I hate my job more than any other job I can remember... and that's saying a lot. As with any other position, there are nice coworkers and annoying ones. I don't feel really CLOSE to my coworkers, but most of them are nice enough. It's really the job, and the unit that I absolutely HATE. 99.9% off the time it's pure CHAOS - new orders, patient meltdowns, change in conditions, more new orders, changes, and problems. It's just hard to explain how unpleasant of an environment this is to work in.
Almost like you would have to see it to believe it! I dislike this job so much (the ironic thing is that I fought hard to get this job and was very WRONG about what type of nursing job I would be best in).
I have tried to stick it out, hating it most of the time, but trying to convince myself that I SHOULD stay for experience, or whatever other reason I come up with!
Unfortunately, now, after yet another terrible shift, I am to the point where I don't even think I can bring myself to finish out a 2wk notice. I tried to give it a chance, and even make myself like it, but I hate it just as much and don't think I have the patience to even complete a 2wk's notice of resignation.
Have you ever felt this way? I have another job lined up and would just like to QUIT!
Every time this question comes up (which seems kind of shockingly frequently to me), someone always says do whatever you want and just don't use that boss as a reference in the future. I don't know where people get this idea. Whether or not you ever list the boss you screwed over as a reference isn't the issue. Of course you're not going to do that; no sane person would. But every nursing job application I've ever filled out has required me to list all of my previous nursing employment (or, at least, all my previous employment for the last X years), and potential employers do check with those previous employers (that's why they ask for the info ...). When they contact that employer, which they will do, despite your not having listed anyone there as a "reference," they will learn that you screwed the previous employer over. If you omit the screwed-over employer from the application and the potential employer happens to find out you left out a previous employer they had requested, many employers consider that sufficient dishonesty to drop you from further consideration right there (or fire you if they find out after you've already been hired). Screwing over an employer is something that is going to follow you, and likely hurt you, for years. Why take the chance? Just give and work the required notice, and leave on decent terms. The notice will be over with before you know it. You can never go wrong "taking the high road" and doing the right thing in nursing.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Not true that managers will only divulge dates of employment. Managers will discuss an employee "off the record" quite frequently.
And not just managers. Former colleagues will do so as well. So if one of your current colleagues becomes an NP or a manager (or even a staff nurse) at someplace else where you'd like to work in the future, that could bite you in the butt. I've been asked what I think of former colleagues -- even folks I worked with 15 years and 1500 miles ago. Usually, I have good things to say but there was one former colleague with a propensity for calling in sick five minutes into her shift. She didn't get hired, mostly based on my carefully neutral feedback.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Every time this question comes up (which seems kind of shockingly frequently to me), someone always says do whatever you want and just don't use that boss as a reference in the future. I don't know where people get this idea. Whether or not you ever list the boss you screwed over as a reference isn't the issue. Of course you're not going to do that; no sane person would. But every nursing job application I've ever filled out has required me to list all of my previous nursing employment (or, at least, all my previous employment for the last X years), and potential employers do check with those previous employers (that's why they ask for the info ...). When they contact that employer, which they will do, despite your not having listed anyone there as a "reference," they will learn that you screwed the previous employer over. If you omit the screwed-over employer from the application and the potential employer happens to find out you left out a previous employer they had requested, many employers consider that sufficient dishonesty to drop you from further consideration right there (or fire you if they find out after you've already been hired). Screwing over an employer is something that is going to follow you, and likely hurt you, for years. Why take the chance? Just give and work the required notice, and leave on decent terms. The notice will be over with before you know it. You can never go wrong "taking the high road" and doing the right thing in nursing.
Best wishes!
I suspect the ones who are saying "do what you want" or "your license and sanity is so much more important than a mere JOB" are folks who either lack real world employment experience or who are trying to screw over the person who asked the question in the first place. No sane and well-intentioned poster with experience in the real world employment market would advise anyone to just up and quit without notice. Unless the paychecks had been bouncing, the place of employment had been flattened by a hurricane AND the employee had just suffered a CVA on the job.
I suspect the ones who are saying "do what you want" or "your license and sanity is so much more important than a mere JOB" are folks who either lack real world employment experience or who are trying to screw over the person who asked the question in the first place. No sane and well-intentioned poster with experience in the real world employment market would advise anyone to just up and quit without notice. Unless the paychecks had been bouncing, the place of employment had been flattened by a hurricane AND the employee had just suffered a CVA on the job.
I stated in a earlier post that OP sanity and health is most important. I guarantee you I don't "lack real world work experience". Putting in a 2 week notice and working out the notice is of course the best choice. However, there maybe a time when you may not be able to. Just my opinion.
I stated in a earlier post that OP sanity and health is most important. I guarantee you I don't "lack real world work experience". Putting in a 2 week notice and working out the notice is of course the best choice. However, there maybe a time when you may not be able to. Just my opinion.
But why the heck wouldn't they be able to stick it out two more weeks? Healthcare is not for the weak minded. No matter if you're a nurse, a CNA, a cardiologist, a lab tech, a pharmacist, etc., that is beyond unprofessional. At least give the employer the time to look for a replacement.
Give your 2 weeks notice. Most likely they won't even have you work the 2 weeks out and tell you to clean out your locker and turn your badge in, but why burn bridges? Be a professional and the better person and give your notice and if you have to endure the next 2 weeks you can and will and then that place will be left on good terms and you can walk out the door with your head held high and can go enjoy a nice tasty beverage afterwards. One day you will look back on the place and laugh at how awful it was to work there. I do this often with a couple of my previous jobs.
Once you give notice, I think things will go easier. Every time something sucky happens, you can say to yourself, "In two more weeks, this will no longer be my problem."
I've been a nurse for 7 years, and one thing that was pounded into our heads during nursing school was "protect your license at all costs." If that means leaving without notice, then leave without notice.
Nursing is a small world, which means word gets around about bad facilities. I've worked at 2 places that turned out to be revolving doors, for very good reason. When interviewers saw my 6 week stint in Nursing Home Hell on my resume, they usually said something like "Oh, you worked there." The same facility is offering sign-on bonuses, paid ferry rides ($20 a pop) and paid license conversion for out-of-state nurses, and they still can't keep staff.
Loyalty to an employer is a fool's game. If your employment didn't benefit your employer, they would let you go without a second thought. A conditioned license can make a nurse unemployable.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
I've been a nurse for 7 years, and one thing that was pounded into our heads during nursing school was "protect your license at all costs." If that means leaving without notice, then leave without notice.
Nursing is a small world, which means word gets around about bad facilities. I've worked at 2 places that turned out to be revolving doors, for very good reason. When interviewers saw my 6 week stint in Nursing Home Hell on my resume, they usually said something like "Oh, you worked there." The same facility is offering sign-on bonuses, paid ferry rides ($20 a pop) and paid license conversion for out-of-state nurses, and they still can't keep staff.
Loyalty to an employer is a fool's game. If your employment didn't benefit your employer, they would let you go without a second thought. A conditioned license can make a nurse unemployable.
With all respect to your instructors in nursing school, have you looked at your state's BON publication in the section on loss of license? There are relatively few licenses lost per active nurses and most of them involve falsification of documentation, diversion of narcotics and falsification of documentation related to diversion of narcotics.
It's relatively hard to lose a license. It's much easier to get stipulations, like supervision by another nurse, no agency, no overtime, and no private duty. Most employers in my area don't want to deal with that. Jobs are hard enough to find with a clean license.
I've only quit without notice once. I was told to do something illegal (go back and falsify documentation in an alleged abuse case that was likely to become a lawsuit), and I refused to do so. My DON made threats to fire me and do damage to my license, so I basically called another facility, procured a job on the spot (I have an excellent reputation in my area), quit (I hadn't clocked in for shift yet), and called state as I was walking out the door. Before that, I would say never quit without notice. But threats, illegal activity, and as a PP mentioned-bouncing paychecks, are the only justifiable reasons I can ever see. Just because you don't like it is no reason. And remember, the grass always seems greener. It's not always!
joanna73, BSN, RN
4,767 Posts
Not true that managers will only divulge dates of employment. Managers will discuss an employee "off the record" quite frequently.