who ought to retire and get out of the way is targeting her for no good reason.)
i worked with a new grad who was recently terminated for, as she puts it, totally bogus reasons. evidently seeing mine as a sympathetic ear, she went on and on and on about how unfair it was that management expected her to get her act together and actually understand what was going on with her patients. "i've got the time management thing down pat," she said. "i don't know what else they want. they're just picking on me for no good reason." i liked sal, i really did. she was interesting and entertaining and really, really nice. she was also smart, hard-working (when she was at work) and well-educated. but she didn't study outside of work, and really didn't understand what was going on with her patients. i participated in several meetings with her in which it was pointed out that it's not enough to do the tasks, you have to understand why you're doing them. it's not enough to draw the labs. you have to understand what the results mean and then address them. for instance, if the inr is 9, it might explain the nosebleed, the cherry red urine and the fact that the hemoglobin is now 6. giving the coumadin at 6pm as scheduled is not a good thing, even if you gave it right on time and were able to explain to the patient that "it's a blood thinner." i could go on and on.
i got a call from sal today, complaining that she knows she's blackballed for no good reason because she just can't get another job. she wanted me to give her a reference. did she just not get it?
all you new grads out there who are convinced that you're being picked on for no reason, that your more experienced colleagues are just out to get you, and that you're being unfairly targeting, harassed, or picked on, hear this: it may be something you're doing (or not doing) and all those "mean people" are trying to explain it to you so you catch on, learn your job and succeed. we all tried over and over with sal, and she still doesn't get it. are you guilty of the same thing? if your preceptor says you lack critical thinking skills, do you take it to heart, think about it and learn from it? or are you convinced that the entire issue is that she's jealous of your extreme good looks? if your charge nurse charges you with a deficit in your time management skills do you spend time figuring out where you could speed things up a bit? or do you dismiss her as a tired old dog who can't learn a new trick and ought to retire anyway? are you taking to heart and benefitting from any negative feedback you're getting, however poorly given it is? or are you obsessing about how "mean" that nurse was to you and totally overlooking the message?
i wish sal would have "gotten it." she would have been delightful to work with if she had. but right now she's focused on badmouthing her preceptors and the charge nurse, and she still doesn't understand what she did wrong. don't make the same mistakes.
Dont drink the opinions from this thread, its a dangerous/poinsonous kool-aid for newer/student nurses. There should be a filter on this thread that locks out anyone with 3 or less years in the field.
Well, I am just under 3 years. I take charge every day I work while still taking a full assignment. I have oriented new staff AND new grads. And, if I do say so myself, I rock. I am a damn good nurse, damn good preceptor, and the students seek me out when they are down for the day.
If there was a "Filter" for people under 3 years then I wouldn't have any say in this conversation.
Not all new grads, new nurses, experienced nurses, and seasoned nurses are the same.
If GNs and vet. nurses stand together (now there is a pipe dream) we can make things better for our profession, for everyone in our profession, GN and veteran alike.
You're right! We SHOULD all stand together------> for patient safety, not ego protection. If a new grad is dangerous and can't be remediated, then she needs to go.
End of story. And we shouldall STAND for that, together.
New nurses, new grads, please understand it is rare a new nurse is terminated. If you stop and think how many nurses complete their orientations and go on to a successful career you would realize the length people do go through to try and retain new staff.
I am an LPN, slowly working towards my RN which is somewhat difficult being a single mom. I too was fired for NO reason. I have been a nurse for 16 years and for the last 8 have been an MDS and care plan coordinator in a skilled nursing facility with my primary focus on Medicare and maximizing reimbursement. I got my AANAC certification a couple of years ago also. The most revent place I worked was for over three years and I doubled reimbursement for the facility plus many other responsibilities. In just over three years, I had 4 different DON's and three different administrators. The most recent DON was all about herself and had to surround herself with people who she knew. So, she did just that. I was the first of several to go. She replaced me with an RN because she felt she needed an RN in my position. Oh yeah, this RN also just happens to be her friend!!!! When I was told of what was going to take place, I was not offered a different position or anything like that. I received a small severence package with a letter of recomendation from the administrator himself. When I took the severence agreement back, I went to the nursing center to say some good byes and can you believe I was actually told by security that I had to leave???!!! I was appalled!! I have never been terminated in my life and have never been even so much as written up. It just blows my mind, that you can be terminated for no reason at all!!!! Yes, nurses can and are fired for NO reason. All of my work was in state compliance, reimbursement was incredible, but this didn't matter!!!!! I have since been hired by another facility with better pay and better benefits because of my experience. I wish the past facility luck, because they are going to need it!!!!!
Well, I am just under 3 years. I take charge every day I work while still taking a full assignment. I have oriented new staff AND new grads. And, if I do say so myself, I rock. I am a damn good nurse, damn good preceptor, and the students seek me out when they are down for the day.
If there was a "Filter" for people under 3 years then I wouldn't have any say in this conversation.
Not all new grads, new nurses, experienced nurses, and seasoned nurses are the same.
You're right! We SHOULD all stand together------> for patient safety, not ego protection. If a new grad is dangerous and can't be remediated, then she needs to go.
End of story. And we shouldall STAND for that, together.
You take things waaaay too personal. No need to defend yourself here. Trust me...........you were no where near my mind while making that post.
That was for the person I was quoteing. He and a number of people have asked me "are we really that bad, does that thread really reflect what vet. nurses think of us?". Not the twisted "just cause I'm a new nurse doesnt mean I cant blah blah blah" interpretation you gave it. Not at all about that.
The point is, GNs and newer nurses read this stuff and think "oh gee, it is true, nurses do eat their young, if I make a mistake, I'll be outcasted, burned at the stake."
This sort of thing adds pressure to a situation that is already a pressure cooker. I had a hard time with being a new grad, always fearing that I was dragging down the experienced nurses with my constant questions and need for help with more difficult skills (starting IVs wasnt my cup of tea at first, had to get someone to do the harder sticks for me for my first six months). Why make it any harder than it has to be?
I'm sure you are a fine nurse, and I, as everyone else, love to hear your input. But please, give me the benefit of the doubt with the interpretations. You had to really stretch that a bit to get from where I was with it to how you took it.
Sounds like a real kick in the teeth. Yeah, the whole security escort is a policy everywhere. Has to be a yucky feeling though. I know someone close to retirement but without the circumstances to retire, have to go look for another job...After approx 25 years! She got another job quickly though and she's seems like she will be OK too.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
you take things waaaay too personal. no need to defend yourself here. trust me...........you were no where near my mind while making that post.
that was for the person i was quoteing. he and a number of people have asked me "are we really that bad, does that thread really reflect what vet. nurses think of us?". not the twisted "just cause i'm a new nurse doesnt mean i cant blah blah blah" interpretation you gave it. not at all about that.
the point is, gns and newer nurses read this stuff and think "oh gee, it is true, nurses do eat their young, if i make a mistake, i'll be outcasted, burned at the stake."
this sort of thing adds pressure to a situation that is already a pressure cooker. i had a hard time with being a new grad, always fearing that i was dragging down the experienced nurses with my constant questions and need for help with more difficult skills (starting ivs wasnt my cup of tea at first, had to get someone to do the harder sticks for me for my first six months). why make it any harder than it has to be?
i'm sure you are a fine nurse, and i, as everyone else, love to hear your input. but please, give me the benefit of the doubt with the interpretations. you had to really stretch that a bit to get from where i was with it to how you took it.
i hate that expression "nurses eat their young". this thread was not intended to have any commentary at all about "young eating". it's about a new grad in her 40s who for whatever reason, not only wasn't "getting it" but had so little clue as to what the situation was that she honestly seemed to believe that she was being targeted "for no reason." the fact that she wasn't catching on, wasn't using her critical thinking skills, wasn't learning the drugs, had no idea what a swan-ganz catheter was after 3 months and retaking her hemodynamic monitoring class twice and told everyone she not only wasn't studying at home but didn't intend to never penetrated her head as a possible reason for the difficulties she was having at work. the fact that this woman got fired has nothing whatsoever to do with "nurses eating their young."
this thread also had nothing to do with new grads in general, my opinion of them or the opinion of the majority of old, nasty, fat and ugly nurses about newbies in general. the point of this entire thread was that we hear from so many newbies who have lost their jobs and attribute the fault to management unfairly targeting them, senior staff being too harsh and critical or people hating them because they're beautiful -- and oftentimes the problem lies not with the senior staff and managment but with the newbie himself or herself. and some newbies are so clueless that they just don't get that. some newbies. not all.
if everyone who went from job to job and felt he or she was followed by "crowds of mean people, wherever i go" or that "all those old dinosauers i work with should just retire and get out of my way" or that "nurses are all catty women who hate me because i'm just sooooo good looking and they're not" stopped and looked at their own behavior and what they were contributing to the interactions with those mean, old, catty co-workers, we might be able to do away with that awful expression. believe me, folks, us fat, ugly old dinosauers really don't care how young and beautiful you are. we just want you to learn to do the job safely and efficiently so that you'll be there to take care of us when we need it.
i hate that expression "nurses eat their young". this thread was not intended to have any commentary at all about "young eating". it's about a new grad in her 40s who for whatever reason, not only wasn't "getting it" but had so little clue as to what the situation was that she honestly seemed to believe that she was being targeted "for no reason." the fact that she wasn't catching on, wasn't using her critical thinking skills, wasn't learning the drugs, had no idea what a swan-ganz catheter was after 3 months and retaking her hemodynamic monitoring class twice and told everyone she not only wasn't studying at home but didn't intend to never penetrated her head as a possible reason for the difficulties she was having at work. the fact that this woman got fired has nothing whatsoever to do with "nurses eating their young."
this thread also had nothing to do with new grads in general, my opinion of them or the opinion of the majority of old, nasty, fat and ugly nurses about newbies in general. the point of this entire thread was that we hear from so many newbies who have lost their jobs and attribute the fault to management unfairly targeting them, senior staff being too harsh and critical or people hating them because they're beautiful -- and oftentimes the problem lies not with the senior staff and managment but with the newbie himself or herself. and some newbies are so clueless that they just don't get that. some newbies. not all.
if everyone who went from job to job and felt he or she was followed by "crowds of mean people, wherever i go" or that "all those old dinosauers i work with should just retire and get out of my way" or that "nurses are all catty women who hate me because i'm just sooooo good looking and they're not" stopped and looked at their own behavior and what they were contributing to the interactions with those mean, old, catty co-workers, we might be able to do away with that awful expression. believe me, folks, us fat, ugly old dinosauers really don't care how young and beautiful you are. we just want you to learn to do the job safely and efficiently so that you'll be there to take care of us when we need it.
what term would you use? serious question. a few days ago i was discussing going into the icu with a nurse who i really respect at my current job. she said the same thing, hates that term................understands why it came to be but still hates it. i thought it was funny. never thought about it really cause i've heard the term so much.
after 200 something posts, i think we finally realize we are talking about the same thing. some newbies, not all.
that was how i felt anyway. no hard feelings. hope all is well with you ruby.
:dlets start a new thread about........well, whatever.
That was a really good thread though it went off into a million directions. It was the first I followed when I happened onto this forum. I feel fortunate that my timing was what it was. I have been enjoying this new addiction since I've been home on a LOA. Thanks Ruby for your wisdom.
I've been reading this for a while, without commenting. It made me go back and think about my own experience.
With 6 months experience in med/surg, I wanted to go on to critical care. I was hired at a rural ER. The manager gave me 90 days to orient and learn everything there is to learn about the ER. (ha ha, like you can learn that in a rural er in 90 days) But, I was naive and thought that I could do it, and I wanted to get into critical care sooo badly.
Anyway, I worked ONE dayshift and then was put on nights with a TRAVEL NURSE and an LVN. The travel nurse was responsible for orienting me. Now, while I understand that during those 90 days, there was really no way for me to learn very much, and I certainly could not be turned loose to charge on nights. I don't know what in the world this manager was thinking putting me in that situation.
When the 90 days was up, she let me go. But I couldn't help but wonder why in the heck she thought a new grad could orientate on NIGHT SHIFT with a TRAVEL NURSE who wanted to renew her contract. Even IF I had done well, this travel nurse knew her job was over if I succeeded.
At the time, I was heartbroken. But, a day or so later the ICU manager from a sister hospital hired me on by transferring me. I was grateful that I wasn't fired and had the wonderful experience of a GREAT ICU ORIENTATION. I was much better able to take care of my ICU patients after this orientation.
It all worked out for the best. I am really glad that I didn't stay in that ER, and I know now that ER is NOT for me!~! lol
I guess where I"m making my point is,,,, they never really gave me a chance, and looking back 6 years later, I can say that they set me up to fail. Come on, night shift at a rural ER, orientation by a travel nurse who doesn't want her contract to end,,, ... there is more, but I won't get into it here...
I KNOW this thread is for those new nurses who "just don't get it", but I just couldn't get it because no one helped me at all.. but like I said, it all turned out for the best and the experience is one that has helped me. I can see how an orientee can be put in a bad situation.
Well, I am a TRAVEL NURSE and I have been assigned to precept nurses new to my specialty a number of times. I have enjoyed it, and it has gone very well.
On my last contract, I precepted the newly hired unit manager who had no experience whatsoever in dialysis- she went right into hospice home care after graduating, and had never done any other kind of nursing.
I was not even asked to precept her- she was just thrown into the unit, and I ended up precepting her by default.
I recently spoke to her and things are going well- she is feeling a lot more comfortable with the unit and again thanked me for my help.
Maybe the particular traveler who trained you didn't work out for you- but it wasn't because she was a traveler.
We have travelers on my unit who have had contracts there for a couple of years and they precept. No big deal though because they know what they are doing.
Virgo, That reminds me of when one day the nurse who was taking care of my mom, called me. By that time my mom had been in a nursing home a few years. She said she called to tell me that she made a med error, and accidentally gave her an Ativan. I said: "Well she'll probably get a good nights sleep. And thank you for being the nurse I now trust the most. It looks like the first med error in all this time, and we know that's not true." She was not new and evidently kept her values.
cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN
4,106 Posts
Well, I am just under 3 years. I take charge every day I work while still taking a full assignment. I have oriented new staff AND new grads. And, if I do say so myself, I rock. I am a damn good nurse, damn good preceptor, and the students seek me out when they are down for the day.
If there was a "Filter" for people under 3 years then I wouldn't have any say in this conversation.
Not all new grads, new nurses, experienced nurses, and seasoned nurses are the same.
You're right! We SHOULD all stand together------> for patient safety, not ego protection. If a new grad is dangerous and can't be remediated, then she needs to go.
End of story. And we should all STAND for that, together.