How do I go about resigning?

[NURSEJSS]

Hello, I would like some advice on resigning.

I am leaving for various reasons. I work in a county hospital that is severely understaffed. I work in the ICU and it is common to get 3 unstable ICU patients regularly. I feel very unsafe being here. working conditions are terrible. I never get a break due to how understaffed we are. I go the whole 12 hour shift with no break, and its not just me but all my coworkers and charge. Even charge nurse gets 2-3 patients regularly. We have no nursing assistants to help us, no phlebotomy, no ward clerks or secretary, all paper charting. on top of this we are very underpaid compared to hospitals around us. I get paid at least $10.00-$15.00 dollars less than other nursing friends I have who work in the same town with the same experience.

I do love my management and coworkers but I feel like I need to leave. My health is seriously being affected working here. I am forced to work more than three 12's a week working night shift. being that I have no breaks and we are overworked and I get no sleep and work a lot of over time My health is going down the drain.

I am turning in my resignation letter tomorrow. Do I need to specify in my letter or my verbal resignation to my manager why I am leaving? I dont want to talk about it. I want to leave on good terms but I dont want to tell them all my personal reasons for leaving, its confidential right?

thanks!

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

No need to elaborate on why you're leaving...just that you are leaving and that you are indeed giving your two weeks' notice (or four weeks, depending on your company's policy).

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

PP is correct. It's good practice to make sure that your resignation letter is essentially positive (srsly). Be sure to thank your manager for hiring you & giving you the opportunities for learning/ improving your competency. Mention your gratitude for working with such a great team. No need to elaborate on why you're leaving... it's customary to just say "a new opportunity that better supports my long-term career goals" or some such thing.

Many organizations have an 'exit interview' process that is managed by HR. If they do, you will be informed of this as part of the process of closing our your employment. This process may be outsourced to a 3rd party company in order to facilitate honest feedback. THAT's when you can reveal the problems that caused you to quit.

Bottom line? Always leave a good impression. Adhere to the policy & procedure for giving notice. NEVER badmouth your previous employer during interviews with a prospective employer. Don't burn any bridges - you can't predict the future & chances are, you 'll encounter former colleagues at some point in your career. Stay classy.