termination and the next interview

[farley15]

So, I am an RN with >25 years experience, and therefore should have known better and got myself in a fix. Not anything related to patient care, but in home care, paperwork issues. I have multiple experiences, and skills; my patients from the agency i was terminated from are following me to the next agency at which I have an interview soon.

My problem is what do I say? this was sudden; they left the patient without coverage etc. And I know I don't have to say I was terminated...but then what would I say? Bit of a quandary...and a mess of my own making ...any suggestions would be appreciated... feeling more than bit stupid....

[klone, MSN, RN]

I would be honest and say what you did, and follow up with what you learned from it and how you're working to change it.

I'm curious/confused as to what this means:

my patients from the agency i was terminated from are following me to the next agency at which I have an interview soon.

How are they following you there if you're not hired there yet? How do they know that you're interviewing there unless you told them? Now, I don't work home care, but to me, that seems a bit unethical to poach the agency's clients.

[farley15]

It's the patients choice not mine to change agencies. and they are able to utilize more than one agency at a time. I did not ask them to follow me, or suggest it. They asked what I was going to do... anyway... I mentioned it mostly to show the situation. and no there is nothing unethical about it at all.

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I'm a bit confused to--they know to "follow" you, but you don't know how to tell them you are no longer employed by your former agency? And it sound like you actually don't have a job with the new agency. I'm not sure of the legal issues here--but you may not be able to "promote" your new agency at the expense of your former agency--i.e. I don't think you can say "I'm no longer with Home Health Inc., follow me over to Memorial Home Care."

[farley15]

the former agency called the pt and told them i was no longer working for them. The family called me and asked me how we could continue my caring for their family member. I said I was applying at some different agency but they should contact their case manager (who does not work for either nursing agency.) I have put in an application at a new agency, the family called that agency and said you have someone interviewing, we would like her to work in our home how can we do that. etc. AGAIN there is no issue here.

My concern is talking in the interview about the termination.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

I've had a family follow me before as well. It's not a real issue. I would be honest during your interview. Explain what happened and what you learned from it so it won't happen again. Good luck!