Terminated from 1st job :(

[*Blessed2BaNRS*]

Hi all,

I have a question- how do you go about finding a new job after being terminated when you only have 9 months of experience? I have searched other postings that say not to post that you were terminated on your applications, but on most of every one that I have applied for, they ask you straight out if you have ever been terminated. Here is waht happened-

I had a patient come in due to a fall. The patient had a potassium level of 2.6 and a sodium level of 116, both of which, by our hospital, are critical levels. I had the patient the night before and she didn't sleep, and during shift report, the day nurse reported the patient was confused and had been hallucinating. Fast forward to 0000. Patient had yet to go to sleep, had been wandering around in her room and trying to come out to the nurses station, and had taken off her tele monitor multiple times. I repeatedly went in to place her back in bed and to replace her monitor, as had the PCA. I informed her each time that the monitor was so we could watch her heart rhythm with her electrolytes so low. She started complaining about wanting to move her furniture around to better suit her and saying that her "box" (tele monitor) was tying her down. Finally, around 0300, she takes her IV out and has blood everywhere. We get her cleaned back up, back into bed and I place soft limb restraints on her wrists. The freaks out when she wakes up, and once her daughter comes up there, the both holler elder abuse and I was terminated. They claimed the patient was not confused, and without talking to the other nurse or PCA's they said that they had to let me go due to elder abuse and the fact that I didn't follow policy in applying restraints. Of course, with that in mind, I can't appeal the termination because I didn't follow policy. But, as I explained to the manager when she fired me, I was told in orientation that the nurses never call the doctor at night unless it is critical, and only the charge nurse is suppose to call, which she didn't. Also, I was told that we don't call for restraint orders because the doctors don't want to be disturbed for that, we just print out the orders and they will sign them when they come by. They told me that they would have to better instruct the nurses doing orientation, but that didn't help me. Needless to say, I learned my lesson on the order policy!! BUt, it has been 2 months now, and no one will look at me I had an interview at the hospital I used to work at as an extern, but they said they were leery hiring me as a termination, and I would have to go through some different steps because of it. That was last week, and I haven't heard back. Anyway, sorry for the long posting, but I am devastated that my dream to become a nurse has ended this quickly, and was wondering how to apply for jobs that ask if you have been terminated. I tried leaving it blank, but the application wouldn't send until I checked the box answering yes or no.

[TickyRN]

I was just asked to reign in leiu of term due to a narcotic med not being given on my shiftas the order had expired and dissappeared off of my med orders ( mar)). The nurse who happens to be friends with the manager complained and told her that I was told in report about the patient being on the med. ( dont remember being told about it)... because of this I no longer want to do hospital nursing... suggestions... I have over 25 yrs experience

You definately need to talk to a lawyer.

[NocturneNrse]

At my old job ... what you'd done would have been done there as well. We were told, that if using restraints, we have to follow the written protocol, and that we had so many hrs until the MD had to see the pt and sign the order.

The charge nurse should have called the inhouse or on call MD to come see the pt and write the order. The charge nurse perhaps should have requested a "sitter" prior to mitts being used.

Perhaps your orientation wasn't thorough enough on that aspect... I know mine wasn't, and the nurses oftentimes say what "they would do" not what is protocol.. so be careful there.

I think the daughter coming in and calling it elder abuse was what put it over to your being term'd.

As far as applications and admitting to being term'd.. let me share this experience with you.

I was fired Nov. 29th 2010. In applying for jobs if I had to, I would write in the reason for leaving box "seeking new challenges". Well, upon the few interviews that I'd been to, I didn't reveal that I was fired. I was too embarassed and thought it would be a certain "NO GO" if I did. Well.. it's a small world, and I never got the call backs after my previous employer (I'm assuming) had been contacted. All the HR people know eachother .. don't let 'em fool ya. And they talk. So, I'm sure they discovered I was fired and were not interested in me any longer.

After two months of writing that - I decided I would come clean during an interview. In that "box" I wrote, will explain further in person... during the interview I revealed that I had been terminated and the reasons why. WHEW.. even though I didn't know their reaction at that second, I felt a WORLD of weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

The interviewers (2 people) - and their reaction???

Their response was... that people who have just been fired are oftentimes ideal new hires due to their being super sensitive to not making any more mistakes.

I felt INCREDIBLY accepted, no longer like a loser, and soooo relieved that they understood. One of them had even revealed to me, that she had been fired in the past also..and she shared her experience of it with me.

Needless to say.... I REALLY WANT to work with these people. They are HUMAN, see that we are human, and I could tell.. very supportive of one another. This is the environment I desire to work in!!

So, in what I had expected to be a certain "let's not hire her" situation - turned out better than I could have ever anticipated. Even if I do not get this position, I will always remain thankful to these two awesome individuals for the way made me feel and how they treated me with dignity and understanding. :heartbeat

[bustthewave]

So the lesson as I'm understanding it -

Doctors are complete jerks... who if they didn't want to be called for emergencies really shouldn't have become doctors.

And patient restraints are a HUGE deal

And hospitals will throw you to the wolves in a moment's notice.

I've worked hard at every job pre-nursing school. I've learned that every job has required plenty of rule breaking and bending to get it done effectively. They were minor things, that ultimately benefited customers, employees, the store... exc... but as it turns out, corner cutting in a hospital actually does get you fired. That's really scary to me.

So what am I going to do? Call the doctors for EVERYTHING that I am required to call them on, at ALL hours, and if they have a problem with it, tell them they should have chosen another profession.