I need advice about leaving a job!

[HF31]

I need advice on what I should do regarding giving a notice at my job. I am a new grad LPN. I graduated school in May, moved to NC with my fiance due to the military and started looking for my first job. I started applying to hospitals in the area and I keep getting told I don't have enough experience. So I look up skilled nursing facilities and find one and apply to it. I should have known by the reviews from former workers that the facility has issues. I went for an interview the day after I applied and was hired on the spot. They told me I could orient for as long as I needed to. I oriented for about 2 weeks before I started working on the cart by myself pushing med pass. Honestly, it's not hard, but I was so slow starting out and I had many G-tubes on my side that I had to work with. I was nervous coming off of orientation.

The facility has been constantly understaffed since I have started working there. Two weekends ago I worked a 28 resident load with one CNA, between the 3 halls there is over 50 residents. the ADON came in that morning and knew we only had one CNA and did nothing, did not offer to stay and help, didn't call in anyone else to come help, just left us there and went home for the day. I contacted 4 faclility supervisors and only heard back from the DON 2 hours before my shift was over. The buck is constantly passed to someone else and the facility supervisors NEVER takes responsibility. State has been there 3 times in 2 months since I have been working there. This is just one of the many issues and how unsafe and negligent the facility is. I was so mad and made the comment that I may report the conditions of that weekend. Since then the ADON has hardly spoken to me and I even sent her a text stating that I would not be putting my license in jeopardy or working in such conditions like that in the future. All of the facility nurses have had a sit down with the DON and supposed to be the corporate administrator of the facility, but she neglected to attend because she didn't think she needed to attend and it didn't pertain to her.

When I was hired, I was hired to day shift 7a to 3:15p on one certain hall. Since then, I have started to be moved around the facility on carts I've never worked before and halls I've never trained on and working with resident's I am not familiar with. My work load is so heavy I don't have time to sit and look through resident charts and packets to see what their health conditions are. I have so many questions with very little help or answers, that's okay I think I am pretty smart and can figure out most things myself. Last Thursday, I was called into the DON's office and she told me that the corporate administrator has decided that they don't need my position any longer or need 3 nurses on the side they hired me for. I had two choices, I could take the float position that one of the nurses thats been there for over a year is leaving, and she literally covers all of the shifts they don't have coverage on, or I could take a part time position that is only like 2 days a week. She said I could let her know it didn't have to be that day. Naturally, I thought I would start looking for other jobs.

This past weekend an incident happened on another shift, that did not involve me, that further solidified why I no longer want to be at this facility. Let's just say a resident passed away as a result of gross negligence by the facility and I am just assuming this family will probably sue and it has been reported to state by the paramedics who picked up the resident and probably the hospital the resident was sent to. It is only a matter of time before they are sued with a huge lawsuit or state is back in and reprimands them heavily. I do not want to be there when that happens.

I am going in tomorrow to turn in my notice but Thursday is going to be my last day because I am off this weekend and going out of town and when I get back I am going to be going out and applying to other places and giving my resume out. Should I put the only nursing experience I have on my resume and if they ask why I did not give a two weeks notice, what should I say?

[beekee]

Give two weeks notice.

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

If you are giving notice but only plan on working the 1st day of it, why don't you just quit outright? Working only 1 day of your notice is basically the same thing. Maybe I'm not understanding exactly what it is you are saying.

[Kitiger, RN]

Does it matter whether you are currently working there if they are sued? I would think they would go after any nurse who was involved, whether or not that nurse was still employed at the facility.

Give two weeks notice. To not do so will raise a red flag when you go for your next interview.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Give notice.

[VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN]

Always give at least 2 weeks notice. It's not only a professional courtesy, but it will likely keep you off the "do not rehire" list at that company. Don't burn bridges, you never know when you'll need these people again. Good luck!

[kdodge, ADN, BSN, RN]

Always give notice. It's a professional courtesy that will follow you wherever you go. Our professional world is small and you don't want to give anyone any reason to remember you negatively as you grow in your field.

Next, please, please, PLEASE make sure that you chart to CYA. I've worked in a facility where I felt like I was putting my license in jeopardy whenever I walked in and have been on the other side of the table when the company is trying to find a scapegoat for something that shouldn't have happened resulting in a patient's death. Thankfully, I had a great team (RN, LVN, CNA) who documented every interaction regarding this issue... it saved all of us from the firing line. I have seen RNs, LVN/LPNs, and CNAs fired because something happened and there was no proof to keep them safe. You worked long and hard to get your license, make sure you work to keep it safe.

And yes, put down your nursing experience. As long as you leave in good standing, experience is experience. Practice answering the question "why did you leave your last job?" or "what caused you to leave your last position?" so that you can be ready during your next interview. Never badmouth the company you left, despite the reasons... this makes you look petty and vindictive. Be humble about the opportunity they gave you and how it felt like the time to move on will win you big points in any recruiter's book.

Hope this helps, and good luck.