Unethical hiring practices

[Zippitydoodah]

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this?

I am a new grad, and was recently hired in the CVICU, which claims to have a training program for new grads as well as floor nurses making the switch to critical care. The learning curve was steep, and I thought I was starting to get my sea legs. I made no major errors and according to my preceptor I was making notable progress.

The nurse educator, however, asked me and three of the the eight people hired into the program to leave (and step down to another, less critical, unit -- though there are in fact no positions available). She said that we were "too green" and not ready for the ICU -- this, less than one month after training began.

This seems very unethical, since we were not given time to develop our skills (new grads, after all -- shouldn't be a surprise that we're "green".) I uprooted my family and moved across town to be near the hospital, at no small cost. I am still in shock that we were treated so shabbily. I now have no job, despite not having done anything wrong. I even told them during my interview that my strengths are patient interaction and communication, but that I needed to work on my skills and was looking forward to this program so I could develop as a nurse.

Has anybody heard of practices such as this? Feeling totally screwed.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Sounds like you guys were just place holders until they managed to trick a few RNs with experience to work for them ...that is, until those RNs quit ...within the month. Rinse and repeat.

[Fiona59]

Every employer (union and non-union) has the right to move staff around or terminate them. My employer can terminate a new hire in the first 90 days or a staff transfer can be returned to original unit at either side's request anytime in the first 12 weeks.

Were you in fact offered a postion in a "buddy" type learning role on another unit that you feel is less prestigious?

A move across town is hardly a major trauma. Across provinces is another issue.

It sounds like you are too fresh and will take too long (and be a financial burder to the unit) to up to speed for the emplyers comfort.

Take what's offered and do it gracefully.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

The nurse manager may have told HR to find her people with more basic skills than you and the other three brought to the table. One month isn't remotely enough to get "sea legs" in a critical care area, and the fact that a new grad thinks s/he had started to get them already bespeaks inexperience.

I am sorry this happened to you. The nurse educator has gotten feedback from the staffers as well as her own observations, they have seen many new hires of varying experience and competence levels, and you four, sadly, did not make the cut. It's not unethical, it's patient safety.

Now go get another position; if she said you should go to a lower-level unit (an excellent idea, BTW), go to HR and tell them that. Keep trying. Don't just quit trying. Keep after them for that chance.

[tainted1972, ASN, RN]

My company makes it very clear in orientation that no one is officially hired until after their 90 day probationary period, at which time they can decide to "fire" you.

I think you should go over the policy, I bet if you read it you will find something that explains the practice.

[Zippitydoodah]

Unfortunately for me, there are no other positions in other units.

And if they'd told me that this was on a trial basis, I wouldn't have moved.

When I write "sea legs" I don't mean that I was becoming expert, I meant, rather, that I was beginning to understand the flow of the unit, the documentation systems, the policies and procedures.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Unfortunately for me, there are no other positions in other units.

And if they'd told me that this was on a trial basis, I wouldn't have moved.

When I write "sea legs" I don't mean that I was becoming expert, I meant, rather, that I was beginning to understand the flow of the unit, the documentation systems, the policies and procedures.

Fine as far as it goes, but that's not what they were talking about when they said you weren't "ready to work in an ICU." Most everyone will take a month or two before s/he gets the workflow, documentation, and P&P comfortably. Being an ICU nurse, even being a beginning ICU nurse, needs a lot more basic skills in assessment and judgment, and you, as a new grad, need seasoning before you're ready to do that. That's their rationale.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

[Zippitydoodah]

Thanks for the good luck. I'm just wondering why they hire new grads into these positions if they're just going to turn around and dismiss us in high proportions. I know you don't know the answer, I just wish they'd have told me at the outset that the likelihood was high of being let go.

[Music in My Heart]

At my hospital, we're on probation for 6 months... you can be terminated with no more warning nor cause than the manager simply decides that your services are no longer required for whatever reason (which needn't even be documented nor disclosed) at any time up to the end of your final probationary shift.

Perhaps that unit was trying an experiment with inexperienced nurses and felt it wasn't working out for some reason. Alternatively (and perhaps more likely), there may be financial troubles and the easiest and quickest way to immediately impact costs is to dump the probies who are even more expendable than are per diems or travelers.

It does suck, to be sure, but it does happen.

Of course, it goes both ways. Read these forums for endless comments like, "After I get one year in the ICU, I'm going to CRNA school" or "I've had two interviews... Before hearing from my first choice, I've got an offer from my second choice which I'm going to take but will leave if I get the better job."

[Nurse_]

It may sound unfair but it's not unethical.

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[TD]adj.[/TD]

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[TD]unethical - not conforming to approved standards of social or professional behavior; "unethical business practices"

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You are an at-will employee. The company is spending money to train you and thus, they have the final say if they want to continue spend money to hone your skills. With today's competition for jobs, the manager saw the improvement on the five that weren't let go that s/he didn't see in others.

Take what you can from the experience.

[BSNbeauty, BSN, RN]

OP, I'm so sorry to hear this. I started on the CVICU and after 7 months I was basically told I was not an "ICU nurse". This is the confirmation I needed to pursue something that will fit me. I resigned and pursued other options. Don't look at this as a failure and don't play the victim. Please know that not every new grad is gonna make it in ICU. Sometimes you really do have to go to step down or a less critical area FIRST then ICU. Unfortunately, you sacrificed so much to get this job. You always have to assume that you'll get terminated for whatever reason when starting a job. I'm not saying go around being paranoid but employers can fire you for any reason at any time. I always try to work a PRN job just to have a plan B, if something was to ever happen to my FT job. It is sickening that some places are like this but it is the truth. Just know that everything happens for a reason. A set back is a set up for a come back. You will COME back from this.

[Marshall1]

I'm curious as to why you are out of job when you said in your original post they offered you and the others a position in another unit..maybe I missed something? I'm also not sure why one would move across town for a job - how big is the town you live in?