Top 10 reasons we get fired!

I'm in about as secure a position as I could be... strong union, public university hospital, busy ED with high staff turnover...and yet, if they decide they want to get rid of me... I've no doubt that they could find the justification without too much difficulty... it is IMPOSSIBLE to follow the 'letter of the law' 100% of the time, at least in our workplace.Getting on well with as many people as I can - and with all of the right people - is probably more important to staying gainfully employed than is being good at what I do (at which, at least, I don't suck).

It is more important to get along with your coworkers for your own well-being than it is to actually be a good nurse who is a "patient advocate" and whatnot. This is because coworkers can cause problems by complaining about any little thing you have done, true or not, which can set up the employer up in a situation where they can either fire you or potentially risk getting sued. It comes down the money, and the way money gets distributed (see the legal system, human resources departments, etc) is affected by the system that we work in. If you truly work in a place where these situations are not the norm, then I envy you.

Every unit has opportunistic snitches who will get you in trouble and possibly fired if they have an opportunity. I don't think there is an exception to this. However, snitches generally they don't mess with people in good standing with the management. I guess the first step to job security is having a manager who feels comfortable with having you in the unit. If she is, stay as long as you can/want and do the best job you can. If the manger isn't comfortable with you then the rest of the staff finds out you have a bad reputation. At that points, the opportunistic snitches move in for the kill to finish you off. Getting out of such a situation is difficult, if not impossible, and may require changing employers before you have a termination on your record.

And be careful you don't transfer yourself out of a job. I am all for transfers to units that are one's goals. However, (and it is not just exclusive to LPNs) when one transfers to a different unit expecting alternate results, it is not always wine and roses.I think there's cultures within a unit, but there are also cultures within a corporate group. And although again not exclusive, mostly affecting long term employees---after they have you "teach" what you can to new employees...

The most common Internet scam is the work at home scam. If my demented 90 year old grandma was alive, maybe she would fall for your $69/hr scam but we won't. Go somewhere else.

Here are my top reasons for firing someone:1. You are always late2. You call out at least 4 times a month3. You are mean/rude/condescending to the CNAs4. You are mean/rude/condescending to the patients5. You constantly leave work for other people to do even though you have time for 5 smoke breaks a day and then complain you don't have time for lunch6. You are insubordinate7. You say "I didn't know" even though you've been educated and re-educated about the topic at hand

Our DON has 2 drinking buddies/best friends that work with us. They are always causing trouble, snitching on the smallest things while they get away with anything.

Thank you for this post. I enjoyed reading it and learned something from it. I had similar experience that you named "Chinese whispers", which ended up in me being terminated. But after reading your post, I look back and see so much of what you said in the post is what exactly happened to me. I wish I had known these subtle practices sooner, maybe I wouldn't ' t be unemployed now. It is a very traumatic situation because you feel like your co workers and manager pushed you to your grave. It's been 6 months ,I have been depressed and really started hating nursing all together. Right now I'm trying to pick myself up and move forward, hoping to put this episode behind.Peace.

I to was fired but I truly am not sure why. They said I broke policy but never really explained. I forgot to scan some medications because I got busy with another patient. An other nurse( following me) said I didn't tell her when the patient had the medicine so she wrote me up which ended up me losing my job after 6 years and never had a write up. My manager had moved so she was no longer there to help me. This happen a year ago and I am still depressed and devastated. I am in nursing school to receive my BSN but not sure I need it anymore. They wanted me gone so I am gone.

I was not fired, but I left after "berating" by several managers. Suddenly, after 24 years employment, I was no longer achieving quality outcomes for my department. I trained my replacement, who in fact, was only in nursing for about two years, but I did not know this. At the time, I was so hurt, and beaten. I felt the need to run away. I wish I had read this article before. Perhaps, knowing this, I could have fought harder to keep my job because now I realize I was the reason for the success of my department. And others in different management position were eager to make their mark by claiming they improved what I had started. Life, live and learn. Not easy to recover, though.

Quote from merrywhiteroseOur DON has 2 drinking buddies/best friends that work with us. They are always causing trouble, snitching on the smallest things while they get away with anything.

I worked in a 400 bed hospital. I busted by butt for these people, worked OT when they "needed" me. Gave inservices, did nursing grand rounds a couple times and a plethora of other things. I had always received excellent evaluations up to the year I "resigned" aka got canned. This process of booting me out occurred over a period of 18 months after I was involved in attempting to organize the RNs at that facility. Write ups for absolutely stupid things but they could get by with it. I had 9 years seniority as if that meant a darn thing. Would have been content to have finished my career there. If a facility wants to get rid of you, they can and will. Nit picking everything you do until they get enough to boot you out the door. This happened to me 25 years ago and it changed my whole perspective as far as loyalty, doing anything over and above my position and a plethora of other things.