Have you ever disliked a nursing job so much that you quit without notice?

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2015

Yup. A few times. My most proudest moment no but it is what it is.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2015

Yes, I have resigned from more than one position without notice.

It is honorable that some respondents assert that they would never resign without notice. However, some of our employers would not hesitate one moment to terminate a nurse's employment without notice. I have simply treated employers the way they treat employees.

I know, I know...how cold of me. Until employers start showing more loyalty to workers, I will never be loyal to an employer. It is a two-way street that leads to a lonely highway.

No Stars In My Eyes · Mar 17, 2015

In the mid 1980's I was in a float pool in one of the two large hospitals in the area. I had been working a particularly heinous floor that had had two very hairy 3-11 shifts the two previous evening shifts I'd worked. The third evening I went in and was called to float to a different floor where I knew the census was down. It was a very easy floor to work as they usually just had nothing much going on after 7 pm.

I could not believe they were going to float me off a floor where they desperately needed the help! I made my case to the supervisors explaining all that had occurred the two previous nights and explained that, with one of the staff having just called out for the shift, that floor would be short two nurses. It was not fair to the patients nor the personnel working that evening to make me float to another floor where they really didn't need the help as much.

The supervisors said they had to go by the numbers and that I had to go work the floor they wanted to float me to. I said it wasn't right. They said that nevertheless, I had to go to the other floor.

I said "No I don't. I've never done anything like this before, but it is so stupid to float me away from where I have been working; if the floor I was on originally can't have me to work with them when they obviously need all the help they can get, then I'm not working anywhere. I'm going home." And with that, I put my badge on the supervisor's desk, said "good afternoon" and left.

I had no foolish notion that my resigning in protest would make one whit of difference, but I was so incensed ! I wrote a letter to the DON when I got home. Never did get an answer from her,though.

I couldn't believe I'd walked out before my shift even started, but by golly I did it. I already had been working part time with an agency, so I went immediately to full time and never missed a paycheck.

Nola009 · Mar 20, 2015

Before I even started another 14/15 hr. shift, I gave my two week notice today. The manager barely bat an eye. A few others have quit recently--maybe she saw it coming. Now I just have a prn job and an interview next week and I'm hoping for the best. I just felt like I couldn't hang on much longer there.

Gooselady, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2015

Did I? YES. I don't regret leaving the job per se. It was a total cluster no matter how ya sliced it.

Twenty years later (and less impulsive), I still look back on that and feel bad, at how I handled it.

It didn't hurt my job prospects. Jobs were plentiful and I took the opportunity to move to a city I'd always wanted to live in (Seattle) and right away got employment and that was that.

But the way I left that job years ago, when I think about it, bugs me.

No Stars In My Eyes · Mar 20, 2015

I once gave a month's notice for the agency to find a replacement for me on a PD case with THE most unpleasant, difficult patient. I pointed out that it was 30 more days notice than I would liked to have given. However, I was cognizant of the fact that she was one of their first 24/7/365 private-pay patients, so I was being nice about it. They could not fill my spot from current employees and had to hijack a new employee to take the case. Then they wanted to know, when she quit, if I would be willing to 'fill-in' until they found someone. No, I would not. I'd paid my dues and then some!

klone, MSN, RN · Mar 20, 2015

Several years ago I had a PRN job where I worked one shift a week. Hated it. Gave 2 weeks notice, then after a week, called back and let them know I would not be able to work the last shift a week later, so I essentially only gave them a week notice. It hasn't harmed me professionally because there are a bajillion hospitals where I live, but I'm not sure if I'm on the "do not rehire" list for that particular facility.

flashpoint · Mar 22, 2015

Yes, I have...sort of. My grandparents were celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary. I had requested the day off to attend the party and was scheduled to be off. I found a new job (had been looking for a while), turned in my notice, and was suddenly scheduled to work the night of the party. I amended my notice to be done the day before the party.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Mar 22, 2015

Yes, I have...sort of. My grandparents were celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary. I had requested the day off to attend the party and was scheduled to be off. I found a new job (had been looking for a while), turned in my notice, and was suddenly scheduled to work the night of the party. I amended my notice to be done the day before the party.

Completely off topic, however, WOW--I think it is absolutely awesome that your grandparents were married 75 years!! That is just too cool!! Love this!!

Back to regularly scheduled programming......

flashpoint · Mar 22, 2015

Some places have a time limit for being in the "Do Not Re-Hire" list. My facility's policy is two years in most cases. There are times when someone will not be eligible for re-hire no matter what, but often for things like quitting without notice, they are eventually considered again. The local hospital will consider you to be eligible again after three years as long as things like abuse or diversion are not the reason for landing on the list.