Fifty Ways to Leave Your....

Nurses General Nursing

Published

last job.

We all do it. It's very rare that we stay on the same unit, the same location, the same area in nursing. Most of us never come upon that perfect niche the first time, or if we do, situations change, people change, and suddenly, we're the square peg in a round hole and the fit is no longer comfortable.

What was the REAL reason you left your last job, compared to the reason you gave your next employer for leaving your last job?

Real reason:

I left my last job because without warning there was a huge shakeup from Corporate and our DON was fired, the ADON was brand new, the administrator was replaced. Suddenly I had no backup and no authority, and I felt that I was putting my license in jeopardy.

Stated reason:

I loved it there (I really did), but I needed a change, and I felt I was losing my clinical skills.

Tell us one of the fifty ways you left your last job.

Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

Great thread!!!

STATED REASON: Commute, pursuing the RN degree

REAL REASON: Being harrassed for two years by a coworker!!!!!

Specializes in Medical Telemetry, LTC,AlF, Skilled care.

Haha I like this thread!

REAL REASON: I got tired of having 25-30 total care patients to feed, change, turn, etc. I also got tired of working 3-4 16 hour shifts in a row.

STATED REASON: I just really thought a change to the hospital setting would do me good.

Outstanding thread. Would be a great journal article for Nursing Management.

Luckily, I'm an Army nurse (16 yrs) and never had to leave a job. The good thing about being in the military, if you don't like something - most likely it'll change in a year or two as your boss will leave, you will leave (restationed), or your job will change (everything from critical care to outpatient/ambulatory nursing for me).

I've seen too many good nurses blackballed on a whim. It stinks because one person should simply not have that much power, and it stinks because another person gives it to them by believing that person and acting on that belief.

This is the best thread ever, and, boy, is it timely. I am in my next-to-last semester before graduating an RN. I have whom I thought was a great clinical instructor. Well ... Thursday she and the nurse at the hospital in charge of our clinicals called me into a meeting and basically told me they thought I was acting over-confident.

Trust me, I am not. I am a very humble, 'older' student who's eternally grateful for being given this opportunity at a second career and you won't find anyone who takes her clinicals or schoolwork more seriously. I absolutely love it!

We had our discussion and although I was upset, I kept my cool, asked for feedback and left on a positive note. They thanked me for being 'understanding.' I know they were greatly relieved I didn't pitch a fit.

Well, when I got home and read the memo my instructor had written for me to sign (yes, she wrote me up; first time ever in my life), I fell apart. She had itemized five separate occurrences where she thought I had been disrespectful and had challenged her. I may ask questions about things we're doing but I NEVER challenge.

I was shocked because I thought we had a good relationship. I was very upset b/c she has never spoken to me about any problems. I have received only compliments by her and my patients! Obviously, she's been internalizing!!!

So, now I am left with wondering who I am going to use as clinical references. There is no way I am going to trust either of these women to write anything about me. No way! :madface:

Sorry for going on and on. Thanks for letting me vent and for listening. :nurse:

Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

stated reason: my husband and i need to relocate closer to family due to changes in the health status of our parents.

real reason: nm got up in front of half of her staff an announced, "i know our turnover is horrendous, and i struggle with this daily. i ask myself -- should i keep hiring the best and the brightest, knowing that they'll move on to bigger and better things in a year or two? or should i lower my standards and hire someone mediocre who will hang out in the icu for ten years?"

at that time, fully half of her staff had been there for more than ten years, including dh and me (18 and 14 years, respectively). now? staffed by newbies.

Real reason: impossible workload such that no one was able to give good resident care, and ratio was being raised to an even worse level. Also a mean bitter sarcastic coworker who I had to deal with daily.

Stated Reason: needed to focus on school.

But I have to say, I really liked the DON there.

Thankyou for the support Angioplasty.

I apprieciate it emensly..

Its so hard. After those 3 interviews with the 3 major hospitals in town. Im a bit of a mess. I have lost faith in myself & I guess Im scared. I will take on board your advice.

Its not easy being a nurse in aged care that really loves her job.

You come up against so many that are there purely for the money or have been there for so long and would never actually qualify for a job elsewhere.

Ive seen so much that breaks my heart and half the girls there actually started in the laundry or kitchen but were dragged to the floor when they were short staffed. Hows that for training.

I have worked with the elderly (especially dementia) for over 10 years and then studied on top and yet here I am.. unemployed and disolusioned.

I will try again & I wont let them beat me. Believe me when I say that when I win lotto & build a nursing home myself, I will fill it with nurses who actually care & not those who dont.

regards & thanks you cheered me up

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Thankyou for the support Angioplasty.

I apprieciate it emensly..

Its so hard. After those 3 interviews with the 3 major hospitals in town. Im a bit of a mess. I have lost faith in myself & I guess Im scared. I will take on board your advice.

Its not easy being a nurse in aged care that really loves her job.

You come up against so many that are there purely for the money or have been there for so long and would never actually qualify for a job elsewhere.

Ive seen so much that breaks my heart and half the girls there actually started in the laundry or kitchen but were dragged to the floor when they were short staffed. Hows that for training.

I have worked with the elderly (especially dementia) for over 10 years and then studied on top and yet here I am.. unemployed and disolusioned.

I will try again & I wont let them beat me. Believe me when I say that when I win lotto & build a nursing home myself, I will fill it with nurses who actually care & not those who dont.

regards & thanks you cheered me up

That's my dream too, if I were ever to win the lottery---I'd build a continuing care retirement community and staff it with only the best people I can find. I'd also pay them a living wage, offer great bennies, and work to retain them. For the residents, there would be comfortable, pleasant surroundings, a healing garden, pets, and good food that's attractively prepared. I love the elderly, and what passes for care in so many institutions isn't good enough for my DOG. Where I'm working now is as close to ideal as possible given the current socioeconomic realities, but I'd make it even better if I had the money and time to do so........~sigh~.........oh well, one can dream, right?

This is the best thread ever, and, boy, is it timely. I am in my next-to-last semester before graduating an RN. I have whom I thought was a great clinical instructor. Well ... Thursday she and the nurse at the hospital in charge of our clinicals called me into a meeting and basically told me they thought I was acting over-confident.

Trust me, I am not. I am a very humble, 'older' student who's eternally grateful for being given this opportunity at a second career and you won't find anyone who takes her clinicals or schoolwork more seriously. I absolutely love it!

We had our discussion and although I was upset, I kept my cool, asked for feedback and left on a positive note. They thanked me for being 'understanding.' I know they were greatly relieved I didn't pitch a fit.

Well, when I got home and read the memo my instructor had written for me to sign (yes, she wrote me up; first time ever in my life), I fell apart. She had itemized five separate occurrences where she thought I had been disrespectful and had challenged her. I may ask questions about things we're doing but I NEVER challenge.

I was shocked because I thought we had a good relationship. I was very upset b/c she has never spoken to me about any problems. I have received only compliments by her and my patients! Obviously, she's been internalizing!!!

So, now I am left with wondering who I am going to use as clinical references. There is no way I am going to trust either of these women to write anything about me. No way! :madface:

Sorry for going on and on. Thanks for letting me vent and for listening. :nurse:

Oh, wow. That is seriously unbelievable. I can't believe that the instructor didn't go to you personally first; talk about passive-agressive. Geez. That is so unprofessional. If I were you, I would take her aside and ask that she talk to you directly. Although, that might get you written up again.

Liz R

Not even in nursing school yet! Doing pre-reqs.

Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.

Real reason: (HH) mom and g-ma was very over-protective of child. If I positioned child, g-ma would come reposition, (Severe OCD!!!!!!!) If child got a small cold, would be blamed because I have 2 kids that "must be putting germs on you before you come into the house" (Mom is an LVN at Peds and had just been Dx with pnemonia!!!

Told: I need all nights. (different shift.)

Stated reason: More opportunity for growth, more experience to move up in the world. closer to home.

Real reason: My boss was psychotic, railroading me at every opportunity, kept me on a constant evaluation process, slander, libel, and assault all going unseen/unpunished. Plus the new job really WAS closer to home!

Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.
This is the best thread ever, and, boy, is it timely. I am in my next-to-last semester before graduating an RN. I have whom I thought was a great clinical instructor. Well ... Thursday she and the nurse at the hospital in charge of our clinicals called me into a meeting and basically told me they thought I was acting over-confident.

Trust me, I am not. I am a very humble, 'older' student who's eternally grateful for being given this opportunity at a second career and you won't find anyone who takes her clinicals or schoolwork more seriously. I absolutely love it!

We had our discussion and although I was upset, I kept my cool, asked for feedback and left on a positive note. They thanked me for being 'understanding.' I know they were greatly relieved I didn't pitch a fit.

Well, when I got home and read the memo my instructor had written for me to sign (yes, she wrote me up; first time ever in my life), I fell apart. She had itemized five separate occurrences where she thought I had been disrespectful and had challenged her. I may ask questions about things we're doing but I NEVER challenge.

I was shocked because I thought we had a good relationship. I was very upset b/c she has never spoken to me about any problems. I have received only compliments by her and my patients! Obviously, she's been internalizing!!!

So, now I am left with wondering who I am going to use as clinical references. There is no way I am going to trust either of these women to write anything about me. No way! :madface:

Sorry for going on and on. Thanks for letting me vent and for listening. :nurse:

I had an instructor like that in my program. Known for being a difficult instructor, she about ruined one area of nursing for me that I absolutely enjoyed studying. Because OB was hard, I put in 40 hours a week on my butt doing the reading, and had questions. Homework questions were based on many years of experience in nursing, and a different book from our textbook, so most people had some questions.

She encouraged questions. She made herself available for them in her office. I asked my questions. I listened. I nodded. I repeated the info back in differing formats to show understanding. I showed up for clinicals on time, neat, and ready, with my homework in hand.

Our homework? ha. She glanced at it, and handed it back. All my hard work, and no one even read it. For my evaluation I got a psych eval. I am unable to get into the student role, I think I am a teacher, I interrupt the teacher, and I don't take time to think, etc. There was also something said verbally that amounted to her having looked for an excuse to expel me from the program, and she didn't find the excuse prior to me completing the clinicals with her.

My mother in law is a clinical psychologist and I wound up on her (living room) couch in tears that afternoon. She listened, and demanded to know who said those things about me. I told her, she said, "someone's projecting! That's crap!"

The moral is, there will always be those who don't communicate, don't understand, and could give a rats behind that people, especially adults, have widely different learning styles, who are in positions of power over you. Don't let them own you. Never let them see you cry. The devil comes in many forms, and I think for some reason he likes to teach nursing.

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