I gave two weeks,,,but I dont want to finish

[KarriRN]

I gave two weeks notice at my job a week ago. I have 4 shifts left. I work in a LTC facility. I'm a new grad and I've been there for 3 months. It is overwhelming. We just switched to 12 hour shifts. I am responsible for 38 pts. I have no med tech and usually 3 cnas. I have 3 med passes to do on my shift. I am in a secure Alzheimers unit. So there are also lots of behaviors to deal with. It is too much. The last 2 shifts Ive had I've cried before walking into work bc I know itll be horrible. I've asked for help from management and the advice is "just breath". Other regular units in the building have the same ratio BUT they get a medtech who passes meds to half their pts. I am suppose to work tomorrow but I feel like I'm having an anxiety attack just thinking about going. I am considering calling and saying I cant finish, that its too overwhelming (which I've said multiple times). I have a new job already. I need advice.....what do I do. I feel scared. I feel like I am put in a position that makes it impossible to give proper patient care. Should I just be done now? Or finish my shifts?

[DizzyLizzyNurse]

I'm sorry to hear that it is overwhelming, but at the same time, I can't help but smh. 38 patients and only one RN? Are they nuts? There should AT LEAST be four or five more, and yet they are sticking a new grad with the work load of about six Registered Nurses? What are they thinking?

Run before you lose your license.

She should probably have an LPN, but not 4 or 5 more RNs. That's reality in LTC.

Stay the 2 weeks. You'll be surprised at the times you run into the same people over and over. Reward yourself after each 12 hours shift and give yourself something meaningful at the end of the 4 shifts even if it's just alone time. Keep a countdown. You can do it!

Plus you don't want to stick it to the innocent nurses you work with who will have to pick up your residents.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I need to be in a place where patients and employees matter.

Unfortunately, if you have this outlook, you are probably going to continually job-hop in your quest to find a workplace where patients and employees matter. At many healthcare facilities, profits matter the most, while the patients and employees are viewed as very replaceable cogs in a money-making machine.

[Sparrowhawk]

I agree. It's only four more shifts..yiou can do it! Just tell yourself..one more day...one more day...You dont wanna burn no bridge no matter how tempting it is.

And it's LTC..so..38 res with 3 aides? NOT BAD!!! But I dont understand why you don't have a med tech..that is mean...Hang in there You Can Do it!!! *cheers for you*

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

It seems to me you're pretty set on not finishing up your remaining shifts, and are looking for everyone to support your decision.. if you don't expect to use these people as a reference.. so I guess at this point it's up to you.

[iwanna]

BTDT. Please hang in there! I worked almost two months and quit. I handed in my two week notice, but left after three days. Also, had a family crisis going on at same time. I wish that I would have done things differently and worked out my notice. Please try to suck it up and after every shift, you can say another one down.

[FLArn]

Leave with your head held high after working your last 4 shifts. Take your time with your med passes, spend time interacting with your patients, spend these last 4 days taking care of your patients the way you thought you would be able to. If you are invited to leave earlier than your 4th day then oh, well.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

If you can't take it then quit, they already know how unhappy and overwhelmed you are. Why is it nurses are always expected to just grit your teeth and bear it! I may be in the minority but if you feel this strongly just quit and put it behind you.

There's no guarantee they are going to give you a good eval anyway and I bet they have a lot of staff turnover. Why are nurses always supposed to be the ones to suffer when managment chooses not to staff adequately. It's on them to provide better working conditions. They are counting on scared and gullible nurses they can take advantage of. Just my opinion!

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think the OP has already decided that she doesn't want to work the shifts and is looking for us all to tell her she is doing the right thing. Unfortunately, that is not going to happen.

Most of us who have been around for a while know that the best thing in the long run is to finish out the shifts even if it is very difficult to do so. Find a way. Use your off time to get plenty of rest -- and maybe a little "treat" for yourself to help you through the week - but be professional and fulfill your committment to work out your notice if at all possible. You are not the first -- nor the last -- person in the world to have to endure a difficult week.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

What Brandy says is true, really. Places like that and the one I worked for don't bother to return phone calls. They have such high turnaround and no real administration professionals. If a future employer tries for a confirmation of employment, the phone call or fax will be ignored most likely.

[Nascar nurse, ASN, RN]

I'm curious to know if you are scheduled Thanksgiving? That poor nurse stuck on a double will now also be very dissatisfied with their job and want to quit in frustration - see how the cycle continues?

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Well, as far as how they staff, that's their problem.

As long as you give them some notice, they can pay agency and that will be that employer's punishment to have to pay even more for a nurse to come through those doors. Those employers that stress the staff so bad to the point of breakdown, can just dangle as far as I'm concerned.

[plasmatix]

Karri, the anxiety you are experiencing is almost palpable when I read your posts. It seems like your mind’s already made up, and, perhaps, you’re looking for some reinforcement of that decision? I'm sure you've noticed, opinions are divided here, so you may be just as confused now.

You’re already dealing with new grad anxieties, and in a work situation that might prove challenging for a nurse with 10 years of patient care experience. You mentioned a recently-mandated switch to 12-hour shifts, so your existing issues have been exacerbated by increased fatigue. Which can increase the number and seriousness of errors you make in a shift, which ups your anxiety level, which interferes with your sleep pattern, which jacks up the level of physical and mental exhaustion……yeah, vicious circle.

Keep in mind that anxiety feeds on itself. If your response to it is by “escaping” - simply walking away from a difficult situation, pretty soon even minor issues will seem insurmountable to you. If this is a situation where you’re just anxious to be out the door now that it’s tantalizingly close, I say suck it up and stick it out. Look at your life for the next week or so, and get as much sleep as you can so you’re well-rested. Give yourself a break, and suspend as many responsibilities as you can, so that you have a maximum of mental and physical resources. Keep focused on the fact that you have to keep your patients alive and reasonably comfortable for the next four shifts, and do only what it takes to accomplish that. You need to tune out the other stuff, like worrying about what family members will do or won’t.

However, I’m more than a little concerned by the tone of your posts. If you truly believe that your anxiety is at a level where it is incapacitating you as a nurse, and that your patients may be harmed as a result, you should not be taking shifts.

Only you can answer this question, and it is a very difficult decision, made more so because of your level of experience. I recommend that you discuss this on a personal level, with someone who recognizes the potential pitfalls (perhaps one of your nursing school instructors). If you decide that your anxiety has reached an incapacitating level, I’d advise you to see your doctor for both treatment and documentation of your condition.