Quit job because of bad boss.. now she's gone and I want to go back

[emilyy11]

I worked at a county jail as an RN for over a year. I really loved my job. The only problem was I had a bad boss. She started a few months before I left. She enacted policies that were unrealistic and forced us to work overtime. She was cold hearted, making one nurse find her own replacement for a shift when her mother was in the hospital dying. She threatened to call the BON on me for "abandonment" because I told her 3 days in advance that I wouldn't be coming in to work. She left us short staffed and didn't believe us when we said we were burnt out and needed more help.

I was relieved when I left, because I got away from her. I learned that she had quit a month later and that another bad manager had been fired. I have been away from there for 5 months, working at a state prison. The prison is nice enough, but it's not as exciting as the jail and I spend all my time either preparing for med pass or doing med pass. The other nurses don't really care. Medications get missed, policies aren't followed, etc. We are supposed to notify the provider with any critical labs, but no one ever runs the report. There was one person with an INR of 4.3 that didn't get noticed or called on for 3 days.

I keep thinking about going back to my old job and I just can't shake it. My whole reason for leaving is gone. I just don't want to leave my current job because i think it will look bad and the state benefits are so good! I'm so conflicted with what to do.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

Well... We can't solve that problem for you. Maybe go back PRN at the old job? It is hard to turn down State benefits once you start with them. Plus who is to say that if they hire you back they wouldn't hire that same manager back?

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

Apply. What's the worst they could say? No?

[CBlover, BSN, RN]

I worked at a county jail as an RN for over a year. I really loved my job. The only problem was I had a bad boss. She started a few months before I left. She enacted policies that were unrealistic and forced us to work overtime. She was cold hearted, making one nurse find her own replacement for a shift when her mother was in the hospital dying. She threatened to call the BON on me for "abandonment" because I told her 3 days in advance that I wouldn't be coming in to work. She left us short staffed and didn't believe us when we said we were burnt out and needed more help.

I was relieved when I left, because I got away from her. I learned that she had quit a month later and that another bad manager had been fired. I have been away from there for 5 months, working at a state prison. The prison is nice enough, but it's not as exciting as the jail and I spend all my time either preparing for med pass or doing med pass. The other nurses don't really care. Medications get missed, policies aren't followed, etc. We are supposed to notify the provider with any critical labs, but no one ever runs the report. There was one person with an INR of 4.3 that didn't get noticed or called on for 3 days.

I keep thinking about going back to my old job and I just can't shake it. My whole reason for leaving is gone. I just don't want to leave my current job because i think it will look bad and the state benefits are so good! I'm so conflicted with what to do.

Not nearly enough info for me to give my opinion. Pay? Distance from home? Hours? Those alone are big when it comes to deciding on quitting your current job. Make a list of pro's and con's and see what's most important to you. I drive almost an hr to work and have done so for nearly 5 yrs. Why? Is it the pay? Ohhhh no. Is it my manager? Ohhhh no. It's my coworkers, they've become my friends, and my ability to control my schedule to me is a big perk that maybe not just anyone can give me.

[emilyy11]

I made roughly the same amount of money. State benefits are pretty awesome at my current job. Both jobs are a few blocks from each other. Both 12 hour shifts. I would be more likely to get days at my old job. I really loved my old job, the only thing was the manager, who is gone now. I just don't know if it'll look unprofessional to have only spent 6 months at a job. I've seen so many people not make it in correctional nursing more than a few weeks, so it can't look that bad, right?

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Be careful though...any replacement manager may be even worse!

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

And if you just left and didn't work out a notice, they may not let you come back.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Why don't you just do per diem at your old job until you figure out if the new manager is going to work out? Then decide what to do from there.

Or apply at your old job as the manager.

State benefits are hard to beat.