Nurse Resigns by Sending 'I Quit' Cake to Her Employer

elkpark · Jun 30, 2016

I wonder if a cake actually "counts" as official notice (as compared to an e-mail or snail mail ...) And I hope it was chocolate! :)

(And, according to the link, she only worked there seven months -- I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that, someone who quits after seven months with such a flamboyant "resignation" ("I quit" with three exclamation points?), they're probably glad (and lucky) to be rid of her.)

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

Too bad she quit the day job, not gonna make it as a cake decorator.

OCNRN63, RN · Jun 30, 2016

That cake belongs on Cake Wrecksâ€‹.

BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

Geeesh, she could have spent a couple more bucks and had it PROFESSIONALLY decorated!

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Jun 30, 2016

With all the publicity involved with this unique resignation, may be difficult to obtain another nursing position for this new RN.

Don't let your frustration with workplace lead you to career suicide via unprofessional behavior.

verene, MSN · Jun 30, 2016

elkpark said:
(And, according to the link, she only worked there seven months -- I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that, someone who quits after seven months with such a flamboyant "resignation" ("I quit" with three exclamation points?), they're probably glad (and lucky) to be rid of her.)

If the Western State she works at is the Western State I'm thinking of, it has a LOT of problems and quitting after 7 months is likely toughing it out. Plus using a cake to provide notice is sounds like the same level of respect that staff have been receiving from administration. (Assuming media reports are true).

elkpark · Jun 30, 2016

verene said:
Plus using a cake to provide notice is sounds like the same level of respect that staff have been receiving from administration. (Assuming media reports are true).

That may well be true; but the reality is that administrators and facilities rarely suffer any negative consequences from treating employees with disrespect, but responding in kind as an employee, however satisfying it may be in the moment, is likely to come back to bite you.

(And "media reports" are often inaccurate or incomplete.)

RiskManager · Jun 30, 2016

verene said:
If the Western State she works at is the Western State I'm thinking of, it has a LOT of problems and quitting after 7 months is likely toughing it out. Plus using a cake to provide notice is sounds like the same level of respect that staff have been receiving from administration. (Assuming media reports are true).

It is the Western State you are thinking of in Steilacoom. I do some risk management consulting there from time to time. They are one of the state of Washington's secure mental health facilities, and it suffers from too high of a census, not enough money, not enough staffing and they are dancing on the edge of losing accreditation and CMS funding approval. I have a lot of empathy for the staff, providers and patients there trying to do the best they can with what they have.

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Jun 30, 2016

elkpark said:
And I hope it was chocolate! ?

It was Vanilla and it was from Wal-Mart

Nurse uses cake to quit job at Western State Hospital | KOMO

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Jun 30, 2016

I would have picked out a better decorator. The cake decorators at my local grocery chain are better than the ones at Walmart apparently.

Missie Hannie · Jun 30, 2016

I'm closely related to someone who worked at Western State Hospital with Sara Childers, and they have said that this kind of behavior fits in with her personality. What elkpark said is correct - "media reports" often don't contain the entire story. The media reports about WSH are a bit overblown, and everyone seems to be piling on. Sara just wanted her two minutes of fame.