After receiving an e-mail from my nurse manager that I MUST take a lunch (which I would LOVE TO by the way) I am so fed up, I'm ready to quit. I've been at this facility as an RN for 2 years but only 9 months on this med-surg floor (my very first med-surg job). Can you fellow nurses give me some feedback on my reply to her note? We don't cross paths at work, so I'm ready to send this but wanted to run it by you all. I don't have another job lined up but I'm starting to think my well-being is more important. I feel used & abused by this facility. I bend over backwards for them. I love the work itself, but this thing about "you must take a lunch" is only lip service. They could care less if I eat or not.
Here's my note:
Dear
I implore you to ask two questions of your remaining nursing staff.
1.) Do you feel you have enough time during your shift to take a proper 30 min lunch?
2.) Do you punch out for 30 minutes but continue to work during that time?
These questions may be difficult for you to ask for two reasons: One, you won't want to hear their answers, and two, you don't have the power to do anything about it even if they tell you the truth.
I leave my house at 2:30 in the afternoon. I hit the floor running & don't stop until 11:30 pm - I chart that last hour. I remove my lunch from the break room refrigerator & eat it in the car on the way home - TEN hours later. I usually have a headache by then. When we have only one Care Assistant, it is impossible to take a lunch break.
I have told other staff (even on the day & night shifts) that every time they swipe out & 'pretend' to take a lunch, it makes ME look BAD but they refuse to write it in the book.
I have been nothing but a loyal, conscientious & dedicated worker at XXXXXX Hospital. I was under the illusion that if I worked hard, had a positive attitude, surrounded myself with like-minded people . . . all would be good. Thanks for your concern. However, you can consider this my two weeks notice.
- Sincerely,
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