Quitting Your APRN Gig?

All APRNs work hard. Most of us are conscientious, thorough and bring a lot to our practices and facilities. However, when do you know when its time to change jobs.... Specialties Advanced Article

Quitting Your APRN Gig?

Well...the title says it all: when do you know its time to move on? There are lots of reasons but here are some of the more common ones:

  • Poor hours
  • Lots of call
  • Low compensation
  • Too much work to do in the time allotted
  • Just don't like it anymore
  • Burnt out

Sometimes the job isn't what was promised with regards to patient load, hours involved, call or something else. Other times, the practice might be poorly managed. Communication is always a two-way street - very important that administration has good skills in this department so that the APRNs can function in their role.

Another issue can be collaboration with co-workers, physicians. This can happen for a number of reasons, some fixable, others not so much. If you are the first APRN the practice has hired, the physicians might not be used to working with APRNs and this can cause friction between MD-APRN.

For experienced APRNs, its usually not one incident but rather a culmination of multiple incidents. The considerations for experienced APRNs wanting to change jobs can involve more thought as there usually is an increased comfort level that comes with years in the same position.

Usually when you are hired into an APRN position, there is a round of interviews and sometimes a shadowing experience. Even with all of this, there can be situations that are not anticipated:

  • Speciality turns out to not be interesting to you
  • Patient load could increase to the point of being intolerable
  • Disinterest in the actual day to day job
  • Call schedule is not as it was explained pre-employment

For more experienced APRNs, the decision to leave a long term position is difficult. You are giving up the familiar environment, familiar co-workers, physicians, and sometimes patients. You may be at the top of the totem pole with respect to pay, PTO, and other benefits. However, even for very experienced APRNs, there can be the make or break situations. Or...it can just be the culmination of several issues that lead to global unhappiness.

Is the job salvageable? Hmmm...well if a 10% raise would convince you to stay, its worth asking for it; especially if you can prove you are underpaid. Is the call schedule untenable? Maybe negotiating that aspect of employment would keep you at your current job. Co-worker strife? Again, maybe negotiation, a frank sit down talk is in order.

However, maybe the job is just not salvageable....yikes...now what to do!?

So...you've now made the decision to leave your position. First, find another job before quitting your current one. This can't be over-emphasized. Nothing raises red flags to HR folks more than a lapse in employment. It can appear that you are flaky, irresponsible and its just plain not smart. Don't burn bridges - it often comes back in the weirdest ways.

Second, give plenty of notice - being APRN is not a two-week notice job for most of us. Its not unreasonable to give 30,60,90 days. It does take awhile to get someone new hired and oriented. Also, if you have a non-compete or some other type of contract - make sure you read it in its entirety to ensure you are in compliance.

And last...leave gracefully:

  • Make an in-person appointment with your boss and tell them face to face you are leaving
  • Follow this up with an official letter of resignation; giving the date of your last workday.
  • Most important of all, thank your current employer for the opportunity to work for them and learn.

So...now you've done it!

You've quit your current job AFTER you have obtained a new one and you are off and running and excited for the future.

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traumaRUs

About traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

Trauma Columnist
88 Articles   21,250 Posts

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Great! These are all the reasons I want to quit my job now and get an advanced nursing degree. You mean I have to put up with the same bull-crap after all that additional money and extra studying?!

p.s. - I don't have BSN in my user name because there is no extra pay with most employers or possibly all, in my state. I do have a BSN though.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Its not BS - we as professionals should be conducting ourselves professionally. And that goes for when we change employers. Its sometimes hard not to quickly quit but in the end it is always better to leave with good feelings.

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Good luck to Trauma! For the poster who aspires to be an APRN... go for it! Life is frought with stress and it often does not matter what letter you have behind your name. Unfortunately times change and what was once a great or fulfilling role is not!

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traumaRUs and grad2012RN, these are all involved in why as soon as I am Medicare eligible and no longer need my employer insurance, I am going back to the bedside. My one employer (in the past) had never had an NP before, and re-did everything I did (to be fair, he did the same thing to other MDs in the practice.) Currently, my gripes are: the NPs in the practice I am employed by make $25,000 less/year than other NPs in the area, and we are continually having to cover when someone quits and the practice is unable to hire another NP, no appreciation, and the biggest gripe is the computer program we have to use is NOT user-friendly, and in addition to the 8-hour+ day, the paperwork takes another 4 to 6 hours/night. So after Medicare eligibility, I will take the pay cut and go work 4-8 hour shifts (knowing full well it may actually be 9-10 hours,) I will be done at the end of the day.

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