Need to resign ASAP

Nurses Professionalism

Published

Hello,

I work in a very unsafe facility. The safety of patients are at risk, I am afraid that if I work another day, I will lose my license. I am working this upcoming Monday and I seriously cannot work there another day. I am aware about giving two weeks notice for professionalism, but I do not think I can work there for another two weeks. How do I go about sending my manager my letter of resignation and not having to work at that unsafe place on Monday?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Depends on whether or not you plan to use this job for a reference. If not you just simply draw up a professional letter, state your reasons hand it to DON HR NURSE RECRUITING. Also depends on whether or not you plan to collect unused vacation or sick time etc. If you have it and want it I suggest referring to your employees handbook and following protocol.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Did you sign any sort of contract when you were hired that spelled out how resignation should be handled? Two weeks is certainly the courteous way to go, but if you are that fearful truly for the safety of your license, you are the only one who knows if you can morally do this.

Is the situation bad enough that you should be making a report to the state and advocate for the patients you'll be leaving behind? Any job prospects lined up? I for one, am too chickensheet to make any sort of move without having my ducks in a row, but not everyone is like me!

Best of luck, whatever you decide to do

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The reason why I think that my license is at risk is first of all, I am a new graduate and at my hospital LVNs have their own patients, and we are assigned to "cover" for one or two, sometimes three of their patients. I learned during orientation that I had to cover by giving their patients' IV medications, but I recently found out that I had to cosign for their assessments as well..for example, no one taught me that at the end of the shift, I have to state that I concur with the assessments of the LVNs....like am I just crazy or how am I supposed to cosign for them when I did not even assess their patients or was not taught to (there was no protocol that taught me to do this).

Recently the state came to my hospital and said that RNs are no longer to cosign for LVNs, and that we have do the LVNs' shift assessments, IV meds, and discharge work. Last week I worked on the floor I had 5 patients myself and was assigned to "cover" 2 of the LVNs' patients, meaning that I was IN CHARGE of 7 patients!!!! Is that illegal?

My hospital does not use team nursing at all. I mean this is too unfair...having 5 patients is already a load, but 2 or 3 more?? So I had to assess all 7 patients. I live in Cali and there is a law of patient nurse ratio of 5:1 in med surg and 4:1 in tele.

Anyone else thinks this is unlawful? It makes my stomach feel sick.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Also, as a new graduate the hospital provided 2 months of orientation, no classroom education just clinical, where I felt like I was just thrown in there! I feel that I did not receive proper orientation...I mean how could I when I just find out that we are suppose to cosign for LVNs like that and then find out that this is illegal??? I had days where they just threw a chest tube patient out at me when I never took care of a chest tube patient before, I of course asked my manager to look at the patient with me...but seriously how wrong is that??!

The only unfortunate thing is that I signed a 3 year contract with this hospital, and if I break the contract I have to pay $30,000 for the training they provided...which makes me wonder why it cost them so much because I got such a bad training. My plan is to hire a lawyer to see if there is a loop hole out of the contract because I did not get proper training.

I have already made several mistakes, which I admit to, but it is because I find myself so stressed out with the workload. Providing total care to patients with no CNAs at times.

I feel so trapped, I just feel like there is no way out. I know I am a good nurse and that quality of patient care is really important to me. My patients love me, but I just do not feel safe at all at this hospital.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Two months orientation? Um that's a lifetime compared to what some nurses get!

3 years and a $30,000 "fine" is a pretty hefty contract to have signed. I think you've painted yourself into the proverbial corner with that move. Sorry

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sounds like this facility is in a sinking boat and preys on new grads to fill a slot and to add injury to insult had you sign a contract. I think you should remain professional and ask to speak with the DON. State your case explicitly. AND DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Every word that comes out of your and thier mouths. Buy a pocket recorder if need be. They may offer you help or more training. Nj is an at will employment state. Not sure about cali. What does your contract say about getting fired?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

please delete this post

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Do you have a union? Doesn't California have mandatory maximum staffing ratios?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In CA, staffing ratios apply to acute care, not to LTC, as far as I know. I've been responsible for 80, and know of a nurse who had the entire facility, around 160, on Christmas when the rest attended a party.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency, Tele, Med Surg, DOU, ICU.

I used to be in the corporate world. An employment contract will punish you big time if you break it. I haven't heard of anyone who got off easy breaking a EC. I'm sorry but if you really are decided, I would do a consultation with a attorney that deals with labor relations and contracts.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Depends on whether or not you plan to use this job for a reference. If not you just simply draw up a professional letter, state your reasons hand it to DON HR NURSE RECRUITING. Also depends on whether or not you plan to collect unused vacation or sick time etc. If you have it and want it I suggest referring to your employees handbook and following protocol.

It's not a matter of whether one "plans" on using a job for a reference. The OP has worked a significant amount of time for this employer. Every future employment application will ask her/him to list every previous employer (or, at least, every previous employer during the last X number of years). If s/he omits this employer from the application and her/his resume' and a future, potential employer finds out (and they often do; it can turn up in background and credit checks, and nursing is a pretty small "club" -- the nursing administration people at different facilities know each other and, to a large extent, know what's going on in the other local facilities), many employers consider that sufficiently dishonest to remove you from consideration, or even get fired if s/he has already been hired and started working (regardless of what the other employer might have said about you, good or bad; just the fact that you withheld the information after they asked you for it is what matters). Quitting without appropriate notice pretty much guarantees that the employer will give you a bad reference (when asked) for the rest of your career, and you can't necessarily cover that up.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment