I Finally Learned to End my Visits Gracefully and on Time!

[adaptation]

First of all, I have to say thank you to all of you who have put up with my b******g and m*****g and gave such good advice about being a very overworked and underpaid hh psych nurse.

I am happy to report that last Thurs. was my last day! :-)

I officially resigned three weeks before that, as I thought it was the correct thing to do, given that I was the only psych RN in the agency. My boss was quite incredible; she said she might be able to get me more money, would I stay...hello?????? She did this while I was resigning! BTW, I haven't spoken with her since. Show me the money! It just didn't happen to exist when I was WORKING and so unhappy. Honestly, it wouldn't have made a difference.

She was also concerned about my clients, would I follow them until they found a replacement for me or were discharged? At first, I said yes. Then I figured "no way!" I could be seeing these people endlessly until next Christmas! (I managed to discharge all but 2, who are very stable and will not need hh care for long.)

I did tell her that at this point, considering the salary (or lack thereof) and amount of hours I was working, especially unpaid, that it would be more lucrative for me to work at Walmart right now. And she didn't even argue with that!

Ironic that my case managers offered to take me out for a goodbye lunch. They said, "we knew when you had a case, we didn't have to worry about it." (More feedback than from my boss-who I doubt will even spring for a coffee.)

I am sad and a little lost now that I am not working. It's not that I don't have plenty to do. This experience, I think, was the last straw. I really don't want to be a nurse anymore after 25 years. I've "had it". When I went into it, I had a specific motivation and goal, and that ended a long time ago. I am lucky to have the freedom to pursue something else. But...being a nurse is part of who I am and it's not so easy to just walk away. I have never done anything else but psych, which puts me at a distinct disadvantage. (Shift work is out, medically I can't work nights)

Finally, can I have some advice? My specialty is postpartum depression and I have a small (almost non existent) private practice. While I was working, my boss reluctantly paid for me to go to an all day PPD inservice, since I did have PP agency clients. The inservice was really of no benefit to my own pvt. practice.

She asked me to do an hour and a half PPD inservice for the non psych RNs before I quit. I said yes. Now it's scheduled for next week and I don't want to do it. I'm sure I won't be paid for it since she paid for the original inservice, and now I've left. Do I owe it to her (especially considering what she owes me)? Should I even mention that I want to be paid for this, or just do it and figure I got 7 hrs. of "free" CE under my belt?

Thank you for your patience in putting up with this long post. I appreciate it.

I hope you will still allow me to consider myself a hh nurse!

[renerian, BSN, RN]

I would want to be paid. I would call ASAP and ask.

renerian

[lyv33]

I think I would feel the same as you and not want to do it for free, but I think that I would feel a little obligated to go ahead and give them one inservice. If they ever wanted another one I would then charge them for it. You might be helping some of the clients and the other nurses with just the one inservice.