Leaving Job - Advice For Giving Notice

[FashionablyL8]

I've finally decided to leave a job- "job #1"- that I've been at for 8+ years. I became a licensed LPN several months ago, and got another job as an LPN- "job #2". However, I was offered a significant raise to stay on at job#1 in my current position, which was med room staff and direct care support (I was MAP certified long before becoming a nurse). For a while, I've been thinking of leaving job #1- the $$ is less than job #2 and I've found that I love job #2- my coworkers are awesome, I'm learning a lot and it feels great to be working as a nurse. Although many of my tasks at job #1 are similar to nursing, it's not the same. 

The last time I worked at job #1, the decision was made easier for me. When I arrived at work, my supervisor informed me that she would be in the med room and I would be floor staff that night. They had also switched a lot of residents from the floor and changed everything around, without telling any of the staff. I am always in the med room even if my supervisor is there- I'm the most qualified person to giving meds since I'm the only nurse there. I've been in the med room for months before becoming a nurse and do an excellent job, also doing more than my share of direct care. Because this was so unusual, I asked my supervisor if I would continue to be in the med room on subsequent shifts. She replied that she couldn't say whether I would be in the med room or not. It sounded like it was a toss-up between myself and other less qualified staff. I told her that I enjoy my current position and am not looking to go back to working only on the floor and left it at that. I feel that it was disrespectful and wrong to suddenly change my job description for no reason without telling me. This supervisor has done something similar before, switching me without warning from a location that I had worked in for years with the same residents, who loved me. The problems seem to have started when I began nursing school. I get the feeling that she resents me because I am a nurse now and she likes to feel as if she knows more than anyone. 

I've decided to give my notice the next time I work. I'm sure I could stay in the med room if I went over the supervisor's head. It's just not worth it to me. However, I am undecided on whether to mention this as a factor in my leaving. I don't want to give the supervisor the satisfaction of getting rid of me if that is her intention, but also feel that the people in charge should be aware. Her treatment of staff, sudden switching of schedules/floors/tasks and favoritism have caused other people to leave also. My husband says I would seem petty, since whether I'm on the floor or in the med room, I made the same amount of $$. 

I'm interested in hearing opinions on this. Do you all think I'm justified in being annoyed? And should I include this in reasons for leaving? Thanks for any thoughts. It may seem ridiculous but I'm kind of obsessing about this.

[JKL33]

On 3/8/2022 at 5:22 PM, FashionablyL8 said:

Do you all think I'm justified in being annoyed? And should I include this in reasons for leaving?

1. Yes

2. No

It's simple, change mental gears: You are leaving to go toward something good. Life is too short to waste on others' pettiness and problems that you can't fix and don't need to fix.

Very  often the thing that would temporarily feel good doesn't really get us ahead at all and is just a personally-perceived sense of (negative-based) satisfaction. Stay in positive mode. So much more pleasant.

Good luck!

[SmilingBluEyes]

I have left a couple of jobs where I was angry enough to spit nails over how I was treated. I NEVER EVER burned my bridges. Nursing is a small world; you never know where you will see people again. I have come across a few from my jobs WAY back in my career.

[FashionablyL8, CNA, LPN]

I really appreciate the advice you all have given me! It's most important for me to leave this job without burning any bridges. And, as JKL pointed out, I'm moving on to something better. I've spent the last month or so thinking about how nice it would be to leave and concentrate on my nursing job. Then once something happened to irritate me at job #1, that became my main focus. One thing I need to work on is accepting that things won't always seem fair to me, but I don't always need to do something about it. In this case, it's just not worth it.

Thanks again to all of you for helping me realize that. 

[SmilingBluEyes]

2 hours ago, FashionablyL8 said:

I really appreciate the advice you all have given me! It's most important for me to leave this job without burning any bridges. And, as JKL pointed out, I'm moving on to something better. I've spent the last month or so thinking about how nice it would be to leave and concentrate on my nursing job. Then once something happened to irritate me at job #1, that became my main focus. One thing I need to work on is accepting that things won't always seem fair to me, but I don't always need to do something about it. In this case, it's just not worth it.

Thanks again to all of you for helping me realize that. 

Glad you were helped. I wish you the best!

[amoLucia]

DING  DING  DING 

I think we've got a WINNER here!  ?

[amoLucia]

FashionablyL8 - was rereading your post. DD population. Any possibility that the job is Civil Service? That could make a difference in any decision  I'd make for myself.

[FashionablyL8, CNA, LPN]

Hi amoLucia,

It's a small, privately owned facility, not Civil Service. I don't know a lot about Civil Service jobs, but I'm guessing the pay and benefits are great and perhaps not something to give up without much consideration? I never even thought of Civil Service direct care positions before I became a nurse, but I just looked it up and found a few. 

[amoLucia]

Civil Service pay usually isn't as good as the PVT sector. But the benefits ... usually good choices for HC insurance, vaca time & sick time, 401/403/pension, educ benes, seniority, union. And a good few others ... something I called 'for life'.

Thinking back - what if I ... ?

[EveP]

Just the policy of where you work.

[Abkr80]

I think everyone has felt this way at some point in there career. Unappreciated, dispensable, feel as though others may be acting passive aggressive in assignments, pulling someone from what they know and are comfortable with. I feel sometimes it’s warranted and sometimes it’s simply feeling disrespected but have no real reason to. I want to give it to you straight. I worked my way up from a CNA to a RN and have a grip on how each discipline feels. I have always felt the best way to handle these issues is to simply ask. Request a time to meet with her ask a 3rd person be present and politely and professionally ask the question. “I have been feeling…… may I ask why there has been this change, is there something I have done incorrectly. Is there a rationale to this change in duties.” Put the question back on her and ask directly. This may be unnerving to her but as a nurse and a professional you have the right to ask this very valid question. It’s important to understand and convey that you understand the importance of remaining flexible and know that she is equally capable however you enjoyed your position and now feel it has changed which you do not enjoy. Explain that you want to learn and grow and advance as a nurse, not back peddle into a role you have done prior to finishing nursing school. Be humble, honest and definitely don’t behave entitled to that position because you feel you are the best at it. You may be! But behaving as though your work is superior to those you work with will only encourage a supervisor to want to knock you down a few pegs. Don’t let ego get int he way of your success. Hers or yours. If you are respected and valued as a excellent employee then there will be opportunity for you to be satisfied with your job- which includes keeping you assigned to the duties which you have mastered. If there is no desire to work with you and keep you happy as a employee then put in your notice. Explain to HR (in a private email) that you do feel MGMT needs to be made aware of your reasoning for resigning, that you did attempt to solve the issue with her and were dismissed. That you were made to feel less than… and explain your emotions honestly. But don’t ever feel entitled because you know your job well and don’t want to leave it. Knowing MANY jobs in a facility and performing them without complaint really is a valuable employee. A employee resigning for being floated elsewhere is not going to be the kind of employee anyone wants to fight for. It’s hard not to become offended when we feel disrespected, it’s easy to become reactive. But remain calm, professional and cooperative. I wouldn’t leave a job without understanding exactly why. You are essentially resigning from a job because you were floated out of your normal duties up to this point. You should probably know why that occurred before making any decisions. 
 

good luck 

[FashionablyL8, CNA, LPN]

Thank you for the advice, Abkr. I agree that being humble and not acting entitled to a position is very important. That is never the way to go. You outlined an excellent plan for communicating with supervisors and getting clarification when needed. 

In this case, I am quite sure that I could not have prevented this, unless perhaps I never became a nurse. I was great at my job, per my recent review and feedback from residents and coworkers. This supervisor has done something like this to me in the past, and other staff have had similar experiences. She has a history of abruptly changing assignments for self-serving purposes. 

I gave my notice last week. I did not mention anything about this issue, simply said that I am ready to work exclusively as a nurse and that my other job has some good opportunities for me. The top supervisor was disappointed to see me go, but the door is open if I should want to come back. This is exactly how I wanted to leave it.

Thanks again to the previous posters who helped me refrain from saying things I would regret. ?

 

 

[amoLucia]

Good luck to you.