How to effectively resign? How to get a new job?

Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2008

If you are not happy with your current situation begin by applying to facilities you would like to work for. Once you have a guaranteed position avaliable give a two weeks notice to your current employer.

When you write the letter make it simple and to the point. You do not need to explain why you are leaving that is your business and not theirs.

I wish you good luck.

RN1982 · Aug 30, 2008

Most places want two weeks notice.

correctlywrong · Aug 30, 2008

I am in a similar position. When I am ready, I will tell them that I will work out the next schedule, as our schedules are made in four week blocks, and then depart.

As for why you are leaving, the official reason should always be something along the lines of "I appreciate all that I was able to learn and do on this unit, but that it is time to move toward a new opportunity and new challenges." You definitely want to phrase your choice as a shift toward something rather than an escape from a bad situation.

What is appealing about the new job? Is it going to be in a specialty that you have been interested in? Will it have a different patient population? What about it is different from your old job other than the new management/setting? Talk that difference up as something that appeals to you. Definitely be sincere and only say these things if you mean them.

Fair warning: There will be personalities at your new job that you clash with as well, so if that is you biggest reason for the change, think hard about whether you are actually going to fix that problem by changing the cast of characters of your coworkers. You end up in the same position again until you are able to develop strategies to deal with problem people.

PiPhi2004 · Aug 30, 2008

I just resigned. I gave them 7 weeks notice. They were extremely thrilled that I gave them that long and seemed to appreciate the time to find an extra replacement. I left for many reasons, one being that I moved out of state and I wanted to move closer to my family. I really loved my job but not the area in which I live. My H got a new job back home so I just told them my H got a job opportunity he couldn't pass up and mentioned nothing about wanting to leave. I verbally resigned and gave a letter right after. If you are unhappy, leave. I would resign early, if you can stand staying a month or so longer it would probably be good to do. Can you transfer to another unit if you don't like where you are? Or is it the hospital itself? I figure with a good record and good references you can get a job almost anywhere. Good luck!

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Aug 30, 2008

As a nurse 2 weeks is okay. You always say that you are resigning in order to be closer to home, work different hours, learn a new skill set etc. If you are a nurse and are being harrassed by an aid you need to think about addressing this problem. There will always be someone that is hard to work with.

It has taken me 5 years and much learning and soul searching but I have finally learned how to deal with these types of characters.

You must be firm, and you must tell them what behaviors are not acceptable. Good luck in all that you do.

Pretty in Ink · Aug 30, 2008

I would verbally tell them initially so when you give your 2 week notice (or longer) they are not surprised. If the aid is the problem, try to seek help higher up. If you don't want to go the route and really wish to go somewhere else, in your letter you could state the positive things while being employed with them. What you learned and will take away with you and the opportunities they have provided to develop or improve your nursing skills. It's always nice to leave on a positive note that way neither party feels betrayed in some way.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 30, 2008

Fair warning: There will be personalities at your new job that you clash with as well, so if that is you biggest reason for the change, think hard about whether you are actually going to fix that problem by changing the cast of characters of your coworkers. You end up in the same position again until you are able to develop strategies to deal with problem people.

If a conflict with 1 other staff member is the only reason the OP wants to resign, she needs to be careful. She may find herself in a worse situation in her new job as there will almost always be someone you don't particularly get along with. It might be better for her to learn the skills necessary to deal with the situation if the other aspects of the job are positive.

I'm in a similar situation in my current job. I can give you dozens of reasons why I should stay in my current job. However, there is one person (in a leadership position above me) who is making me miserable. Do I just try to keep a low profile and hope she goes away ... or things improve? Should I hire a hit man and have her killed? etc. Or do I search for a new job? These aren't easy decisions and we have to make them repeatedly in our careers. They don't get any easier.

Good luck to the OP and everyone else who is struggling with such decisions.

hollyberry678 · Aug 30, 2008

Hi, I am the original poster. thanks all for the replies.

I must say that while I may need to learn how to effectively deal with people such as this, I am an older new grad, and have worked at a variety of places, 3 of which (non health care) I worked for for 4-5 years each, and this place of employment I worked at the desk/floor as NST for almost 4 years prior to graduation and getting my RN, for which I now work, and have worked as an RN here for a year.

The milieu on the floor is intense, and I work the night shift, where it seems there is a group of aides/desk people that thrive on drama. It has been hurtful to me, as I have tried to focus on my work, and not 'party' while my patients need care, I am into probing beyond the surface at work, not just superficially providing the least amount of care possible-- I am not an aide anymore. And I think a couple were jealous of my new position or something, and they started to gossip and exclude me. Thats okay. Hurtful, but okay. Well, one has tried to take it further. Yelling at me and finger pointing in an extremely almost assultive way, had me in tears, and I had to take a week off.

The encounters are sometimes so disturbing that it disturbs my pt care. I have had to call in sick after a night of this type of treatment a few times, plus that week off. I have talked to the mgt who sees this person that I see as a bully and phony as 'an excellent aide' and 'someone who keeps the not so careful nurses in line'. Where they get this information is beyond me. To me she has no idea of what she is doing (beyond the basic physical turning/transfers, ect) She has no idea of why I repeat a BP (when my pt is on a cardiac gtt) and will yell at me that 'its just been taken) She will empty a foley at three, and while she was sitting in the room playing suduko on the internet, and I was running my butt off o n the floor, got an admit/transplant, he left for OR then back for a d/c (incompatible), I popped in to ask her at 0600 to empty the foley and she yelled at me that it was emptied (I need a shift totla),I mean I can give you many many examples. But it is always YELLING, which I can't take, and I think she senses this and has hostily, and took it out on me. Now because of her threatening behavior to me, and the fact that she is looking for anything to complain about me on, and potentially I am unsafe in pt care working around her because we cant work, and she will undermine me, and the mgt dosent care (they did say they talked to her about the finger pointing incdent, and 'she assures them she wil behave in a professional manner'', but it hasnt stopped) I am at a loss at what to do, and why not just cut my losses? I dont want to jeopordize my license with this drama queen, esp when mgt dosent take ME seriously!

Hence my decision...

mizfradd, CNA · Aug 30, 2008

I've read of your struggles in other threads (past & recent) and I'm so sorry that a witch like that has been overunning you and the facility.

Good grief -it's unreal how her antics are & that CNA has to be mentally unstable.

However, I think that loricatus gave you excellent advice in her reply to you on your other thread &really wish you would think it over, because that kind of crapolla will follow you wherever you go.

YOU are the RN, don't take that kind of behavior from ANYBODY!

Don't take it from your underlings, your peers, or ANYBODY!

I once worked where there was a CNA like that and a lot of the staff couldn't believe how some of the RN's would take her BS. She knew who she get away with it & who she couldn't. It just totally amazed me why any of them put up with it!

When she stuck her finger in your face, I wish you would've looked her straight in the eye with a stern look & well-placed stance and told her calmly through clenched teeth,"You had better remove that finger from in front of my face right now AND I'm writing an incident report on for threatening me."

Good luck to you in your job search. :icon_hug:

Really, I can understand why you feel the need to leave and not jeporadize patient safety & your license.

But I do pray that you don't ever take that type of behavior from anybody ever again!

Just don't take it!!! :twocents:

Katnip, RN · Aug 30, 2008

Check your employee handbook or ask HR. Usually, most staff nurses are required to give only two week's notice, and management four weeks. But some facilities will require more of staff nurses. Always check.

The best time to find a new job is while you still have one. Get that in line first, then give notice.

As others have said, though, you will meet difficult people wherever you go, so it's best to learn to deal with that now. If someone is behaving rudely and unprofessionally, document it. They are creating a hostile work environment, and that's unacceptable. If management won't listen to your concerns, take it to HR.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2008

i would like to get a new job. i have heard that in nursing, you must give a one month notice, or risk 'not being rehireable', which is one of the only questions hr can answer if asked by a prospective new employer (eligible for rehire, or not eligible). is this unique to only certain employers (the one month notice), or is it fairly standard?

a facility may not be able to rehire you if you do not follow their termination procedure, but the questions that they must answer prospective employers who enquire about you are (1) verification of your dates of employment, (2) your job position. anything else is at the discretion of the facility. some will disclose if a person was terminated voluntarily (you resigned) or forced (were fired). some prospective employers want to know if you are eligible for rehire and some facilities as a rule will not answer that question on the advice of their lawyers.

before you leave your job and even afterwards you can specifically direct the hr department what information they can and can't release about you in the future in your letter of resignation. when you start job-hunting, a call or letter to them to remind them of this cuts off any problems with those funny requests in prospective employer's questionnaires. just because they send a questionnaire that you signed giving permission to release information doesn't mean all the questions are going to get answered. prospective employers are hoping to get the answers and if they don't, they know why--the information is very confidential. like everyone else in business they need to be very good interviewers and try to find information through tactful interviewing of you.

every facility has a policy on how much notice you need to give when you are terminating your position. this should be in your employee manual you were given upon being hired. you merely need to call the human resources department and ask them what the rule and policy is. the standard rule is that the length of notice is equal to the length of a pay period. so, if you are paid biweekly, a 14-day notice should be acceptable, but verify this with human resources.

as far as getting a new job, if i liked my old job, but felt harrassed by an aide, with non-responsive mgt, what should i say?? i know i shouldn't say that, but want to be truthful...i have no idea what to say.

you are looking for new opportunities. you want to experience how other facilities do things. you don't want to stagnate by staying in one place. this job position opened up and you originally wanted to work here. leave it at that.

who should i use for references?

after the cat is out of the bag or you feel comfortable letting others know you are leaving ask them if you can use them for a personal reference. this is particularly important to get from managers and supervisors. you will need a contact address and phone number from them and it can't be the facility address because reference requests will only be shuffled back to human resources. if they won't give it to you or tell you how to bypass the hr department, ask charge nurses and other rns you have worked with. if you want to use them for another reference 3 years down the road they may no longer be working there and you will have no other way to contact them.

good luck!