I see a lot of people here, especially newer nurses, tell us that they got this cruddy job, and they are looking for their dream job. They will quit a job 2 months into it when said dream job comes up.
I just want to go on record here. I disapprove of that and feel like it's unprofessional. You wouldn't see other professions behave like that. Can you imagine an engineer or a lawyer, or any other of the real professions, taking a position, then quitting in 3 months to take another one. No, that is behavior of fast food workers and mini-mart employees.
I don't know why managers are even interested in nurses who do that. It's like dating a man who is cheating on his wife. Do you really think he's not going to eventually do that to you as well?
Maybe it would elevate the profession if nurses signed employment contracts like other professions do.
I hear people here complain that, 'I don't want to risk my license!' where they are now working. I think that's a bunch of hooey. They are trying to sugar coat their unprofessional decision to leave a job shortly after being trained with high and mighty hogwash. People don't lose their license for working in a less than stellar institution.
i believe it depends. but i never left a job within 6 months although i had better chance when i was there in 3 months, i could left but i choose to stay because i wanted to be professional in my record. the first job i had was terrible, turnover all the time, all new graduates, highly understaffed, abuse, and most of people not stay more than 6 months and lots of them quit in orientation. i stayed more than a year. but i do not want to blame these people who left early, it was just a terrible place to work, if you were capable, some better place wanted you, why not go? give a reason. is it unprofessional? no, because other company proved that you were professional and they needed you. like the job i just left, i worked hard, my patients loved me. see what i got, called to office every week talked about over time, paid too much. manager tried two times to transfer me to full time payment which 4$/hour lower. even told me that you can be a full time no benefit if you do not want benefit. managers never appreciate your work but when you tried to leave, they acted like you hurt them so bad and it was all your fault because you left at the time they understaffed again which just happened 4 months ago. i am not the first person choose to leave and i will not be the last one neither. i fully agree that we nurses need to be professional, but loyalty to a unloyaltied employer may not be concerned as professional or at least it is not wise for your own future. but anyhow, for myself, i will still do what i been doing, at least stay 6 months even i do not like this job.
In at-will states, employers can terminate workers whenever without cause. As far as I'm concern, the only reason I would stay at a place I hated for a year would be because it benefits and opens doors for me.
And until nurses are treated as professionals like engineers and lawyers, they are not obligated to do anything but provide safe patient care.
Yep, I've stayed till the situation no longer benefitted me, (because 'I' am my first priority, make no mistake about that). I love nursing, I'm a competant and knowledgeable nurse, and miss the patient care aspects (which is why I still come to this site), but when it's time to leave, it's time to leave.
In my case, that included leaving the profession entirely, for better wages, bonuses, no mandation, better benefits, more TO and vacation, better work-place treatment, a much brighter long-term outlook, and more transparency in the job from management and co-workers alike. Plus I'm actually cleaner from my plant job than I was from the nh.
The bruises on my head from futiley banging it against the wall in nursing (my case LTC) have healed. A win-win situation.
I think if you really want to see the profession of nursing elevated, then work to get increased staffing. Really, I'm thinking 99.95% of all issues would be resolved if their were enough staff to resolve them...
I'm from the generation that says "you took the job, they put time and money into your training/education/orientation, you owe it to your employer to give a reasonable amount of time in return".
However, I also recognize that in this day and age of 'at will' employees being turned out whenever it suits the employer (after all, if they don't 'will' you to work, you don't) it's hard to drum up much loyalty.
I do believe, without any question in my mind, that proper notice needs to be given for resignation from any job. THAT is where professionalism will come to bear; it reflects on the nurse poorly who chooses to disappear without notice (or with so little as to make it virtually none).
This is a business relationship that is codified by laws and agreements. If I am an at-will employee then by employer is an at-will employer and deserving of no more consideration than would be extended to me.
In general, I think at least two years is the minimum at which someone should stay at a job and, even then, if there are multiple two-year stints, one is at risk of being labeled a job-hopper which will hamper future employment efforts.
It would take a lot to get me to leave inside of two years but that's out of a desire to protect my career, not some misguided sense of loyalty to an employer who, in most cases, views me with about the same consideration that it views its IV carts.
If one deems it in their best interests to seek or accept another position, by all means go for it. You owe your employer nothing besides your best work effort while you're on the clock.
When I saw this thread, I thought of my own little hospital. On my unit (20 beds), they hired 6 new grads in May. All have now quit, some with 2 whole weeks notice and some who just said they wouldn't be back. If you don't like the job and you're going to quit as soon as your orientation is over, if it has something to do with the working conditions and not that you got your "dream" job, at least have the common courtesy to tell your supervisor why you are quitting. We suspect we know why some are leaving but the ppl quitting are giving some BS excuse to our management. If there's a problem, it's never going to be fixed if someone doesn't tell the right ppl. (well, might not be fixed even then, but definitely not if no one knows the problem) I have this sneaky feeling that eventually the rest of us nurses are going to be blamed.
Oh please!!! And I disapprove of nurses with a holier than thou attitude that consistently judge other people based on the choices they make. I have left a cruddy job for something better and I have NO REGRETS. Neither do I care, what others think of MY decision. In this day in age, you have to look out for yourself because no one else will.
I've seen experiences nurses job hop too. To each it's own.
Specializes in Cardiac, ER, Pediatrics, Corrections.
I do not think you can make an assumption about all nurses who leave a job after a short period. Some of them did have intent on staying. Maybe they are being bullied. Maybe management is a joke. Maybe they can't make ends meet at a certain job. Just because a nurse leaves a job early does not make them immature and unprofessional. We all do what we have to to make ends meet.
I do not think you can make an assumption about all nurses who leave a job after a short period. Some of them did have intent on staying. Maybe they are being bullied. Maybe management is a joke. Maybe they can't make ends meet at a certain job. Just because a nurse leaves a job early does not make them immature and unprofessional. We all do what we have to to make ends meet.
Or maybe, they just received a much better offer 4 weeks into the new job.
With the challenges we all face in the modern workplace, I don't begrudge anybody who leaves for a better gig that presents itself, irrespective of when it arrives.
As with all things, there's a cost-risk-benefit analysis... if it comes down in favor of the new gig, fare thee well.
I had just cleared background and was scheduled to begin orientation for a new job when my current employer called. It was a no-brainer for me but I'm forever black-listed at the other place.
guaguachong
24 Posts
i believe it depends. but i never left a job within 6 months although i had better chance when i was there in 3 months, i could left but i choose to stay because i wanted to be professional in my record. the first job i had was terrible, turnover all the time, all new graduates, highly understaffed, abuse, and most of people not stay more than 6 months and lots of them quit in orientation. i stayed more than a year. but i do not want to blame these people who left early, it was just a terrible place to work, if you were capable, some better place wanted you, why not go? give a reason. is it unprofessional? no, because other company proved that you were professional and they needed you. like the job i just left, i worked hard, my patients loved me. see what i got, called to office every week talked about over time, paid too much. manager tried two times to transfer me to full time payment which 4$/hour lower. even told me that you can be a full time no benefit if you do not want benefit. managers never appreciate your work but when you tried to leave, they acted like you hurt them so bad and it was all your fault because you left at the time they understaffed again which just happened 4 months ago. i am not the first person choose to leave and i will not be the last one neither. i fully agree that we nurses need to be professional, but loyalty to a unloyaltied employer may not be concerned as professional or at least it is not wise for your own future. but anyhow, for myself, i will still do what i been doing, at least stay 6 months even i do not like this job.