Used as a job reference.

[tokmom]

If you are used as a job reference and the calling facility wants to speak to you, what can you legally say?

The nurse that used my name (told me after the fact) as she was looking for a prn position elsewhere, did not even get off probation before being let go. She was totally unsafe, couldn't even show up on time and had a personality of a moldy pancake.

[Sugarcoma, RN]

Yes I do believe that giving a reference is serious because you are speaking to another persons abilities and it can impact their life as well as their potential employer.

I always checked the references of the people I hired and am surprised to hear that is not the norm. Why ask for them if you are not going to check? Perhaps the person using tokmom as a reference is counting on them not to.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I like referring them to HR. Good idea, or declining.

As for finding some good as a nurse? Ugh...that is hard, really hard. She lied in her interview about her skills, and was called out on them when put to the test (Can't say more). She showed up 15 minutes late, argued with others, never made any effort to befriend anybody, had numerous med errors (very unsafe ones), took breaks 2 hrs into shift, and feel asleep once at the desk while being watching ICU pt's when the other nurse was on break.

This is someone that does not need to be a nurse on an acute floor.

I never knew her personally, as she never talked about much except her kids and their private lessons they took.

Would I be mean and vindictive? No, of course not. I'm not a horrible person with an agenda. This is why I'm struggling with this.

She is now gone and she told me she used me for 3 job prospects a couple of weeks before she was let go. I don't think she will use me for further references.

[rn/writer, RN]

My feeling is that what makes you so important, that you think you can judge the worth of another person at their next job? Maybe *you* had a bad experience with them. But maybe they were wonderful at previous jobs. And maybe they plan to reform at their next job. What if she has kids who need to be fed and desperately needs another job? To judge someone else, even under the guise "just trying to be honest," is extraordinarily egotistical. I've seen megalomaniacs do such things before, and none of them were nice people.

If someone uses me as a reference, they are asking me to judge their worth and report on it.

If an employee who was terrible when I worked with them (I'm talking lazy, unsafe, belligerent, dishonest--not just someone I didn't get along with) and they were wonderful on a previous job, let them use the previous job as a reference.

If they plan to reform on the next job, let them explain that to a prospective employer and see what they think.

You don't have to have self-esteem issues or be egotistical or a megalomaniac to say what's real--espeically if you were not asked or warned ahead of time.

It puzzles me that you would be so defensive about someone who has been a bad employee and not mention one word about their future patients.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

If the reason the potential employer called you is that you are/were their supervisor, then you need to follow your employer's guideline i.e-job title and dates of employment.

If you are named as a reference by the applicant, then it is their obligation to ask you first & give you a heads up before you get the call.

If they didn't ask, and you don't feel comfortable providing a reference, just say so and end the call.

[casi, ASN, RN]

You just have to be honest. Don't be mean or vindictive just tell them the truth.

When someone uses a person as a reference, especially if they didn't notify the person beforehand, they are taking the risk of having a bad reference.

If she had notified the OP beforehand the OP could have easily said "Don't use me as a reference, I don't think I would be able to give potential employers a good reference."

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

The biggest thing they stressed to us in our job tips is to always ask someone if they would be a reference and make sure they would give you a good reference. Apparently it's pretty common for people to list people they didn't get along with or that wrote them up a lot to be a reference. Seems pretty common sense to me to clear it with the people. Not only to make sure they don't mind and would give you a good reference but to give them a heads up.

[dishes, BSN, RN]

tokmom

No matter where you live, employers are allowed to reveal how long an employee worked at a facility and if an employee is eligible for rehire. She worked at your facility 3 months and she is not eligible for rehire, that is all you need to say to the three potential employers. Let the nurse know you will be telling employers these two facts and that she should not use your name as a reference in the future.

dishes

[CameoRN]

When I was in a position of hiring/reference giving (non-nursing) our policy was to only state if the person was eligible for rehire or not.

So I would tell the inquirer that was the policy, and then "yes, they are" or more often than not, "No, they're not."

[CameoRN]

Oh, and the other thing I meant to say...I would never give a reference for someone who didn't ask my permission first.

Ya know what I mean?

[33762FL]

I worked in HR before I made a career change to nursing, and I can tell you that you pretty much don't even have to give someone a negative reference if they were a bad employee. When the new potential employer calls, all you have to say is "I didn't realize they listed me as a reference, I decline to act as a reference for them" and 9 times out of 10 the HR person who called you will know that means you don't have anything good to say about the job seeker. People give glowing references for employees who were good. People either give short, luke-warm references for employees who were bad or decline to say anything at all.

[caliotter3]

I worked in HR before I made a career change to nursing, and I can tell you that you pretty much don't even have to give someone a negative reference if they were a bad employee. When the new potential employer calls, all you have to say is "I didn't realize they listed me as a reference, I decline to act as a reference for them" and 9 times out of 10 the HR person who called you will know that means you don't have anything good to say about the job seeker. People give glowing references for employees who were good. People either give short, luke-warm references for employees who were bad or decline to say anything at all.

I've read time after time that this is the way most employers get their point across and prospective employers are keen on picking up on it. Either way, it accomplishes the intended action.

[caliotter3]

You just have to be honest. Don't be mean or vindictive just tell them the truth.

When someone uses a person as a reference, especially if they didn't notify the person beforehand, they are taking the risk of having a bad reference.

If she had notified the OP beforehand the OP could have easily said "Don't use me as a reference, I don't think I would be able to give potential employers a good reference."

People give out names for references taking the chance that someone will not speak poorly of them. They don't ask for permission ahead of time because they don't want to hear "don't use me as a reference" as an answer. So, they take their chances.