Reasons nurses get fired

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What are some reasons you've known nurses to be fired? I worked for a small company and was fired. I'm not going into why, but I did not cause any harm or do anything illegal. To me, those are the reasons nurses get fired.

Specializes in school nurse.
3 hours ago, Davey Do said:

I too empathize with your situation, NOTR. I have been terminated from three out of ten workplaces in my career. It's odd that, on two occasions, my following positions were in administration.

I was working at a small community hospital working in med surge/ER and doing home health shifts here and there for an agency when I got fired. I contacted the home health agency and told them that I had time to pick up more shifts. A month later they offered me the position of nursing supervisor!

Then I got fired from a community mental health center and applied for a nursing supervisor position at another one. When they asked me why I left my last position, I said, "It was a mutual decision". Nothing more was asked.

Then when I got fired from that position and was at a job fair to fill out an application and get a $50 gift certificate, free food and beer. The director of the psych division asked me why I left my last position. I answered, "I got fired".

The next thing out of her mouth was, "When can you come talk to us about a position?"

I ended up working at that position for 16 years.

And counting.

Good luck to you, NOTR!

Beer at a job fair?? I like a company that knows how to recruit...

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Specializes in Psych (25 years), Medical (15 years).
40 minutes ago, Jedrnurse said:

Beer at a job fair?? I like a company that knows how to recruit...

Yeah, Jed, it was an interesting situation. After I'd been fired, I was going to give up nursing. I said, "The heck with it!" and started getting together my freelance artist business. Then, one day, I was in the showers with another nurse (male nurse... at a gym) and he asked me if I'd been down to the job fair. I said I had thought about it and he said "You ought to go- $50 gift certificate just for filling out an application and good eats, man!"

The job fair was being held at a convention center, so I walked in, got a plate and some horderves, an application, and sat down to fill it out when the psych director sat down next to me. She and I had met about 7 years earlier when I had visited the medical center as a community nurse for an ACT program. She asked, "Is there anything I can get for you? I have the time." I said, "Sure! I'd like a beer."

That's when she asked me why I quit my last job, etc.

I visited the medical center a couple of days later and they hired me on the spot. I thought of the salary I was going to ask for, what I thought would be a high-end rate, and they gave me more than that, saying something like "You've been a nurse for this long, so this will be your pay rate". Wow", said I.

My new salary was going to yield me more money than my previous nursing jobs and freelance art combined, so I accepted the offer and hung up my art guns. Art was to be totally for pleasure pretty much from then on.

That was over 16 years ago.

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Bucking the trend, being an outlier of any kind, becoming politically unpopular, refusing to do some unethical thing management wants you to do. A few examples.

I have the patient who complained about me to thank for my NP career.

Thanks again for making that complaint!

Very unlikely I would be here now if you hadn't.

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Specializes in Tele, ICU, Staff Development.
On 5/4/2019 at 8:53 PM, HomeBound said:

In "Right to Work" states, and pretty much any other employment situation outside of having a union---you can get fired for any reason, any time.

Actually, "Right to Work" means you do not have to join a union. "At Will Employment" means you can be fired without reason.

I got those mixed up a lot, too, so I wrote an article ?The Difference Between Right to Work and At Will Employment

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Specializes in Dialysis.

One of my friends turned in a home health company for Medicare fraud. They tried to deny her unemployment by saying fraudulent documentation. She hired a good attorney and found where a manager had written fraudulent documentation (days of hand written records). Wasnt even close to her handwriting. My friend got a nice undisclosed amount from that company

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Sorry you were fired. Knowing what I know about administration it doesn't surprise me even if you did nothing wrong that they would drive you out for something unrelated to the real reason they wanted to fire you. It's interesting how many RNs seem to live in fear of administrators when the "emperor is not wearing clothes." The climate of fear is all admins have to assert control and a great way to do that is target and terminate people who speak out. This is why nurses need strong unions.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Prehospital.
5 hours ago, Nurse Beth said:

Actually, "Right to Work" means you do not have to join a union. "At Will Employment" means you can be fired without reason.

I got those mixed up a lot, too, so I wrote an article ?The Difference Between Right to Work and At Will Employment

Yes. Sorry about that. I reread my comment and said to myself....at will state dimbo.

I've worked most of my career in at will states and I won't willingly go back. I like having my union dues go to the one thing that is worth it....making the lives of petty administrators who feel that their personal opinions matter in the workplaces...a bit more miserable. I realize that unions aren't perfect but they can and often do put the fear that admin likes to dish out...right back in them on behalf of workers.

The thread about calling report is a great example of this. "Being timed" to get an ER patient out of that bed...and fearing admin if it's not done....wouldn't happen in my hospital.

The union protects us from that garbage. I can and often do have the time to do my job as well as get breaks....and call report ?. My charge can lay on my back a little bit but if I feel harassment in any way...I file a grievance. I don't get listed as...one more discharge doesn't happen within 59 minutes, you are fired.

It's a low cost way to ensure you have at least a fair hearing of your side. At will employers do what happened to OP....we are firing you and then placing a gag order on you with legal ramifications...as if being fired isn't soul crushing enough after a med error.

I would bet that OPs employer was one of those places that does things like using nurses as x-ray techs and having them cross train in every task so that they can hire as few bodies as possible. Running someone ragged while holding the sword over their head...and shocked when mistakes happen. I don't know of course, but I just talked to a place to do prn and it was just like that....would you mind doing a few simple chest x-rays if we train you? How about phlebotomy and a little physical therapy? Do you mind answering all the phone calls and do scheduling too?

No. I am a nurse and have to have my head in the game whether it's critical care or urgent care doc in the box.

Op...you have to make a decision. You can sue for unemployment I would wager that there is no piece of paper any employer can have you sign that can defy state law...but you did make a med error. That employer can claim it's a policy that if you do this you are terminated.

Med errors are a hard thing to defend. Just look at the vandy case. It's never easy and I feel for you. Made an insulin drip error myself...too little as opposed to to much but still. I self reported and felt sick every time I hung another insulin drip for years after.

Try to move forward. It's a bitter pill. You can, however, use this as a motivator to do what others have done...change your life for the better. Maybe they did you a favor. I do believe things happen for a reason. Make this a motivator for positive change.

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22 hours ago, traumaRUs said:

1. Excessive absences

2. Insubordination

3. Lying or integrity issues

4. Patient abuse or lack of patient satisfaction

Add misuse of facility/hospital property.

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1) HIPAA violation

2) Sleeping on the night shift

3) Refusing patients and assignments, (nothing to do with the nurses level of knowledge or patients acuity)

4) Drug diversion

5) Excessive use of sick call.

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Thanks for all the replies and the stories, especially the one about getting fired for saying, "Go ahead, fire me!"

I feel a lot better and I'm glad I posted.

I don't need unemployment as I'm working, but I'm not so worried anymore about applying for other jobs. Onward and upward!

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On 5/5/2019 at 4:47 PM, Nursing On The Run said:

OP here. I didn’t chart something fraudulently, I didn’t harm a patient or do any of the things listed. What I did do was self report I made a med error. It didn’t harm a patient, but that’s why I was fired. I also was given severance and signed something saying I would not divulge the fact that I DID sign something, or I would owe my severance back. It also says that I am free to sue but any money collected can’t go to me or to attorney’s fees.

I would sign again— at the time, I really needed to focus on being practical and I was not gonna sue my employer. I have found (contract) work. However, I deeply resent having to tell potential new employers that I was terminated. I need to mentally and emotionally move on. I’m not in the karma delivery business, but boy, i am having a tough time letting go.

It gets better. Really..... sorry this happened.

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On ‎5‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 6:34 PM, nursej22 said:

. Administering IVF to a coworker without an order (practicing medicine without a license.)

Wait......what??????????????? This actually happened?

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