background: i began at my current place of employment approximately 6 months ago. (i still feel like a "new" employee but i'm done training and overall, i'm doing well.) i currently work full time at a wonderful medical-surgical hospital that specializes in elective surgeries. the company is wonderful to work for and i am quite content working for them. their staff turnover rate is pretty low, especially compared to other facilities.
problem: i was offered my dream nursing job: a full-time hospice rn position with another hospital in the area. this hospital's hospice program is known around the state for being so grand.
the long and short of it: hospice nurses are who got me into nursing. they have been and continue to be my nursing inspiration. my dream nursing job was/is a hospice nursing job. my goal in life was to eventually earn a hospice rn position. never in my wildest dreams did i imagine my dream would come true so "early" in my life (i'm 30), nor did i think it would be with this wonderful, well-known hospital, nor did i think i would be offered such a position with less than 5 years of nursing experience. (i could go into many more details about the pros/cons and what made me come to the decision and other background info but i don't want this to become too long...if you need more info, please let me know.)
i accepted the hospice position. i start this summer. now that that decision has been made...
please help me with advice on 3 things:
1) i start the hospice job in june. it is currently march. i want to give at least a standard 30 day notice to my current employer at the med-surg hospital. i'm not leaving due to dissatisfaction, i'm leaving because i landed my dream job. my *dream* job. is a 30 day notice sufficient or would it be better to give an even longer notice-such as 45 or 60 days? i don't wish to "leave" on any bad terms. also, you'll see below, i'd love to stay on as a casual rn status employee.\
2) since i'm still a relatively new employee, do you think they'd even consider keeping me casual? i know that's a difficult question since you don't work with me...just your general thoughts. my hope is to be able to stay casual status at my current med-surg hospital (another reason i don't want to "burn any bridges/give adequate notice).
3) what do you think of the following resignation letter? i'm not sure how much information to include about obtaining my "dream job" :
jane,
it is with respect and deep gratitude for abc med-surg hospital, and much time, deep thought, and consideration, that i write this letter of resignation. although i have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent at abc med-surg hospital, my last day will be april/may xx, 2012. i accepted a position with xyz hospice hospital as a full-time hospice rn. hospice nursing has long since been a dream of mine, however, i did not think it would be a reality until much later in my career. being presented with this new opportunity was a struggle due to being relatively new at abc med-surg hospital and being content working where i am.
i would like to take this opportunity to express my genuine appreciation to you as my supervisor, as well all of the nurses and other staff i have met here at abc med-surg hospital. i have had and continue to experience wonderful nurses and excellent training. this company is simply wonderful to work for.
should it be an option, i am very interested in staying onboard with the team as casual rn status instead of full-time. it has been and continues daily to be a privilege and a pleasure to work with this team. i very much appreciate the personal and professional growth i have experienced, the skills i have learned and keep learning, the relationships i have established, and the patients i have been able to care for. i am thankful daily for this adventure and hope it is not yet over.
sincerely,
"allie sparks rn" (not my real name)
[color=#ee82ee]thank you very, very much to anyone who responds! i look forward to reading your responses, whatever they may be =)