I gave notice today...

I really used to like my job and my hospital but they've been having bad financial problems so everyone is super cranky...I was worried that the hospital was going to go belly up so I tweaked the resume and just started seeing what else was out there. One of the places called my boss for a reference even after I asked them to be careful with that,because we all know that workplaces can be very petty about that sort of thing.

Over the past couple of weeks since that phone call, the supervisors and some of the staff have been really nasty. I've been doing fine up until this point(still kind of a new nurse) now all of a sudden, I'm getting reprimanded for stupid things and in some cases, what I'm getting reprimanded for is an outright lie. One of our techs lost a son in a car accident about 7 months ago and she is not nice to be around(she was abrasive before the accident). Found out today that she was writing down all kinds of stuff about me and running to the nurse manager..Not to be snotty, but since when does a tech do an evaluation on an RN? I was a tech before and it is not the same job. By the nurse managers own admission, she thinks this is a "personality issue" but she thinks maybe I should be more aggressive. Keep in mind I heard not one complaint before the whole phone call issue.

I decided that life is too short to put up with people who act like they're still in middle school and I will not be scapegoated because the hospital is going through tough times. I do think everyone is afraid to tell the woman who lost her son to knock it off with the attitude ,because they are afraid to push her over the edge. I myself have bitten my tongue because I know she's going through a bad time. But I fail to see why I should be her whipping boy-she torments one of the orderlies too and when he's not there, guess who bears the brunt of her venom? Yep, me.

So I gave notice tonight in letter form and put it in the nurse managers mailbox. I'm still willing to work there per diem if needed and I gave 3 weeks notice. They are going to be in dire straits because one of our RNs is going home to the Phillipines for a whole month. As for me, I have between 3-5 people daily that leave messages on my voicemail offering me a job. I'm thinking of doing travel nursing but staying local until I get my feet wet. One of my friends at the hospital thought I was letting the miserable tech win but I look at it this way, if I can get a better paying job without having to deal with the wench anymore, then it's win-win for me. I had to control myself but the letter was professional. I wanted to take the high road. Plus, if she ever leaves and the dynamics of the place change, then I can always go back there(if the hopital hasn't folded by then! ) Thanks for letting me vent. I actually feel pretty good about the whole thing. Scared silly too, but sometimes you have to take chances..