Leaving Toxic Workplace With No Plan

[rachlynn4, ADN, ASN]

Seeking advice on how to navigate interview questions regarding length of stay and contacting supervisors after leaving a negative workplace.

Hello all, I have been working in hospice care for about 2 years now. Love the job but the workplace environment is toxic with non-stop drama, gossiping, etc. Everyone knows everyone and is best friends outside of work so its not about how hard your work, it’s about who you know. I have chosen not to involve myself in this workplace drama and often chart in my car after visits to avoid it. Recently I have been confronted about this, saying it makes me a negative person, rude, not a team player etc because I don’t talk enough and this company prides itself on being “family-like.” I have never had a pt complaint or gotten into trouble for anything related to my nursing duties and I get along with my team very well and talk to them often. I explained that I have trouble charting/focusing with all of this talking going on around me and my manager at the time said she understood but when my evaluation was completed I realized she had made a comment stating that the reason I don’t chart at the office is because “she doesn’t like her team members.” Long story short, this manager is no longer in the position and the new manager is a SW. The new manager has mentioned to me 3 times now that he was “warned” about me being “negative” from the last manager, but when I ask for an example of why I’m being labeled as so, I get no explanation. The new manager has been pretty rude and belittling to me and has made comments about how all he’d have to do to become a nurse is “wear a stethoscope and put a thingy on someone’s finger.” We have butted heads multiple times and he talks to me like I’m a child. He gave us a survery about work meetings and I said I would rather have meetings during the work day rather than after work or on the weekends. He was mad about this and said he didn’t even need to look at my response because he already knew what my response would be and that I’m “just here for the paycheck.” He recently he confronted me about a quiz we had to complete on wounds and I wrote “measurements-LxWxD” rather than writing out length by width by depth and he sat me down and said “I need you to think really hard, what does this mean? What are we measuring in regards to the wound.” Long story short, I had a meeting with him to discuss how I felt about the statements he’s been making and it ended with him telling me he’d “rather have an inexperienced nurse who talks to everyone at the office than an experienced nurse who keeps to herself” and that he’s confident he’d find a nurse to replace me quickly even though we’ve had two RN positions open for over 6 months and are taking way more call than agreed upon. He then proceeded to tell me that he’d need to meet with me weekly until we could figure out how to fix our “communication issue.” I was upset by the whole conversation and met with HR and got nowhere, so I turned in my one month notice.

My issue is: I do not want to use him or the previous manager as a reference because my experience with them was not a good one. They’ve been very rude and bitter since I turned in my notice. How do I deal with this when an interviewer asks why they can’t contact my current supervisor? Also, I’m worried about how little time I spent at my last two jobs. Prior to this I was working in family med as an LPN and would’ve loved to stay but when I got my RN license I got a 30 cent raise and financially, I couldn’t afford to have that little of a pay increase so I was only there for a year. I worry about people thinking I jump from job to job. How do I address this in interviews.

*I have learned now that money isn’t everything and I’d rather enjoy my workplace environment and get paid less than get paid very well and be treated poorly. ?

[kajrn8689, ASN]

I am sorry you are dealing with that type of environment. I recently went through a similar situation, and also ended up leaving. I had multiple interviews over the course of a couple of weeks, and honestly, references never once came up in conversation. I ended up getting three offers, so my fears were unwarranted.

However, I did have a response in mind in case it did come up and I had basically planned to tell them that I prefer they don't contact THAT manager because the relationship was fragile since putting in my resignation.

Also, putting in a year at one position and then 2 at another is not considered job hopping, and you have legitimate reasons for leaving each of them.

I wish you the best of luck in your Job Search. I hope you find somewhere that is fulfilling, rewarding, and definitely NOT toxic!