I took the plunge...it feels weird

Nurses General Nursing

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I'll just rip the band-aid off and blurt it out: I took a leap of faith and resigned from the workplace that has employed me for the past 5+ years. Yesterday was my last day there. The end of my 30-day notice of resignation couldn't arrive soon enough.

Strangely enough, I felt no sense of sadness or regret during my final moments there. Actually, I felt a weirdly giddy excitement combined with a sense of relief.

Let me explain further...my former workplace has seen approximately 8 chief nursing officers (6 full-timers and 2 interim) in the 5 years I spent there. Each managerial change brought a degree of uncertainty. I actually had high hopes for the current CNO, but the nursing department has become somewhat of an "audit villa" since she took over...

1. Pain reassessment audits

2. Finger stick blood sugar audits

3. Abnormal vital sign audits

4. Wound care audits

5. New admission audits

6. Functional independence measure audits

7. And many more audits...

In previous times, the assistant CNO or unit manager would complete all of these audits, but in recent months the auditing has been shifted to the house supervisor and floor nurses. These audits must be done shiftly. Ain't nobody got time for that!

I took a leap of faith by leaving the place that had provided me with a steady paycheck and a sense of belonging for the past half-decade, but the time has come to move onto the next professional chapter of my life. I'll start my new non-bedside job next week. Thanks for reading if you have gotten this far. :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this! I'm in a very similar situation and have been second guessing myself. This is what I needed!

congrats on your new job and good luck. I'm desperately looking for a work from home position. Any help you can provide will greatly be appreciated. Thanks!

Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Congratulations! I too just left the bedside and it feels GREAT out here!

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
congrats on your new job and good luck. I'm desperately looking for a work from home position. Any help you can provide will greatly be appreciated. Thanks!
Apply to major insurance companies such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, United Healthcare, Humana, and SelectCare. Due to PPACA expansions, many of these companies are scrambling to hire RNs for roles as telephonic advice nurses, wellness coordinators, and field case managers.
Specializes in L&D, Organ transplant Med-surg, surgery,.

My best to you It takes courage. You will find your place. blessings

Congrats for having the courage to quit one job and move on to something new. I did the same thing 25 years ago for similar reasons and administration had no cue why I would want to leave. They didn't get the hint when I made it known that on a renal transplant unit (32 beds) more than 1 RN, 1 LPN and an aide were necessary to run the show safely and to produce good outcomes. I was the only full-time RN on second shift which meant I was doing the work of at least 2 nurses and a charge nurse. The stress was literally killing me and not just my workplace suffered. My family did also. One evening my very skilled LPN was pulled to another unit and I was left with one that was far less skilled and needed supervision. We had 4 new patients coming out of the unit that night and I was going to have enough work to keep 4 nurses going non-stop. That night (early AM) when I got home I sat up and wrote my letter of resignation. Placing it on the Head Nurse's desk the next day was terribly satisfying. I didnt even have another job to go to...yet. I soon found a non-bedside nursing position that while salaried, still didn't take as much out of my life as the old job did. Weekends free. Holidays...hey! They really do exist! Good luck to you.

Specializes in Maternal Child Health, GYN.

Good for you...that is courage and faith. How is it working out? Do you feel like you were prepared for the job? Did you encounter any learning curves? Did you have to make any major adjustments going from working a stuctured shift to now working in this new environment where you have to set the stucture for your day? How does this work out with school for you? Do you find it fits the online school schedule better or more challenging? Just curious because I have given case management some thought also. Just don't know if it would help me going from 12hr night shift 3 times per week to working Monday to Friday day shift. I'm also in an online MSN program so I'm wanting to do what will be flexible to accommodate school. Your thoughts are appreciated.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Do you feel like you were prepared for the job? Did you encounter any learning curves?
My background in long-term care prepared me with the clinical knowledge for this position since I'm dealing with Medicaid nursing home residents. And yes, the learning curve has been steep.
Did you have to make any major adjustments going from working a stuctured shift to now working in this new environment where you have to set the stucture for your day? How does this work out with school for you? Do you find it fits the online school schedule better or more challenging?
The hardest aspect has been setting the tone and plan for my day. I must really manage my own time to the best of my ability to avoid frittering the day away. This means practicing better sleep hygiene and waking up at a reasonable time (wink).

This position does work around my schooling rather well.

Specializes in Acute Rehab, Progressive Care.

Congratulations! I have benefited greatly from all your posts, and I wish you joy and awesomeness in your next job, wherever it may be! :up:

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