Considering Quitting my Job

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I just read new updates on our PPE policy - no N95 masks for taking care of covid patients except for certain procedures. Last time I worked we were still allowed to wear N95 (one per shift). I am turning my 2 week notice in...

Do you think there will be repercussions for your license of quitting the job in this time even with 2 weeks notice?

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I am thinking how to word the reason for leaving.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

Why are you worried about your license? Did you do anything neglectful endangering your patients? Did you fail to act on behalf of your patients' health and well being? Did you intentionally cause harm? No? Your license is safe. Why do people think the board of nursing is like the military. It's not. The state does not own you.

The only repercussions you will have is getting hired on your unit again if you quit. No biggie if you have experience as you can easily find another nursing job in a month.

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"For personal reasons" always works.

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Thank you, guys. I still don't know what to do. Older mom here with young kids and immunocompromised health. In a few months it will be either apocalyptic situation here or the government gets things under certain control, producing PPE for healthcare workers, increased testing, etc.

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How about because you prefer to live instead of being put in the direct line of possible death due to overwhelming bureaucracy.

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My hospital is allowing universal surgical masks for staff now, but N95 are reserved for "aerosol-generating procedures".

Honestly, unless we're totally being lied to and this virus is airborne, I'm okay with surgical masks. If, in fact, we are totally being lied to and this thing is airborne, then honestly we're all kind of screwed anyway and I'm not sure it matters all that much at this point.

But do what you need to in order to feel safe for you and yours.

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The same thoughts have been running through my head. I am shy of two years into working on my acute medical unit, which has now been turned into acute medical/COVID-19 rule out. We are told we do not require the N95 masks, unless the patients are positive, but by the time we do get the results (up to 48 hours when they're hospitalized) we are already after being exposed. Not including other patients who present with symptoms and are not tested since they did not travel. If anything you are safer working on the dedicated COVID floor in my hospital.

My unit has been one of the worst units in the hospital for years, with staff constantly leaving and the changing of managers to hopefully improve things, but I stuck it out despite being offered other jobs because I do not quit anything- ever. We are down to five experienced RN's me being one of them ("experienced" meaning at least a year of experience) and all new graduates from last November. This hasn't hit us yet and with the way I feel already I hate to see what a full blown pandemic crisis would do to my hospital system. As well as our management is currently failing us on our unit.

I am finally at the point now, after considering this during my off days of giving my four weeks notice when I go back. I was never truly happy here, and with this currently going on it really taught me how fleeting and meaningless this life can be if you spend the majority of your time doing something or working somewhere you don't like. I felt this way before and wanted to leave but really feel as though this is my sign to get out now. I love my coworkers, but enough is enough for me and this made me realize I need to get out.

I have nearly two years of hospital experience right now so I am hopeful I can land something else after a couple of months at most. And I have no intention of ever working on my unit again.

As others have said the hospital does not own you. Just say you are leaving for personal reasons or a new opportunity if asked, half the time they don't ask.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

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Specializes in Emergency Room.

Do you have an opportunity to take a leave of absence? That may be an option. If you quit or take a leave, I would discuss with your doctor about getting a letter stating that you are at increased risk of complications. You may have a chance of getting some unemployment assistance depending on what state you live in.

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Specializes in ICU RN.

Rather than quitting, request to be moved to another assignment without isolation due to inappropriate PPE availability. If they refuse, they have to send you home and if they terminate you- you will get unemployment bc everyone knows there's a PPE shortage and OSHA would cover you. I would not resign. I would let them fire me in this instance. Your safety comes first and if they can't let you be safe they owe you unemployment. Don't let them push you out without a penny.

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Thank you for your response. I don't think it is going to work because we are in a crisis situation and CDC released this bandanas/scarves guidelines...

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Specializes in med-surg/tely.

This is a part of my resignation letter. T think more nurses should stand in solidarity and protest so management will do something:

With the current issues surrounding the Covid 19 crisis, it has become clear that the hospital is not prepared with adequate supplies to keep us all as safe against contracting the virus. We were told by management that we do not have enough N95 masks and have to conserve them. We are asked to reuse N95 mask and put it in a paper bag for a week of work with patients on Covid 19 section of the unit. The same applies to the gowns and face shield: 1 gown has to last for all assigned patients for a week. We have no shoes cover and hair cover that will allow the virus to spread around the unit. We are also told to use surgical masks for a week for all other assign patients that are not suspected to carry Covid19 virus. This contradicts everything we have been taught previously from Infectious Control and the CDC.

Even now the policies in the hospital are changing on a daily basis for more unsafe that brings chaos, confusion and anxiety among the staff. Knowing that inconsistent hospital policy regarding reusal of PPE will fail to keep me safe from contracting the virus, I obtained a half face respirator on my own and was forbidden to use it by the nursing supervisor. It a scientific fact that P-100 mask provides better protection against a variety of foreign respiratory particles than N95 and yet I was told by the supervisor that it is against hospital policy now and must be approved by infection control.

The hospital should have already UV lights to disinfect our PPE if we have to reuse it and the rooms after Covid patients. I can see that important decisions were not made in a timely matter and action plan not implemented right away to prepare our hospital especially when we were warned by what was happening in New York City more than 2 weeks ago. Hospital had time to prepare but waited till last minute and what it did it locked up and rationed PPE.

In this unfortunate situation even asbestos workers with their PPE gear are better equipped to work with Covid19 than us healthcare workers in our PPE given by hospital.

I want to mention another factor that will spread the virus throughout the unit. Two isolation rooms have its own ventilation system but the rest of the floor uses one ventilation system. Once the Covid19 patients will be placed in regular rooms the virus will spread through the ventilation system on the whole unit infecting everyone. Clean supplies rooms and dietary room are also situated in the Covid 19 unit zone just opposite of regular, non-negative pressure rooms where infected patients are placed making a danger that the virus will spread on healthcare workers shoes into clean zone of the unit.

These are the reasons why I am submitting my resignation effective immediately. I am perfectly willing to work and continue help to care for patients conflicted with this virus but with proper PPE. On the other hand I cannot be asked by my employer to work in the environment that puts my life in danger.

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