Nurses change jobs because of stress and culture - not money

scuba nurse, BSN, MSN, RN · May 26, 2017

Yes I totally believe this, at least it rings true for me. I left due to stress and the atmosphere.

More money = more stress.

I may make less now, but I am also not miserable!

MJC2118, APRN · May 29, 2017

I think this is pretty accurate. I went back to school for an opportunity to get a job that will have me home every night with my family, as well as no weekends or holidays. Working nights and having to miss holidays and important events with my family has been equally as stressful as the job itself. Not to mention the stress that working nights, will put on your body. I will actually even make more money as an NP starting out too (about $30,000). Win-win.

milady_sohail · May 29, 2017

What is it that you do now?

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · May 29, 2017

I tend to agree with most of what was said in that website. I've been an NP for 13 years now and have been in my current position almost 8 years. The first NP job out of school was in an academic practice with physiatrists at an in-pt rehab setting. The culture was very supportive, workload was manageable, and everyone was super nice. I left because I felt like I wasn't challenged enough and things got too monotonous. I find that I really like Critical Care which is were I've worked since. It can be stressful for sure but I welcome the kind of stress that makes me use my brain and figure things out, use my hands to do procedures, see results kind of in a semi-immediate manner.

My first Critical Care job in the Midwest was a great learning experience - pretty challenging for sure. But the culture can be malignant and there were some finger pointing at times. However, the NP team stuck out for each other and will not let other colleagues break us - that's what made stay there. I decided to leave for the West Coast and I've found a good balance here in a place that has a supportive culture, emphasis on teaching and learning, and strong track record of upholding patient safety first. That and the fact that this is the specialty I like, I could look beyond the fact that I work odd hours, holidays and weekends.

I am compensated well but that is not what made me stay because I could have found similar pay elsewhere.

canchaser, BSN, RN · May 30, 2017

I somewhat agree but as a person who was married and pregnant at age 15, any move I made was generally based off more money. Each degree I got doubled my income. Some are driven by money others by time with family. My husband was the one with the 9-5 job while I worked crazy hours and got the money. Only once did I change due to stress- more so management trying to micromanage the nursing staff and schedule.

Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · May 30, 2017

I think a lot of times people aren't entirely honesty with their employers as to why they are leaving when they resign. That's why you see physicians and HR attribute salary as the number 1 reason they think people leave, when most NP's say it's stress as their number one reason. A lot of times it's both. How many people here have posted about leaving a stressful job on here and also ending up making more? I know I'm one of them.

When I left my first NP job fulltime, it was mostly because the office environment was so toxic, specifically the manager (physician spouse) treatment of the MA's, that I hated being there. I loved my boss and he treated me well, but it really bothered me seeing hard working kids be treated like scraps. When it came time to leaving, I didn't want to tell my boss I was leaving because his practice environment was too stressful and toxic, I told him it was purely monetary and put the number I was leaving for a lot higher than he I knew he would be willing to pay to avoid a counter offer (even though it wasn't that actual figure). It worked out well because I ended up going to work for a large hospital corporation for a better salary, but vastly superior benefits package, and now my boss is a nursing administrator that lets me do my own thing with minimal oversite. I also have a very cordial relationship with my previous boss and still do work on the side for him. Had I expressed how much I hated his office practice and how his wife managed it, I would likely have burned some significant bridges in a medical community where word travels fast.

Overall, I think what we give as our official reason for leaving a company is usually just the surface of a multi-faceted decision.

BNice74, BSN, RN · Jun 12, 2017

I changed jobs bc I moved but luckily work the same position (postpartum RN/Nursery Float) at the same organization (KP). I earn 46% more and the culture is night and day compared to my last facility. In So Cal there was a huge issue with bullying and favoritism, lack of leadership, and high turnover. I knew it was a stressful environment but didn't realize how overworked we were until I transferred to Nor Cal. Now I work with a great team so everyone helps - lab does newborn screens, a tech does hearing and CCHS, each shift does different tasks so it's not all left to the discharge nurse. And L&D nurses help too - they stay with pts if you're finishing a break or if it's close to shift change. And they respect postpartum nurses which is usually unheard of. We all work together and break together. We are all nurses. It's truly team nursing. And we have a strong union that actually helps us - we have a break nurse therefore we are forced to take all of our breaks whereas in So Cal we took our phones with us and hoped pts didn't call. When I started working in nor cal I felt as though I left an extremely abusive relationship and finally realize it didn't have to be that bad. And I get paid more now too.

maggiern56 · Jun 13, 2017

I agree after 20+ years as a nurse and 15 years of emergency room staff nurse I retired due to stress of the job finally was affecting my health and peace of mind

Qing · Jun 16, 2017

I have to agree because I had an experience I will never forget and eventually I changed jobs. It had nothing to do with money... all stress and culture. When you don't feel supported and the environment is toxic where people do not try to help each other, its just not worth staying there. You worry and stress out the next time you have to show up and that you have to protect yourself from everybody because you feel that nobody will have your back. Not worth staying at a job that you don't feel like you are safe and supported for taking care of patients.