But I took it, and I feel compelled to tell you I took it because I missed yesterday, and that’s twice in one week. Oops.

So, I would like to tell you a few stories from the last several days at work, but I really can’t. They are about my residents, see. And they are beautiful stories, but I can’t share them. At least not right now. What I can say is that two weeks ago my administrator and DON gave me a four item list of things I needed to work on, three of which they said had already been addressed before our meeting, none of which concerned patient care. The remaining item was about my notes. I asked for more exact feedback, began writing the notes to my understanding of what they asked for, and then requested more feedback which I never received. Yesterday, I was told there had been improvement but not enough. And that what he really needed was a Director of Social Work, and I just wasn’t at that level, maybe I was too green. And I was let go, because my 90th day would have been Monday and he had to make a decision by then, and he was sorry that it was the day before a holiday.

Now, call me crazy, but it is crazy to hire a fresh graduate and expect she’s going to be director material in three months time. And it is also crazy to fire a good social worker over notes who is making improvement and asking for feedback that she isn’t getting. And I am a good social worker. If I could share those stories, you would know that if you don’t already.

Here’s something I can share that will speak to that. I have bills to pay, like everyone does. I have kids counting on me to clothe, care, and feed them. And buy presents because Christmas is coming. And last night I sat here crying, but not over that. I was crying for my residents– the one the rest of the staff considers non-verbal, but who talks to me every time I walk into her room; the ones the nursing staff call me to come see on a regular basis because they won’t calm down or stop a behavior, but they do when I go and talk with them; the ones I promised to help sort through the stuff today that a gna removed from the room two weeks ago without permission. It’s sitting in my old office. That’s right, I was going to work on Thanksgiving day visiting with residents who weren’t taken out for the holiday. I am a damn good social worker.

I’m upset here because not only are my people losing me, they are losing me without a word of explanation. No termination processing, no goodbyes. A horrible, horrible violation of both my personal and my professional ethics. That part makes me angry.