I feel like a fool

[handyrn]

I am quitting my LTC job today. I have another offer on the table, but even if I didn't, I would still be quitting. I have worked there only a few months, and very part time and I was never orientated/oriented. I was never shown a P&P book either. The place I work is SO unsafe, many deficiencies, and low rating (1 out of 5). I am not a floor nurse, but recently was asked to be a floor nurse to fill in some shifts, no orientation. So I did it. It was a nightmare! I have 20+ years of experience and have worked for temp agencies so it should not have been so hard, but it was! Anyway, after working one very bad shift on the floor and letting the DON know it didn't go well, I was asked if I could work the floor on a day I was scheduled to be there anyway. I was told that if I didn't do it, the other nurse would have to take the whole load herself! I'm sure they knew that if I was there and she was the only nurse, I would end up helping anyway. So I decided to go ahead and take the shift. Afterwards, my husband said no more! I came home crying after working the floor because I was so stressed and upset by what I saw. (And I was lied to, being told what my shift would be, only to get there and find out I had to be there a few hours more. Not because of being behind, but because they scheduled me that way after I expressly discussed with them what hours I would/could work.)

Anyway, now I find out that on my days to work they are short a nurse. There is no one else to fill in. Since the shifts that they are short a nurse falls on my rotation, I am pretty sure they are figuring I will have to do the floor duties. There has been no talk of orientation. (Obviously, there is no nurse available to orientate me since they are just throwing me out there while in a bind.) I am SO not comfortable giving the meds as I can't find a lot of them, there is a lot of borrowing going on, the narc counts are rarely done and when they are, they are off. I just don't want to touch that med cart with a ten foot pole!

So I have decided to quit effective immediately before being put in the situation of having to do floor nurse duties again without training. And I am so nervous about doing so. It just gives me the shakes and has me in an anxiety attack. However, the thought of going in on my next shift not only does that but also makes me sick to my stomach to the point of vomitting. So the lesser of two evils is to quit.

I am also afraid of lawsuits and protecting my license (there are multiple abuse complaints against this facility), and I worry about staying there and being "connected" to the facility and how that will look to future employers.

So I guess the purpose for this thread is so SOMEONE will say that it is ok that I am quitting even without a 2 week notice. Of course, after this thread, if anyone there looks at it, there are probably enough identifiers that they would know who I am and fire me anyway. And if they did, they wouldn't give me notice would they? So why should I feel guilty?

[trauma_lama, BSN]

ew. buhbye. adios. au revior. if they're known to be that poorly run, i don't think it will be taken very seriously even if they do make it known to others in the field that you didn't work out a 2 week notice. sounds like an awful facility! and while i really feel for you, i feel even more for those poor residents stuck to spend the rest of their lives there . if the facility is that abusive of one of their own reliable nurses, imagine how terrible they are to their residents? so sad.

[kessadawn, BSN, RN]

Good for you for standing up for your license and your own mental health! That place sounds like a train wreck that you don't want to be a part of. I hope all works out with your other job offer!

[highlandlass1592, BSN, RN]

I don't think you have anything to feel guilty about. You do what you think is best for your career. I think administrators try to play the guilt card because as nurses we aren't taught to advocate for ourselves.

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

Get out of there. Period, sometimes you just have to do what you can to protect yourself. No job is worth being miserable over, life is just too short to have to deal with that day in and day out.

[No Stars In My Eyes]

Yes! Quit,quit,quit,quit! Now!

[79Tango]

If you are not a "Floor Nurse" what was to be your role at this facility?

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

So I guess the purpose for this thread is so SOMEONE will say that it is ok that I am quitting even without a 2 week notice. Of course, after this thread, if anyone there looks at it, there are probably enough identifiers that they would know who I am and fire me anyway. And if they did, they wouldn't give me notice would they? So why should I feel guilty?

Give. A. Notice.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Save yourself! I would normally say to always give notice, but I do not think you can afford to here.

If you work the floor and they know you are leaving who knows what they may blame on you. Especially if there is poor accounting for narcotics.

It may burn you in the future, but not as much as being accused of diverting narcs or something like that. And other LTC's will understand because they will know of the reputation anyway so I doubt it will count against you as long as you prhase your reason for leaving somewhat diplomatically.

[handyrn]

To answer what my role was: Weekend supervisor. At initial hire/interview it was discussed that I WAS NOT to function as a floor nurse. Sure, passing some meds if the nurse was behind was fine and I have no problem with that, but being expected to do a nurse shift with no orientation is not acceptable to me. (I was never oriented as the supervisor either. NEVER! I have been on my own since day one. I should have just RUN on my first day after seeing this. My only real function was to be there so that their RN hours were legal.)

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I feel, with your experience and situation, I would leave without notice as well. If it comes up later in a job interview just tell them the truth, "I was afraid for my license".

I have such a hard time with poorly run LTC's after my Grandmother spent a month in one attempting to rehab after a massive heart attack. If it were me I might just suck up the two weeks just to document things to report to the state...however like I said, I have a bit of a chip on my shoulder in this regard.

Best of luck!

Tait

[kakamegamama]

By all means, leave. And, report this facility to the state. There are Whistle Blower Laws in states for purposes such as this. Those poor residents, someone needs to advocate for them.....