Resigning....Retaliation a BIG possibility! What do I do?????

profjanmc · Jul 28, 2004

Yes, I too agree with those who said sometimes the environment is the problem. We, as nurses, have a history of eating our young alive.... I have worked OB in several local hospitals and each one is a completely different expereince even though labor is labor is labor.....Try somewhere else, if necessary move (if you can) a new environment may make a huge difference. I now work in a unit that's like family and even though my pay is less, I love where I work. Good luck to you and don't give up.

bigfishsmallpond · Jul 28, 2004

Cindy, I really feel bad for you, and can relate from both sides of the fence. I resigned one job due to a terrible eval, and pressure from a manager that I thought was a friend.I NEVER had a less than wonderful eval, and she gave me one that basically said I was worthless.In fact when I expressed surprise and stated no one had ever made these kind of comments, she said " someone should have had the balls to do this a long time ago."I didn't want to leave on a negative feeling after 13 years, but I felt so non-supported and terrible about myself that I did. No going away party, no card, nothing. I just gave my notice, and left quietly, with my self esteem under my shoes.

Well, I got a better job, and met some great friends,but I admit I never quite got over that situation.I can understand how hurt and angry you feel.

Now I am a mangaer, and have been in the position of firing several nurses. Believe me, it is very difficult and i do everything I can to make it professional, impersonal and NOT a horrible experience.If you were my employee, I would offer employee assistance(counseling and job reassignment),and also an honest, fair evaluation and suggestions for change .Best of luck. Don't let it destroy you.I won't be so naive as to say sometimes it is the best thing that can happen to you, but move on, learn from it, and do consider counseling to help you get through a very difficult time.

alatta58 · Aug 27, 2004

Well I didn't realize that someone was watching my posts on here. But you are right about all that you said. All except the needing counseling part. I have been a psych nurse for 16 years. That is my speciality and that is what I love to do most. I tried to medical/surgical nursing over the past few years to freshen up my skills in the medical aspects. It's evident that I am NOT a medical nurse. I couldn't find a job for many months because there wasn't anything out there at the time. I live in a very small town and there just wasn't anything around here. I did almost lose everything from lack of work and I did go through a deep depression for feeling that I was worthless from not being able to work the hospital jobs. There is nothing wrong with me as a person. I don't do drugs, I don't drink, I am not senile and I am a very easy person to get along with. I belong in psych because that is what I am best at. But again, there is hardly anything around here in psych due to budget cuts. I will say that your response to me hurt my feelings deeply but hey you might as well say what you feel now being as I am already down. I assure you there is nothing wrong with me. I had a very good interview with a correctins facility this week and hope to hear from them on Monday. I am going to take the job if offered. I will excel at this job as I am very experienced in all areas of psych. Just because it appears that I am a total screw up in the medical field doesnt' mean that I totally screwed up as a nurse. Some nurses do well in the hospital setting and others do not. :stone

Hi-Please think twice about Correctional Nursing-if you are aleady stressed out-as you appear to be. I worked in corrections for 6 yrears-and left 3 years ago. It took me a year to download from that experience! I would advise you to try home health nursing-what I do now. Only one pt. at a time-low stress, good money-Try it-you'll like it.

cindyrn1 · Aug 28, 2004

Thank you for your reply and advice........BUT I did go to work for Corrections but not in the same capacity as most nurses do. I am the Mental Health RN for the facility sub contracted. I love what I am doing! There are days that are worse than others but overall, it's a great job. No stress whatsoever. I do not have to pass meds or run to codes or deal with the medical needs of the population. I am only responsible for the mentally ill and their meds. I work closely with the psychiatrist and the therapist that work with me. I have my own hours, my own office and my own secretary. I have finally found the job that I have always wanted! I love psych nursing and this job is the ultimate. Sometimes I think it's too good to be true! But, I work very hard everyday and drive an hour to work and an hour home. So it makes for a very long work week most of the time. I just wish that other nurses could enjoy their careers half as much as I do right now. I know that I will never go back to the State as a psych nurse because of the way they treated their nurses. The Department of Mental Health really needs an overhaul and some of their administrators need to retire or get nice! Now that was work! A forensic psych hospital for the criminally insane. Too many things you were responsible for. I loved what I did, but couldn't take the pressure of administration beating me down all the time. Nothing was ever good enough for them. So I quit there. And hopefully will never go back. But enough of my job. Thanks for writing and I hope you are enjoying your career as a nurse as well. :balloons:

Hi-Please think twice about Correctional Nursing-if you are aleady stressed out-as you appear to be. I worked in corrections for 6 yrears-and left 3 years ago. It took me a year to download from that experience! I would advise you to try home health nursing-what I do now. Only one pt. at a time-low stress, good money-Try it-you'll like it.