I quit!

[JadeRN7]

Long story short, I quit my job recently after 3 years because it was unsafe and management just didn't care. Nurses don't work together, it felt like high school with all the gossip and back stabbing. New people don't last long here and at least 10 RNs have quit in the last 3 months (not including me). I don't have a job yet but I have 3 interviews (one of them is today). It's no surprise why I wanted to leave but when my manager asked me why (with tears in her eyes) I didn't want to delve into it and just said personal reasons. She kept asking me why I'm leaving and I just felt terrible about kicking her while she was down (she was recently talked to her by her boss about the horrible staffing situation) so I didn't. When these potential new employers call my boss, will she confront me? If she does, what should I say?

[DA314]

You don't have to say anything if she confronts you. Basically, when a new employer calls your boss, they can only ask certain questions, like "Did she turn in a resignation?" and "Were there attendance problems?" So, there shouldn't be anything for her to confront you about. Besides, she already knows you are leaving. I think the most professional thing to do is walk away saying you are leaving for personal reasons. That way, if you ever decide you want to come back to this place (like, if management improves, working conditions are better) you haven't burnt any bridges. Also, you would want her to give you a good reference if you use her as a professional reference, don't you?

[Super Nurse JoshuA]

From my recent experience from quitting is that new Nurse recruiters from hospitals have called my references, and evidently told one of them when nurses quit (suddenly) hospitals usually offer very little information regarding the nurse especially if their is a poor staffing situation, I guess the hospitals fear word will get around.

I however believe if you are leaving mostly related to staffing reasons you should inform your nurse manager of such. It's not a personal attack on her or the hospital. After I quit my previous hospital over staffing on very short notice and made sure they were aware that it was over staffing they have hired two travel nurses per shift (three 8 hour shifts a day) until the next graduating class at our local university. Hopefully your current hospital administration will realize they continue to lose nurses due staffing and began working to fix it if nurses tell them why they are leaving.

[RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P]

she cannot say anything to the negative. she can say the facts, but not anything else.

-H-RN

[rnmomtobe2010]

this has been going on lately...wow...not worth the stress and safety first...good luck...