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

Marshall1 · Nov 23, 2011

Have you thought about going to the director and telling him/her you don't want to complete the remaining shifts and would they have a problem with you trying to find someone to cover them? and if you can't find coverage then decide from there.

erinberrin, CNA · Nov 23, 2011

:uhoh3:

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?

the right thing to do would be to finish your shifts..but I was in a similiar situation and I told them a day before that i just couldnt do it...then i sent a letter to resign my position..that to me is not fair to the patients..they dont receive the quality of care they deserve. You cant be evertyhing to everyone ..not well..good luck..I tell you though i think i was cursed because when i left that job to go into homecare..hahaha..i was rear ended two weeks after I started in a car wreck and upon going back it turned out to be worse than the previous job..I said..god is punishing me for not sucking it up and finishing my shifts at they other place..i tell yu ..you cant win in this lifetime..ugh..that is why i try to stick to advice of seasoned nurses and cna's who have been in the business and warned me of these places that i was hired "right away" with no experience..there was a reason for that...lollol..

chevyv, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2011

I'd be calling in sick for Thanksgiving! What are they going to do, fire you? I can't imagine 38 residents on the Alzheimers unit. The sundowning alone would do me in and add families to that mix and yep, I'd call in. I may get flamed for my opinion, but if you already gave notice and really are concerned and don't want to face it, I would call in. If they hassled me on the call in, I'd say 'gotta puke' and hang up. It sounds like they have the help and won't be calling anyone off so wth I'd call in!

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2011

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.

Because gritting your teeth and bearing through FOUR more shifts is in the OP's best interests. Maybe they won't give her a great reference, but if she leaves on short notice without finishing the two weeks she gave, they can also now say that she quit without notice to any future employer who asks her about it. If she tries to not use them as a reference in future job hunts, hiring managers will want to know why she's not using them.

Tough it out for the 4 shifts and then it's over. Burn the bridge and it becomes baggage you have to carry around for a much longer time than the one week you have left.

xenogenetic · Nov 24, 2011

Whatever you decide to do, don't omit writing down that you worked there on your future resumes/job applications. A growing number of employers are requiring that they have permission to pull your credit report, and your credit report will list the employers and dates of where you worked in the past (which I imagine they derive from past W-2 information). They require seeing your credit report because there is a growing problem of some nurses diverting narcs and selling them on the street for big bucks. The theory is that if you are deep in debt, the more tempting it might be to try to make some extra cash pilfering pills for profit and it will count as a strike against your applicant profile.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2011

The OP already posted an update to this story where she mentions that she has called in and quit, so it's done. I suspect that she already had her mind made up prior to starting this thread and was simply seeking reaffirmation.