How to Tell My Boss I Need to Step Down From a Management Position?

[westieluv]

I need advice. I work from home in the capacity of a telephone triage nurse. I like the company that I work for and they like me. A few months ago they offered me a promotion to a middle management position where I am responsible for handling all correspondence and complaints from a group of clients. I am also responsible for training new employees and correcting our employees when they screw up. I am expected to fulfill forty hours a week between these duties and scheduled hours on the phones.

Recently, a very close family member was diagnosed with a horrific, terminal cancer and given 3-6 months to live unless the chemo remotely works, then she has a 50/50 chance to make it to a year from now. She is elderly and needs a lot of assistance as she goes through this and there is almost no family nearby to help.

I REALLY need to step down from this management position right now, cut back my hours, and focus on family but I have only had this position for four months and I dread asking my manager to replace me and put me back on the phones as a regular staff nurse. I am afraid I will be disappointing her and letting her down.

This situation is tearing me up inside. I have an email all typed up to send to her but I am afraid to hit "send". (This is the main way that we communicate in this company since we all live in different areas of the country, I have never even met any of my co-workers face to face).

Help! Advice? Strength to click "send" is needed ASAP.

Thanks!