How to stay safe fulfilling 2 week notice

Nurses General Nursing

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I work in a large SNF/Rehab facility and have been applying elsewhere for quite some time d/t poor management, unsafe staffing and the facility taking residents they know are way too sick for our nurse to pt ratio (1:30) all of which I feel puts my license on the line. On top of a daunting med pass which includes Gtubes, trach pts, PICCs, IVs, wound vacs, fresh knees hips etc and chronic pain pts, psych pts crawling OOB etc they are now requiring us to not only be present in DR but take res' orders and serve them and we get reprimanded when resident's eat late. I could write a book on how poor this facility and mgmt is but I know it will never change and worked very hard at getting out. I just accepted a position at my dream job in an ER and am ecstatic to start. My concern is the facility I'm leaving which has high turnover is getting fed up with people quitting and attempting to screw people out of new jobs by calling around. They have no reason to say anything negative about me, but at the same time they did this to other nurses who were nothing but wonderful. How do I remain professional and give a 2 week notice and fulfill it while protecting my new job?

Can you keep them from finding out where you are going? If so, just keep it mum and act like you are just taking some time off of working for awhile. What horrible, nasty people to screw with people like that. :madface:

Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

What kind of things do they say?

Does your current employer know you are leaving?

I guess you could talk to the ED manager of your concerns. I have a feeling, they won't really care what the facility says unless it's documented harm reported to the BON.

You could also try to leave on good terms with this facility. No reason to be snarky. Tell them you are grateful for the opportunity to work for them and maybe in the future you could come back per diem. Maybe if they thought you would come back and work for them in the future, they would let you leave without being a 2 week whipping boy.

Specializes in LTC , SDC and MDS certified (3.0).

Don't tell anyone where you are going!!! Don't bring attention to youself at work, Do the best you can while at work. Document good. Keep a positive attitude , and don't mention you are leaving. GooD Luck!!

Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

There is no reason to reveal your new place of employment.

Keep your resignation letter short & simple -- "I am resigning my position as staff nurse at XYZ LTC for personal reasons, effective Date X. Per the previously published schedule, my last working day will be Date Y. Thank you."

And as knowledge of your resignation spreads through the grapevine, you DO NOT have to respond. "I've got a couple of different options open and will decide which to pursue." Smile. Walk away. End of conversation.

Good luck with the new job. And welcome to the Dark Side. (the ER) :cool:

Depending on what State you're in, you might be entitled to relief under Defamation laws if your former employer tries anything snarky.

Disseminating unsubstantiated information about a former employee is a slippery slope for an employer almost everywhere, even in at will employment states. If rumors do end up getting to your new job (congrats by the way), I would get a written statement from their HR department regarding it and then phone a lawyer.

The only thing your old employer is allowed to say is that you worked there, so I would not even worry about it unless they want to talk to your supervisor or something from your old job to ask about what type of person you are.

This is not going to be a popular opinion, but if that us the way they are, I woukd not even give two weeks notice. I would sumply tell them when you leave on your last day that you quit. People will say that is not fair to your co workers but you have to watchout for yourself and your own needs. No one else will.

This is not going to be a popular opinion, but if that us the way they are, I woukd not even give two weeks notice. I would sumply tell them when you leave on your last day that you quit. People will say that is not fair to your co workers but you have to watchout for yourself and your own needs. No one else will.

Not giving 2 weeks might screw ya over in the future. Your employer can terminate you "non rehirable" for doing something like that (in 43 states).

So, say you skip out on your 2 weeks notice for company "A" to go work for company "C". 5 years from now company "A" buys company "B" that had previously merged with the place you're now working. Your social security number and information are now in mega company's database as "non rehirable" or "ineligible" and boom you're out of a job.

This happens a lot in Department Stores and Banks because companies are constantly buying each other and consolidating.

(I'm not a "know it all" or anything I just used to work in my Mom's office....a Labor and Family Law firm and these are plain law observations I've made in my travels)

By the sounds of the place they make the people that leave anyways not rehireable, so i would not worry about it. Also sometimes in life ya gotta burn a few bridges to keep going forward.

There is no reason to reveal your new place of employment.

Keep your resignation letter short & simple -- "I am resigning my position as staff nurse at XYZ LTC for personal reasons, effective Date X. Per the previously published schedule, my last working day will be Date Y. Thank you."

And as knowledge of your resignation spreads through the grapevine, you DO NOT have to respond. "I've got a couple of different options open and will decide which to pursue." Smile. Walk away. End of conversation.

Good luck with the new job. And welcome to the Dark Side. (the ER) :cool:

Throw in that you have greatly enjoyed working for them and that you have learned a great deal, what a privilege it has all been. Sign up for PRN with the current employer.

What kind of things do they say?

Does your current employer know you are leaving?

I guess you could talk to the ED manager of your concerns. I have a feeling, they won't really care what the facility says unless it's documented harm reported to the BON.

You could also try to leave on good terms with this facility. No reason to be snarky. Tell them you are grateful for the opportunity to work for them and maybe in the future you could come back per diem. Maybe if they thought you would come back and work for them in the future, they would let you leave without being a 2 week whipping boy.

Say nothing to the new employer. If anything goes wrong, that would be time enough to bring it up.

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