Over 20 years at the hospital, left and not even a "thank you"????????

[27YearRN]

Hello all,

I've been lurking around for quite a while, and I had a discussion with a fellow nurse yesterday that has just set my blood boiling and my blood pressure near the stroke zone.

I am employed as an RN in a Magnet Hospital and have been there for over 17 years. In the last year we have lost many of our long term fellow nurses to retirement, disability, and job changes. On my own unit, one nurse who was employed for over 25 years went back to school and now works as an APN. Another nurse left to get a job a little closer to home, she had been employed here for over 20 years.

I had lunch with "Peggy", the 20 year nurse, who told me that the only thing she was told the day she left was to "return your badge and locator, and... don't forget to do your exit survey". She told me she cried every day for 2 weeks because she didn't even feel that ANY of her years were considered valuable by any of the management. Now, she's just ANGRY.

So I called "Kerry", the 25 year APN nurse, and asked her. She basically said the same thing. No one said "thank you for all your years of service". She feels like she came from a hospital devoid of caring managers. She was a great staff nurse, nurse educator, clinical specialist, assistant head nurse, clinic nurse in her time there, and never had any discipline problems. In addition she was "Nurse of the Quarter" on our unit so its not like she was just a warm body or anything. She (as well as Peggy) were respected by their peers, physicians, and patients in our community.

Maybe I am too emotional over this, but... I feel like I have a few feathers in my cap, but just CANNOT understand why these 2 valuable, talented women were allowed to leave without some sort of tribute to their many years of service from management! We hear all about the Press Gainey Scores and now our raises are tied to our Patient Satisfaction scores. The questions that are asked on our Satisfaction surveys don't address issues like this.

I want to address this with our CEN. I am sure she isn't aware of it.

Do you think I am crazy or overly emotional about this? I am just thinking about how I would feel if I left in a month with my 17 years of service there and all they said was "dont forget to give us your badge at the end of the day". Gee even a little ice cream and cake would be nice...

Any hints on what I can say when I meet with our CEN?

And if any of you are in upper management positions, you might want to ask your managers on Monday who has left with quite a bit of time spent there, and were they recognized by the management for all their valuable contributions to your organization?

Geez... and they are a Magnet Hospital on top of it all!!!:angryfire :angryfire

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

Maybe when a nurse has been at a facility for that long, she becomes kind of invisible- like a part of the walls. Maybe, mgmt becomes so used to relying on her without even having to think about it, she becomes part of the background to them?

New nurses, hiring, and filling open spots are perhaps what's in the forefront of their thoughts as far as nurses go.

There are so many mgrs who can't think beyond the next financial report.

Anyway, it's a damn shame.

[RNgirlie]

wow, that is pretty sad.

Last summer, (before I was an RN) I worked at a hospital as a summer nursing student extern. There was a nurse who was there for a while and was working her last few weeks before relocating to another state across the country. She was a really nice nurse that everyone liked and there was so much celebration going on. They took many pictures (I believe there was even a party) and someone designed and handmade this really cool memory/scrapbook/album which her other co-workers wrote sweet things in and signed. It made her really happy and teary eyed looking at the pictures and reading little things. It was so sweet. It was very much the perfect kind of exit and even her superiors partcipated. I think something like this makes you feel appreciated and it does not take much time and effort to do this. I think this kind of exit that the nurse, who was relocating, differs greatly from not getting any of these things.

ps, i don't belive it matters, but, by the way...at the start of that summer that hospital became magnetized and there was much nurse celebration going on throughout the hospital..just coincidence.

[vamedic4, EMT-P]

That is absolutely shameful to have that many years of your life invested in an organization and not to be recognized for your years of service.

I have worked at my employer for over 11 years and we throw parties for people who've only been here a few months (travelers) to years. We celebrate birthdays...babies...whatever the occasion - we find a reason. Even our managers occasionally get involved, and throw us parties or buy us pizza - and that's significant for me since I work nights - and they realize that night staff are all too often forgotten.

And for those of you who say..."don't put too much emotional attachment into your place of employment"....WHAAAAT?????

We care for people...we make them better...sometimes we watch them die. How the **** do you NOT get emotionally attached????????

vamedic4

Hungry

[dano]

You have to view it from a management perspective. She is leaving. She is not leaving them anything besides a new slot to fill. If anything, they're going to be ticked off because they now have to bring in a fresh body and hope they're half the woman she was.

It is sad how she got no recognition, but the business world is a cold one, and one of the many reasons I didn't go into it. If I ever get the offer to sit behind a desk all day after running the floors for years, I would refuse it. It's not the same environment.

[pyrolady]

Sorry folks, I've found that Management doesn't really give a rip - and when they give a party for someone leaving it's usually a two faced kind of thing (like what I experienced). I give and gave genuine parties for all of my nurses who were leaving and/or advancing in their careers. I'm truely happy for them. We all need to leave our comfort zone from time to time. It doesn't mean we're disloyal or anything, just that we need to move on in our careers. Corporations and their puppets (of which I refused to be and thus left....) don't give a darn so please don't think they do. What they care about is that you show up for your scheduled shift, go home when you're cancelled and don't ask for vacation during peak season or survey. Don't rock the boat and don't ask for a raise because they "don't have the fuding right now" (lol). Look after your own career, develop friends within the workplace and have a private party off site (like my nurses all gave me) when you leave. Good luck to you in your change !!!

[ChocoholicRN]

This whole scenario is just mind-boggling to me, especially for someone who has been a devoted nurse for as long as some of you. at the hospital where I work, we celebrate almost anything - graduation, transferring to another floor, leaving permanently, heck we even celebrate fridays cause it's friday!! To some it may not make a difference if its Friday or Monday since it all feels the same when your a nurse, but I've found that these little celebrations help lighten the mood of what is otherwise a difficult and sometimes depressing job. We work as a family, even though we sometimes want to rip each others throats out. When one of our nurses transferred to another floor (and came back 2 weeks later) we all chipped in for a gift for her and had a little party, when one of our assistants lost a baby, we all threw some money together to help her in any way we could. I feel it's important to show your appreciation for others, whether they've been there 5 years or 20 years. Only we as nurses (or future nurses!!) know how difficult and challenging this job really is and what kind of situations we face each day, and to hear a thank you for even the smallest thing makes a huge difference because it means that someone noticed not only you, but the effort you put in to what you do. Anyways, sorry this dragged on a bit, but basically I think everyone deserves a thank-you (at the very least) and should show their appreciation more often for their fellow co-workers cause we're all damn good nurses!!

[goats'r'us, ASN, RN]

this is sad, but i don't think thanks should be confined to long-term nurses. when you leave after giving good service, you deserve thanks, no matter how short your stay was. (ok, so if you barely stayed long enough for the ink to dry on your first set of notes, maybe you don't deserve a big send-off..)

i finished a one-year grad program earlier this year that comprised two 6-month placements on different wards. when i left the first one, we had an afternoon tea, and the grads moving on were given flowers, and treated to a brilliant 'thankyou for your service' speech from the doctor that half the ward was terrified of, and the other half adored, due to his warped sense of humour.

when i left the second placement, i was given flowers and a card filled with personal well-wishes from most of my co-workers. I was also given many hugs from the nurses i learned the most from, and thanks from the new grads on the ward, who i helped to settle in.

in both instances, i left feeling well-loved.

maybe when someone long'term leaves, management might owe them a thankyou or two, but i think the thanks that really feel good come from the people you've worked with.

just my thoughts..

[Gompers, BSN, RN]

I wouldn't really expect the hospital to do much when a nurse is leaving. At that point, they have no chance to retain the nurse, so they basically don't want to waste their time. Sad, but true.

Our hospital does the same thing - turn in your badge, your parking pass, do an exit interview, etc. That's all the HOSPITAL does. Now, the unit or floor the nurse works on is a different story. Some might not do anything. Others might have a party. We always have a party and sometimes even collect money for a gift to give the nurse who is leaving, whether they're retiring or moving on. The longer the nurse has been there typically influences how big the party or gift is.

The only thing our hospital does is have recognition lunches every year. You are invited every five years and given an award (just a certificate) stating how many years of service - 5, 10, 15, etc. You also get a catalog and can pick a gift - they get more expensive as time goes on. After five years you get to pick from things like woven blankets or windbreakers with the hospital's logo, a set of wine glasses, etc. By the time you hit 20+ years, it's things like jewelry and watches. So we do get something.

But they're not going to have some big to-do just for one nurse who is retiring. It might hurt, but it's understandable. Look at how many nurses each hospital employs!

[General E. Speaking, RN, RN]

My Dad was with a company for >30 yrs. He missed 2 days of work. One for illness, the other because of ice on the roads. When his health starting declining (he is now disabled) they fired him. No "thanks for your years of service" no "sorry about you health, take care of yourself" nothing but "goodbye" It used to be considered admirable to stick with a company. The experience left my dad feeling bitter.

Loyalty doesn't me squat to me. I have been at my job for 6 years but always keep my radar on for other opportunities.

We celebrate bdays, leaving, etc... but that is our floor (not managment)

[Quickbeam, BSN, RN]

Allow me a coin flip view. As an RN, I left quite a few jobs and for the most part, people were cordial, kind and even beyond generous.

Having come from a career before nursing, I can tell you that turnover in nursing is pretty staggering relative to elsewhere. It's hard to keep up.

In my current job, I'm the only nurse in a 5,000 person agency. It is an arm of state government. I watch with taxpayer horror at the elaborate, days long celebration these people get as they leave for retirement/another job. These shindigs are held on site, all day long, outside family and retirees invited back for each one. Invitations are sent out. They are catered. It is so over the top. I wish our agency's work got so much devotion.

I'm all for celebrations but off site and off hours. Otherwise, morale of the remaining employees can suffer.

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

I worked my last job for 8 yrs. I had a falling out w/ my manager where I think we both unintentionallly backed ourselves into a corner.

I put my notice in. I WOULD have stayed, if I had even got so much as a 'We're sorry to see you go, what can we do to keep you.'

Nothing. On my LAST day, my manager mentioned that she UNDERSTOOD my decision, but for all I know, she meant, AND SHE AGREED WITH IT.

My co-workers had a party for me, complete with a nice gift (expensive stethescope). But, nothing from TPTB. In fact, they gave me a balloon pump on my last night, and so I was much too busy to even go to my own party!

I talked w/ another manager about this (my current one) and SHE says studies have shown that, if you are cordial to departing employees, and send them a nice follow up letter, letting them know that they are WELCOME back, upwards of 30% find themselves in less than desirable positons and end up taking management up on that offer!

So, the attitude that you're gone, so you aren't on my radar anymore is retention foolish! Sometimes, being offered a safety net is enough to have it utilized.

In fact, I took managements complete lack of simple decency to say thank you as a VALIDATION that I had made the right decision. And, THAT was far from assured in my mind when I made the decision. I could have been talked out of it. But, that would have required actually talking to me like the professional I am.

As it was, I wasn't even offered an EXIT interview from management. I guess they suspected what I had to say!

In a weird way, I'm GLAD they didn't even extend a hand to shake. It validated my decision and has allowed me to 'not look back'.

~faith,

Timothy.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

Because you were leaving, not staying to serve them.