Advice for Leaving RN Position

Nurses General Nursing

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Hey everyone,

I need some advice. First off i should say im 23 years old so this is new to me. I have never had to resign from a job before but this is the first "real" job ive ever had. I graduated in May, 2011 with my BSN and immediately was hired in June, 2011 at a hospital about an hour away. 14 months later, i have decided to leave. It was an incredible oppurtunity being it was a level 1 trauma hospital and i got alot of experience but the traveling, and stress from a high acuity job have really took a strain on me physically and mentally. I have also started FNP school this semester so thats an added thing ive taken on. I told my manager several weeks ago that i needed to go part time because of school but now have decided to resign all together. Im hoping to find something a little less stressful. I have had one interview so far but nothing certain has been offered. Im new to this so i didnt know how to go about telling my manager that ive decided to leave. Is 14 months considered too soon to leave from a job? Any thoughts? Suggestions? I definetly dont want to burn bridges. They have been really good to me but i just am ready to try something new. Any advice would be great Thanks....

Specializes in ICU.

If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't leave until I officially had a position lined up. Is it too late for that? What kind of positions are you looking for? Your one year of experience will be helpful for some positions but it might be harder to find a new job if you're looking for some of the more competitive away from the bedside kind of jobs that are looking for 3-5 years of experience or more.

Before you started your job, have you ever thought about your daily day as a trauma nurse? My suggestion to you , to transfer to a department which is less stressful and again considered as critical care nursing. Like working in MICU or CV ICU.

Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

I wouldn't leave without a job lined up. I would go to part time or PRN until then; once you have a new job, please give the 2 or 4 weeks notice. Some companies require 2 weeks while some require 4 so make sure you give proper notice. If you leave in good standing, you can come back at a later date and most likely not burn a bridge.

Give written notice and provide a copy to your NM as well as HR.

14 months isn't too short of time to quit a job, especially with going to school. You could be honest with your supervisor and tell her that working even part time and going to school is just too much, especially in such a fast paced environment, and you hope that she understands that it's nothing to do with the way things are run and that she will remember you in the future.

I agree with previous posters about having a job lined up before you quit for 2 reasons. 1) It's easier to find a job when you have a job and 2) How long can you live on your own until you run out of savings?

Good luck with school and the job hunt.

Specializes in Pedi.

I would not say anything to your supervisor until you have an offer for another job.

Thank yall for yall's input! I got the good phone call ive been waiting for! I dont start orientation at this new job until 1st week of October. When would be a good time to put in my letter of resignation? I dont want to wait too long and then it get interefered with my new job. I only work 8 days a month at my current job and i go back to work this weekend. Is this weekend too soon? We only have to give 2 weeks notice. Also, how would i go about talking to my manager? Should i be to the point or should i go into detail? Im sorry im just new to this and im already a nervous wreck about talking to my boss.

Specializes in NICU.

I wouldn't give much more than 2 weeks notice. If you do, they may let you go sooner.

Do not feel guilty or ashamed about resigning. Many of us do and I don't know why, but we do NOT need to.

Write a properly formatted business letter saying that you've enjoyed your time at ABC, but have accepted a position closer to home that will better accomodate your school schedule. Do don't have to SAY anything to her if you're nervous. You could just deliver the letter.

If you do talk with her, don't go into more detail than the letter. Do NOT ramble on about how stressful the past 14 months have been. Keep your comments forward-focused (school). Thank her for the opportunity of working there and for facilitating all you've learned and the many ways you've grown.

Congratulations! You have a legitimate reason for leaving. I cannot imagine an hour of commuting on top of working full-time and NP school. You talked to your mngr about PT and one was not provided. As long as you put in the requested time-off as per the HR policy you are good to go. Its up to you to decide if you want to go directly to one job to another. If it was me, I may take a week off inbetween :)

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