So, I'm leaving my unit of 2 1/2 years

Nurses General Nursing

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And the unit is chronically short staffed, chronically toxic, and just about everyone who CAN leave, does leave, whenever they find other opportunities. And so, I'm leaving for another job where a few of us have gone to another employer in town who is hiring. Just about everyone who can leave lately is leaving.

I understand the mangement may be annoyed, but after I put in my notice, I dutifully worked 2 extra weeks because it's the right thing to do. Today was my last day on the floor and not ONE of the management coordinators said a word to me -- no goodbye, no "sorry to see you go, we will miss you," not a "you suck, we're glad you're leaving, " -- absolutely NOTHING.

So, is this how it is in nursing? So totally impersonal that they cannot even thank you for all your hard work for almost 3 years on their unit??

co-workers of mine are very sad, many hugging me goodbye, etc ....but the management -- you can forget it.

It's such an incredible insult. :(

Specializes in OB/GYN, Peds, School Nurse, DD.
And the unit is chronically short staffed, chronically toxic, and just about everyone who CAN leave, does leave, whenever they find other opportunities. And so, I'm leaving for another job where a few of us have gone to another employer in town who is hiring. Just about everyone who can leave lately is leaving.

I understand the mangement may be annoyed, but after I put in my notice, I dutifully worked 2 extra weeks because it's the right thing to do. Today was my last day on the floor and not ONE of the management coordinators said a word to me -- no goodbye, no "sorry to see you go, we will miss you," not a "you suck, we're glad you're leaving, " -- absolutely NOTHING.

So, is this how it is in nursing? So totally impersonal that they cannot even thank you for all your hard work for almost 3 years on their unit??

co-workers of mine are very sad, many hugging me goodbye, etc ....but the management -- you can forget it.

It's such an incredible insult. :(

I worked in a 40-bed NICU like this, the only one for about 250 miles. So we got everything. It was incredibly stressful, with constant admissions and crises. Even so, at least one of the nurses got floated out to other units on a daily basis. There was huge competition between nurses--it was often newbies against old-timers. The old-timers had all been educated at the same little junior college, never worked anywhere else, and thought they were the last word on all things neonatal. One of us was assigned to cover L&D every shift and that didn't mean you had a lighter assignment. You had that, plus your regular 3-4 critical neonates. :uhoh3: There were times that I spent 6 of my 12 hours in L&D, while my colleagues did their best to cover my babies. In step-down, it wasn't unusual to have 5 premies. It was one 12hr feeding frenzy. Crazy~ Management didn't care if we got lunch, didn't care if our workload was unmanageable, and didn't hesitate to try to coerce us into working 16hr shifts.On top of this, we were dealing with extremely stressed out parents who often blew their stack and caused scenes--I'm sure they were picking up on the general toxicity of the unit. I lasted about 10 months. In my exit interview the manager complained that the NICU was like a revolving door--they had a 50% 2yr turnover rate.:eek: Unbelieveable. Well, not really, considering how we were treated. When i left the management totally ignored me, like I had insulted them. I shook the dust from my shoes and moved on. No regrets.

Specializes in Critical Care, Neuro, Cardiac, Step Down.

I've noticed every hospital has THAT unit, it's unfortunate you were a good worker for them and are seemingly discarded just like that. Hold your head up high and carry your passion for nursing into your next position and give those patients your best. Dont forget thats why you're a nurse!! You work and care for your patients, not the appreciation of a NM. Accept your patient's and their families 'thank you' graciously and move on to give your best to your next patient. Good luck at the new job.

Specializes in Home Health.

Our stories are somewhat similar, three years of hard work rewarded by nothing. The first day I came to work a co-worker told me "things will get worse before they get better." The last day I worked, a co-worker told me "Things will get worse before they get better." And that is after three years !! I said goodbye to only my closest co-workers. We were chronically understaffed, the last two weeks I worked we did not have one single day fully staffed. The only encouragement I got was from the HR director who told me she hoped I would come back some day to work. F every single one of them.

I'm doing agency work now and I like the variety of experience I am getting. Not only do I enjoy it, it will look good on my resume.

Congratulations for sticking it out for so long, in such a crappy work environment! I wouldn't waste any time thinking about your management and how they suck. Just "smile and wave" as you go on to a better job!!

Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.
And the unit is chronically short staffed, chronically toxic, and just about everyone who CAN leave, does leave, whenever they find other opportunities. And so, I'm leaving for another job where a few of us have gone to another employer in town who is hiring. Just about everyone who can leave lately is leaving.

I understand the mangement may be annoyed, but after I put in my notice, I dutifully worked 2 extra weeks because it's the right thing to do. Today was my last day on the floor and not ONE of the management coordinators said a word to me -- no goodbye, no "sorry to see you go, we will miss you," not a "you suck, we're glad you're leaving, " -- absolutely NOTHING.

So, is this how it is in nursing? So totally impersonal that they cannot even thank you for all your hard work for almost 3 years on their unit??

co-workers of mine are very sad, many hugging me goodbye, etc ....but the management -- you can forget it.

It's such an incredible insult. :(

My manager does the "write up for dirty shoes" when she finds out people are trying to transfer. She also calls the manager of the unit you want to go to and gives them a little "inside scoop". She's gotten so bold about it she'll do it in the halls in front of the day nurses.

She also is VICIOUS with people who are leaving. This woman really bears the vampire fangs once she realizes you are unhappy and leaving.

Case in point:

1. A new grad had two job options, our unit or a Labor+Delivery. She was going to start out on our unit. Reason was..........the hospital the L+D unit was in was located where her boyfriend lived, and she was not ready to move in with him. A week before orientation, she came in late in the evening, cleaned out her locker and left a note stating she accepted another position. Seems it dawned on her she could get her own apt. and a chance at working on an L+D unit was too much to pass up.

Our manager called her the next morning to "Wish her luck"...............but couldn't help but add she would never be able to apply to this hospital again and if there were any calls to HR for work references..........HR "knew what to say". Whatever that meant.

2. Someone left the unit for a management position. Actually, he still works part time for ours but apparently that is not enough. Two weeks after he went PT, she POSTED A SURVEY BY A PATIENT who was extremely critical of him. Everyone laughed, they know the pt. and knew the incident she was citing. Another diabetic who's sugars were in the 300's asking for ice cream...........and when he said no, she threw a temper tantrum, called her BF to come in and "ring his bell".

Don't pay these people any mind. I have my own theory as to what is going on when they are cold to people leaving:

They just spent 2 1/2 years molding you, lowering your expectations of what a working environment should be like and what you should be getting paid. Probably thought they had done a good job of pecking you down into place, and now they realize they did not.

Its kinda like they say abusive boyfriends do to their girlfriend. Make their self esteem crash and burn to the point where they believe "this is as good as it gets for someone like me" and make them believe they are lucky to have what they have.

You manager just is trying to scare you with the cold shoulder. Its another tactic to make you think their unit is as good as it gets. You already know better. Let them stay and deal with the mess they've created.

...Don't pay these people any mind. I have my own theory as to what is going on when they are cold to people leaving:

They just spent 2 1/2 years molding you, lowering your expectations of what a working environment should be like and what you should be getting paid. Probably thought they had done a good job of pecking you down into place, and now they realize they did not.

Its kinda like they say abusive boyfriends do to their girlfriend. Make their self esteem crash and burn to the point where they believe "this is as good as it gets for someone like me" and make them believe they are lucky to have what they have.

You manager just is trying to scare you with the cold shoulder. Its another tactic to make you think their unit is as good as it gets. You already know better. Let them stay and deal with the mess they've created.

Why are there so many FREAKIN nut jobs in NM? Makes you want to divert some Haldol.... or OK, maybe just ALOT of Xanax and put it in their coffee daily. IMHO, if we all take a turn diverting for the good of all - just say'in!! :D

The dynamic on a high-turnover floor is just different. "seen them come and seen them go" without getting attached to any staff or coworkers is how many operate.

Sorry your feelings are hurt. It sounds like you put in so much effort and could have used a little more thanks.

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

Don't worry SoundofMusic

This has also happened to me at a large, tertiary hospital where I busted my butt staying back, coming in early, skipping lunch breaks cos patients were coming into the unit bleeding everywhere, & the admin officer just used to quietly close her door and pretend she couldn't hear anything! I even had to orientate new doctors cos the admin officer said it wasn't her job - well it wasn't mine either & my work would get way behind, but did anyone care? I did it cos I felt sorry for the poor young doctors - and had to orientate the new physicians as well who complained about no other doctor being there, but of course with management it fell on deaf ears.

I had been sick before I left, I came back & found a temp who everyone really hated (nasty, cruel, gossipy thing she was), and that all my personal stuff had been dumped in an old box, and a photo frame I had had on my desk got cracked after being dumped. I was told I wouldn't be needed that day and boy did I let it rip. I didn't care what people say about not retaliating; unless you really want to go back to that place and you sound like you don't.

I have no respect for most managers. And yes I do get tired of hearing that managers are more busy than everyone else - it's a load of hooey, as far as I'm concerned.

Bugger them. And yes it does hurt, I was very hurt, but I moved on and you will too. Only you know your own worth. And I will tell you something else; they will just get some poor other sucker to replace you and heap all their s**t on them instead, but guess what? It won't be YOU that has to take it! Just keep rolling along and smile at the good and bad memories, and remember life ain't worth staying in a hole like that.

I also concur that management is just not THAT busy. I'm sorry, but are they really literally running from one end of the unit to the other, doing 10 tasks at once, their phone exploding w/ calls, patients yelling/screaming/falling w/ tasks and orders piling up by the minute?

No. They are not. They are often in their offices, drinking their coffee or wandering the hospital in groups of 2 or 3, coffee cups in hand. It "appears" to me that what they really do is a lot of TALKING, yet really very little action. Now, maybe that's not how it is .. ..but it certainly "looks" that way to those of us sweating it out on the floor everyday. I understand they've paid their dues .... but they're still getting paid to do a job, and getting paid more to perhaps work harder than before??

I discussed the dysfunction of our unit w/ one of the part time managers, who after hearing some of the stories, just put her head in her hands and shook her head. But I'm sorry -- how could she NOT know this stuff???

If I was the manager of a floor, I would make it my business to KNOW how my RN's were feeling, thinking about the unit. I would move it to find out what they wanted and at least make it appear that I was trying to make it a good environment for them to operate in and to learn. These managers nowadays just don't get it. We newer grads are coming out of school educated and seeking professional MENTORS who can teach and guide and set an example to follow -- what we get is snarky oversee-ers who seem to delight in knocking you down or instilling fear and finding fault.

It's just, well, disappointing more than anything. And what I dont' get is that we are told that for every nurse turnover, the hospital spends some $50-60K in training costs? In these lean times and days of accountability, HOW IS THIS STILL TOLERATED?????????

Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I agree SoundofMusic with your last post.

I can't believe $50-60K is spent on training! And it was funny cos I watched a program last night 'Undercover Boss' I think it was called (USA show), where the boss goes into the work place at ground zero to see what is happening. Well one of the newer supervisors was not helping out when it was busy, just walking away to the tea room and drinking. The boss undercover boss pulled her up for it, & she didn't seem to think supervisors/management had to help out. But he said to her 'THAT IS PART OF YOUR JOB' - to pitch in a hand when it gets busy. She seemed really surprised by this.

And of course managers are not busy all the time. Do they honestly think we on the floor are not busy? Goodness, are they absolutely blind or something? As I've said in previous posts I've never seen a manager chase after a patient, get the linen trolley when the laundry had no-one to bring it up, or actually (horrors) wash and change a dirty bottom. That would surely be beneath them. I have seen many clinical nurses pitch in, but not the actual managers. They honestly do not think it is their job, because they have 'done their hard graft'. Well I think so what if they have? I have always offered to help others when I am not too busy, it is only common courtesy. Yes managers are a different breed and the good ones often bang their heads against a wall trying to change things. And the CEO's of hospitals know all this, and don't want to be bothered with it all. As I've also said before it's all about speed and greed and big profits for the ones at the top.

Of course it hurts when you are not acknowledged. I only shed a few tears after I went home after what happened to me, then I thought: I'm not wasting one more tear on those people anymore, cos they won't care anyway. My manager actually told me that I wouldn't get a job back at that hospital & she wouldn't give me a reference (as if I cared), and I did get work back there - you should have seen her face when she saw me again! I just smiled, said hello and walked on! She was flabbergasted.

They will go on and on terrorising others, have high staff turnover and wonder why. But most managers are vidictive and do make others lives hard to get them to leave if they think you are unhappy or just want you out. Most managers, in my experience, are unhappy people & usually stay in their job for the money. I wonder what their homes lives are often like, do they not pitch in at home, scream at their kids, kick the dog? Probably.

You have to be selfish at times and just think of yourself in stressful times like this. Think ahead to a great future - and next time you go to the gym, rip into that punching bag and just imagine it's the manager's face -that's what I do!!

Cheers.

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