Will I be fired

caliotter3 · Aug 29, 2018

You followed up, the ball is now in their court, so stand back and wait for their decision. Meanwhile do what is required of you to the best of your ability. If you believe you will need to find another job, then gear up and start that job search.

mbgn10 · Aug 29, 2018

Thank you

amzyRN · Aug 30, 2018

That's tough to come back to nursing after 4.5 years an jump into a busy ER with the expectation of doing that in 4 weeks. A more reasonable expectation should have been 12 weeks with regular meetings with everyone and you getting the prioritization and flow down pat. If they do fire you, try not to feel like you failed, but next time make sure you have a good orientation in your next ED (if that happens). To me it sounds like they are giving you a chance, during this time, I would make sure you get those basics down ie knowing what do do first and why and not leaving unsafe things in your room. The speed will come with time, but you should know how to prioritize at the end of your orientation and it's normal to ask a bunch of questions.

Kuriin, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2018

I would just in case start applying to other hospitals while you still have a job.

JKL33 · Aug 30, 2018

Sounds very unfortunate. I know it's no consolation, but perhaps your post will serve as a cautionary tale for others:

Places that want to take shortcuts in orienting new staff are putting patients in harm's way and worsening the problems of acute care nursing. They do not care about their staff and it is debatable whether they care much about patients' best interests.

Although there are a few rock-stars (and even more wannabes) out there, a 4-week acute care RN orientation is no longer adequate in most scenarios due to sheer burgeoning of the responsibilities of the role. When someone signs on to that, they are putting themselves behind the eight ball from day 1 because nothing good comes when an employer 1) has an unreasonable expectation and 2) is therefore most likely to be disappointed and hypercritical when it doesn't pan out.

I hope that they will for some reason take a step back and try to help you get your situation on the right track, OP. I agree with others that you should begin the process of applying elsewhere.

Best of luck~

Kallie3006, ADN · Sep 1, 2018

4.5 years out of practice and originally given 12 shifts to 1. learn a new job 2. acclimate yourself to nursing again after such a long period of being out of practice 3. practice safely and 4. be able to prioritize tasks and keep up with the pace of a busy ER seems like a receipe for disaster. Did you work ER prior to your leave? I would be cautionary on positions seeked and/or accepted and make sure that whatever orientation offered is something that is realistic and safe. I would be looking for other employment, they may say they will give you acute rooms ect but in the ER that is never guaranteed. Best of luck to you

RNikkiF · Sep 1, 2018

If you feel that they are giving you a fair chance (doesn't sound like it to me... I've never heard of a trial day... what is that, anyway?), anyway, if you feel they're giving you a fair chance, ask questions and learn everything you can. If you feel they aren't, you could always resign and apply somewhere else. Did you take a refresher course before getting back into nursing? May not hurt. The ED is its own thing though and I think you have to have a different safety mindset there compared to the floor. Good luck.

mbgn10 · Sep 4, 2018

Thank you all. I was called and given a position in a different unit. But, I will go ahead and apply elsewhere to something not very fast paced to build myself up again.