Rejected after 8 years of working for the company

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

Welcome to the world of work, OP.

Please pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. When my chin is on the ground, I do the preceeding. Go to youtube.com and type in "pick yourself up, dust" etc. and listen to this great, inspiring tune. After you cry and mope for a couple of days.

You are human, you are going to be in mourning for a spell. Maybe angry, too. But please forgive your boss, who seems to have done you wrong by not offering you a chance to improve, by not working with you. Sounds like a boss I had. She had made up her mind to get me fired. I felt her reason was more personal - she just didn't like me. Imagine that! LOL

But sometimes bosses use their power to make life hard for those unfortunate enough to be in their grip.

So, do what the Bible says to do. Forgive her. Right now. You don't have to feel forgiving, you just need to acknowledge that you can hate her and grow bitter or ask God's help and give the problem to Him. He loves you and will never fail you. He will open doors you didn't even know existed. He is the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. But we have to live by His rules if we are to receive His greatest blessings. And these blessings sometimes come in disguise. And the process of getting them can be arduous, long, and painful. Never mind all that, though. Just put your trust in Him, forgive this boss, and start applying for work. Call on anyone you might know who could possibly help. Leave out the details, just let folks know you are looking for _____ (whatever you need).

I think it might not hurt to ask your boss for some specifics. Don't do it in anger, just say you would really be grateful for her giving you the information you need to work on yourself. If she won't talk to you, forget it and just move on.

Look at some comedy shows on youtube (assuming you have easy, free access to a computer). Listen to "They All Laughed", too. Very inspiring.

You will be fine.

Sorry if you do not share my religious views. Not trying to push anything on you, just offering to you something that helps me and I hope you find help, too.

pinkfish333 · Sep 16, 2012

sounds like management has an alterior motive.. mistakes are probably common in long term care, its impossible to get everything right every single day, with all those residents, all those meds, all the concerns that come up, skin care, wound treatments, families and managers calling your phone, resident falls, meetings, inservices, (oh and breaks which we dont even have time to take) and all the documentation on top of that, i find it almost impossible to do everything im actually supposed to be doing on my shift... and i work fast and efficient, and have lots of experience

DSkelton711 · Sep 16, 2012

Make a plan of correction for yourself so that when you have to tell why you were let go you can go into why you are better for it and what you did to make sure these things do not occur again. Everyone makes mistakes, it is what we learn from them that matters. If mistakes were due to time management learn ways to get things done more efficiently. Double-check yourself. When it comes to meds, do not allow yourself to be distracted by others unless it is an emergency. Continue to learn and improve. Good luck. I know it must feel awful to have been with this company for 8 years and then feel there is no loyalty from them. It is hurtful. But don't take it personal. Make your plans then start your search when you are ready mentally and have put in place your corrections.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

We cannot know how many errors there were. There could have been 2. Maybe they were serious, pt harmed? But we cannot assume there were more than OP says.

FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

...during the last 2 months I made two med errors, incomplete charting and, manager said, I need more confidence, also she said she really thinks I need a different enviroment (I worked in nursing home)

[COLOR=#003366]oliviabel, Sorry to hear about all of your troubles, this is a rough time to experience the loss of a job, but I have a few questions as well. Was anyone hurt or killed as a result of your medication error? I know that's a hard question, but it would answer why you were terminated for what seems like such a simple mistake over 2 months. Charting mistakes at an LTC, are a dime a dozen and routinely corrected as a matter of course, so it seems unlikely that played heavily in the decision. Is there a chance the NM was a bigot? You said you were not of American descent; did you ever detect any animosity on her behalf, prior to this final confrontation? Is he/she the same NM that has been there all along or is he/she new? I know you are embarrassed by this, but you really haven't given us the whole picture here. Of course you really didn't ask us to investigate it either did you? So I apologize for my pushiness, I'm just trying to figure out why an employee with 8 years of service would be terminated. I understand your status changed when you became a Nurse. Are you an LPN or an RN? Did you work full time while you were in school? These are all important issues you could bring up during a job interview as well. One point to remember, when they are contacted by potential employers, former employers are extremely reluctant to mention anything other than dates of employment for fear of being taken to court. I am not encouraging you to lie about anything, as others have already pointed out, that is the kiss of death and is grounds for dismissal before you are ever hired. But, you don't have to go in there and bare your soul either. If someone asks you a question, answer it, but answer it as they suggest you do in court with yes and no answers, elaborating only when they ask for more information.

oliviabel · Sep 16, 2012

Wow, so many comments, thank you so much for the support. Kooky Korky, 4 mistakes, but two was not my fault, out of two left was Lidoderm patch not taken off at night. Mistakes had no harm to the patients. I also started to go to church and that experience made me closer to God, I pray that He will help me to get throguh it, give me strength.

DSkelton, I was thinking about plan of correction, I think someone else on here offered it as well, everything my manager mentioned I will work on. Charting, I am not sure though, but it is kinda self explanatory, I need more details and revealing my interventions.

Pinkfish, I agree it can get very very busy, but as I already heard comment on here in the future I might just have to punch out and finish my work (better than getting fired for sure).

JMB nurse, I got my raise twice during the time I worked as an RN, my PPRs was always good, I think last two months my performance was not satisfactory as I had been going through a lot of changes in my life.

Fallenangel nurse, I agree, lying is not a sign of confidence nor the way to get a job. Crazierthanyou, I actaully listed that reason:"not a good fit" on my application we will see if it works

trai1971 · Sep 16, 2012

This makes me sad. I think that your med. errors in the last 2 months, which I assume are out of character for you, were somehow psychologically stress induced, not to excuse it, but that is what I believe. It's sad that it got to that point. I fear this happening to me as well, being "seasoned" nurse in LTC, and I have a coworker who likes to take issue with me & would find no greater joy than to see me fired. Makes it very stressful & our jobs can be stressful enough with all the resposiblities without other emloyees or managers adding to the mix. I hope that you fnd employment that is appreciative of your experience, and I am sorry that you had to go through this experience. Good luck to you.

oliviabel · Sep 16, 2012

FMF corpman, let me try to answer as much as i can. Noone was hurt as a result of mistake. On the paper it says zero affect on the resident. I am an RN, when was going through school, I was working as a CNA part time. The whole picture. Well, she started out saying she really "dont think it is the right enviroment for you, but there are other enviroments that i know you I would be wonderful in. I dont want you to think you are a bad nurse, it is just not the right enviroment for you" Then she mentioned incomplete charting, those med errors, my level of confidence that needs to be improved.

oliviabel · Sep 16, 2012

Trai1971, thank you for the support

Zapazol · Sep 16, 2012

Ahhh.... LTC is wonderful for doing just what you describe. Sacking a nurse for any reason that sounds like a reason. I wonder how your manager figured that firing you would improve your self-confidence. I myself am in a boat just like yours. I was let go from a LTC facility because I did not get a physician's phone order. Or more rightly I was fired because the physician SAID he did not give the order. It was the doctors word against mine and no way to prove who was telling the truth. But as a LTC facility needs a bad doctor over a good nurse the decision was easy for the LTC facility to make. Sack the nurse! We can always get another nurse at starting wages instead of the top of the pay grid. Getting another doctor would be impossible.

It is tough to answer why you left the previous place when asked. Saying "I was fired" stands out like a rat on a wedding cake. But saying otherwise at an interview is not going to help either. Personally I have been applying and seeking for the past 5 months and only got one job offer after about 10-15 interviews. It was for casual. But I simply replied that I was terminated from the LTC facility due to allegations of what I did. I assured the interviewer that I did NOT do as was alleged. And rather than investigate they decided to simply terminate. I did not rage on about my previous employer and such. That simply worked but I am still looking for more permanent work.

And looking, and looking, and looking.....

FMF Corpsman, MSN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

...Well, she started out saying she really "dont think it is the right enviroment for you, but there are other enviroments that i know you I would be wonderful in. I dont want you to think you are a bad nurse, it is just not the right enviroment for you" Then she mentioned incomplete charting, those med errors, my level of confidence that needs to be improved.

You didn't say if she had been the same NM for the entire length of your employment or not, but it seems strange that after all this time she would suddenly, or even after just two years even, that this wasn't the right environment for you. I'm wondering who took your place on the Unit, was it someone new or someone she wanted to hire from outside? You could simply be the victim of nepotism and none of this be your fault. You could also be the victim of prejudice if the NM fired you because she didn't like your Race. These are all suppositions of course, I have no idea, I'm just throwing mud against the wall to see what sticks. It is up to you to think about it, and figure out what is true and what isn't. If either of these last two are true, you could have a wrongful termination suit. If you come to the conclusion that you were wrongly terminated, you should contact the EEOC. You can GOOGLE them and follow the instructions on the website. Mind you I am not telling you to do this, as I said. I am simply asking questions and it is up to you to answer them. Your answers will guide you what to do next.

MrChicagoRN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

Aggressively interview. Tell them you are looking for a change, different shift, shorter commute, or something neutral. Have at least two references from your current facility-charge nurses or supervisors. See if they will give you a severance, apply for unemployment.Focus on your strengths and what you can bring to a new position..These are some ideas.. Good luck!!

+1

It's much better they're telling you this vs aggressive write ups and firing.Do you think you are currently a good fit there?Do yourself a favor, focus on the positive, and prepare to move on.There's no shame in that