Resignation

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 20, 2004

I think you should make your resignation letter very complimentary towards her and her unit. Emphasize that you are leaving the area for family reasons (no mention of a better job or more money) and that you really appreciate the great experience you had while working there. You might also hint that that, should you ever return to the area, you hope to be able to once again work for her. You might also say that you will recommend to anyone you encounter that may be moving there to work for her. That way, she may hesistate to treat you badly in the hopes that you may return one day and/or recommend her unit to prospective employees. Give her every reason to treat you nicely -- and don't use it as an opportunity to raise issues or complaints about the unit. Too many people make that mistake as they leave a place.

Good luck,

llg

SarasotaRN2b · Dec 20, 2004

Agree with llg. I guess that is what I would call a "c.y.a." Good luck in your new position!

live4today, RN · Dec 20, 2004

Me personally.......I believe in being truthful and straightforward, not sugarcoating the resignation for any reason whatsoever. If the nurse manager's attitude is as you described it to be, she/he won't relate to your sugarcoating the issue of your resigning at all. :rolleyes:

When I exit a place of employment, I exit. If the nurse manager is the reason I leave a job, I tell her/him to their face that they are the reason I'm leaving.

Peoples careers change all the time, and no employer should fault an employee for desiring to improve their career -- even if that change means leaving where they currently work. Advancement is a good thing, so why not share that information. They should commend you for giving them THREE WEEKS advance notice which I think is a very lengthy period of time, and very considerate on your part.

Bottom line.......I would just state honestly why I'm resigning, and move on. Your job will become somebody elses job in no time, then the nurse manager can continue her rant on the remaining staff. :uhoh3:

Enjoy your new job and place of residence! :Santa3:

Nurse Ratched, RN · Dec 20, 2004

The only issue with being too honest is that you still may need this facility as a reference. Three years is a long time to spend at a place where you have become persona non grata.

dphrn · Dec 20, 2004

You do not need to give a reason in your resignation letter to the facility. Just say, Please consider this my letter of resignation. My last day of employment will be ... Thank you for the opportunity to work at facility's name. You do not HAVE to give them any reason, just that you are leaving and when your last day will be.

Usually places of employment will have an exit interview. Or, during your verbal notice to your nurse manager is the time to talk with him/her. I would not put any of this in writing for the purpose of it coming back to bite you if you need a reference.

My last nurse manager was insane. Anyway, before I left I spoke with her and had a very good talk. I was diplomatic but honest about my experience there. I point blank asked her at the end of the interview if I could count on her for a positive reference. Since the exit interview went well, she said, oh yes! My employer that I am with now stated that nurse manager gave me a very good reference, which still surprises me to this day.

You do have to think of yourself but be professional and honest. You do need them as a reference. That is a fact. But, you do not have to write reasons in your resignation letter.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2004

I have never burned a bridge in a resignation letter. I have always been respectful and complementary even if I could not wait to get out the door. The nursing community is surprisingly small and close knit. You never know who you might meet and who you might need later in your career. You can be non committal if you don't feel particularly complementary, but never burn a bridge! You never know when you might have to go back over it.

Q. · Dec 21, 2004

I agree with llg. Be respectful in your resignation letter to avoid her being nasty to you and to avoid burning bridges.

In my short career, I have found that I run into alot of the same people in different circles, who move into different positions themselves and you end up working with them, or they may have connections you don't know about, or I have simply found other great career opportunities at organizations I had previously left.

I would follow llg's advice to a tee.

dphrn · Dec 22, 2004

I wouldn't praise the nurse manager in my resignation letter if she/he was not worth the compliments. I would not write anything negative either, so it won't come back to hurt you in your career choices down the road when and if you need her.

Praising a nurse manager in writing who does not deserve it, as this one sounds like she doesn't, only makes her look good to her supervisors and hurts the nurses left behind on the unit. This NM can keep these letters and use them to show how "wonderful" she is when there are complaints against her. This sends too many mixed messages to admin if there is something wrong on the unit. Think of yourself, but also the nurses who will come behind you.

If you want to compliment her to keep her on your good side for the reference (which I totally understand), do it verbally not in writing. She will love the positive words, but she won't have it in writing to help her with her position.

I would not put anything negative in the letter and definately nothing good if they don't deserve it! Keep it very generic. A resignation letter is not meant to benefit the nurse manager. It is just a written notice of your resignation, which they need for their files. Period.

directcare4me · Dec 22, 2004

I wouldn't praise the nurse manager in my resignation letter if she/he was not worth the compliments. I would not write anything negative either, so it won't come back to hurt you in your career choices down the road when and if you need her.
Praising a nurse manager in writing who does not deserve it, as this one sounds like she doesn't, only makes her look good to her supervisors and hurts the nurses left behind on the unit. This NM can keep these letters and use them to show how "wonderful" she is when there are complaints against her. This sends too many mixed messages to admin if there is something wrong on the unit. Think of yourself, but also the nurses who will come behind you.
If you want to compliment her to keep her on your good side for the reference (which I totally understand), do it verbally not in writing. She will love the positive words, but she won't have it in writing to help her with her position.
I would not put anything negative in the letter and definately nothing good if they don't deserve it! Keep it very generic. A resignation letter is not meant to benefit the nurse manager. It is just a written notice of your resignation, which they need for their files. Period.

I totally agree with this. Don't need to say positive things if they aren't true, but I am a firm believer in not burning bridges, and as someone else said, the nursing community is very inter-related; you might end up working next for her best friend.

I learned the hard way; left a place that I KNEW I would never come back to; well, a few years down the road, I went back. Fortunately, I hadn't put any of my negative thoughts on paper. You just never know; you may think you do, but things change.

URO-RN · Dec 28, 2004

Like some of the other responses... make a clean break, turn in a short and to the point resignation and carry on.

Good luck to you at your new position.:)

fotografe · Dec 29, 2004

The letter of resignation becomes a part of your personnel file. Just a short note saying your are resigning, the effective date, and a brief line about thanking them for the opportunity to work there, that is it.

If you feel the need, you may speak to a manager to voice reasons fro leaving. Honestly, I wouldn't, just leave it at that.