Anyone finish shift and not return to job?

P_RN, ADN, RN · Sep 4, 2006

I left one in the first 15 minutes because the employment person (not a nurse BTW) lied to me. They put me as charge nurse on 3-11 on a Peds floor. Get this I HAD NEVER WORKED IN A HOSPITAL BEFORE!

Pat_Pat RN · Sep 5, 2006

I keep seeing everyone talking about being "professional" and giving two weeks notice. It would be so nice if administration would be as "professional". Last month, all the CNA's from our Med-Surg floor were "laid-off" at the END of the day. They did get a severance package. But I couldn't imagine working all day, then having your job taken away.

HappyNurse2005, RN · Sep 5, 2006

month, all the CNA's from our Med-Surg floor were "laid-off" at the END of the day. They did get a severance package. But I couldn't imagine working all day, then having your job taken away.

what was the rationale for that??? how did a med surg floor do with no CNA"s?

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 5, 2006

I keep seeing everyone talking about being "professional" and giving two weeks notice. It would be so nice if administration would be as "professional".

:yeahthat:

Agnus · Sep 5, 2006

I am working in a VERY unsafe job. I think the "icing on the cake" was yesterday. I have brought many concerns to management and basically have been told to shut up. I have never left a job without giving 2 weeks notice, but I just feel that I cannot work another day at his horrendous hospital! I have been a nurse many years and I have never encountered this type of environment until now. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

If you fine it appropriate and necessary to leave do so.

You can make an excuse. (Some sort of family emergency) or not. I really would not worry quiting one way or another. When you apply for another job you tactfully respond with a reason for leaving. Unless you clearly hear from your interviewer that they know the facility and know it to be unsafe or have problems. (often they do and they sometime open up this avenue of converstation with you.) In that case it is ok to discuss it.

Otherwise be tactful in you response. Because even if they know it is a bad facility they may be looking to see how fast and easily you badmouth a former employer.

Agnus · Sep 5, 2006

Tonight I was asked to alter records so that the floor wouldn't get wriitten up ("dinged").

You have a legal obligation to go to the BON and report the nurse who asked you to alter records. Not only is it illegal to alter them it is illegal and reportable if told or asked to alter them.

Document the details of this. immediately for further reference you will need it. ANd get out of there now. You are definately in harms way.

Agnus · Sep 5, 2006

Lynn 1956, if you do the exit interview, remind yourself that you can be in
control of what you say...........you do not have to answer every question....
if you feel the meeting is too unbearable, you could also just stand up and excuse yourself. Another choice is to bring someone with you.....that would
greatly change how they speak to you. One other idea is just to have a
quick prepared written note to give them incase it is too unbearable and you
just want to get out of the room. You are not obligated to play their game.
You are in charge of your life. Never forget that. Do not let people speak
to you in demeaning manner. Protect your mental healt.
This is just one job......not your life.

Here is something an employment law attorney once told me. "Never do exit interviews. They are NEVER for your benifit. They are for the employer's benefit. THey can hurt you. You are leaving you own them nothing."

I simply state "I do not do exit interviews." I have Never been questioned about this nor have I ever been told after saying that that I had to. They can not require it; you are a free person.

This last job I left of very good terms. I simply told them I was not available for an exit interview. I told them (but did not need to), that I would be out of state (true). I used this "excuse" not because I needed one but because I had one and it was undisputable. So as a courtesy I told them.

One job that I quit under hostile sercumstance I said that I did not do exit interview and they said well be have to because that is when we give you your cobra stuff. I told them they could mail it.

777RNThatsMe · Sep 5, 2006

I quit a job one week into orientation. No notice. Just finished the week and then called HR. told them my reasons - which basically were that the job wasn't what I thought it would be and not what I was looking for, and that was all I said. Won't put it on the resume as one week into a 12 week orientation it was all paperwork and NEVER pt treatment..not worth listing. Only thing worth listing is when you really work. Also wasn't working giving 2 week notice when they'd just have invested more time /money on me..and for...what? Now if I had been longer term I'd have given notice if I could..... so long as my finances would allow and so long as my license wasn't on the line in that it was just too dangerous to continue etc.

Agnus · Sep 5, 2006

I know that my HR department is very sincere in knowing why people leave. I think you should do the interview, be honest, but professional. Think about how you want to relay the information or tell them the issues. Maybe others before you did the interview and gave the same information. You have to admit that when everyone that is leaving is saying the same thing, they are eventually going to have to listen.

Sorry, I respectfully disagree. They all sincerely want to know why people leave. However, just because people keep telling them the same thing is no guarentee it will be fixed. they do not "have to listen"

My feeing is you should have listened before I was forced to leave. Please explain why I own this facility this favor when they were so bad they pushed it beyond tollerence and forced me out?

No I do not own them nor do I own the nurses left behind.

I can assure you the time I chose to leave without notice they knew why I was leaving. I even heard the floor supervisor say to my manager before I said I would not be back "we lost another one."

When I walked into HR and gave then notice that I would not be back the woman's face visibly darkened. The know when they are screwing up. When people complain bring things to thier attention and they ignore it they know why you are leaving. Don't kid yourself

Nope sorry they are not so stupid as to be blind

Elisheva · Sep 5, 2006

Hospitals know why nurses leave in droves. Understaffing leads to unsafe practice and puts patients in harms way. They (the man, the bottom line, whatever..) don't care, or they don't care enough. They know they can count on the never ending reservoir of new grads coming out of school every six months. In the past few years we have begun to see the dribble of stories about hospital deaths, medical errors, etc. My gut tells me it's just the beginning.

I never met a nurse that didn't care about their job or their patients (well, maybe one). Every nurse I worked with said they would take less money per hour to have another one or two nurses on the floor.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 5, 2006

Hospitals know why nurses leave in droves. Understaffing leads to unsafe practice and puts patients in harms way. They (the man, the bottom line, whatever..) don't care, or they don't care enough. They know they can count on the never ending reservoir of new grads coming out of school every six months. In the past few years we have begun to see the dribble of stories about hospital deaths, medical errors, etc. My gut tells me it's just the beginning.
I never met a nurse that didn't care about their job or their patients (well, maybe one). Every nurse I worked with said they would take less money per hour to have another one or two nurses on the floor.

Great post, ITA. I've told a supervisor that I would take a 30% pay cut to have 30% fewer pts to care for. Of course she just gave me a blank stare.

Instead, I opted for a 100% pay cut for 100% fewer pts.

Pat_Pat RN · Sep 5, 2006

what was the rationale for that??? how did a med surg floor do with no CNA"s?

They are still surviving. Although the nurses have to do a whole lot more than they did.