Quitting Before My Four Weeks Notice

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Specializes in Infusion oncology, Cardiac PCU.

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Hello, I’ve recently accepted an offer at an outpatient clinic position M-F and will be starting at the beginning of next month. The hospital I currently work at required a 28 days notice and I have 3 more shifts to complete. I’ve been feeling tremendously burnt out working bedside, and we’ve been critically short staff for the longest time contributing more to my anxiety and feeling morally distress with this career...  I’ve experienced some of the hardest shifts lately, and particularly  my most recent one which lead me to not even want to go in for this next final 3 shifts. I’ve been crying two consecutive shifts due to the patient load and acuity and it almost feels like I’m being put on the back burner now that majority of everyone know I’m leaving. The policy requires a 4 weeks notice and calling out any one of those shifts will make you no longer Eligible for rehire ( which isn’t something I am concern about being that I’ve switched to a different hospital system ). I’m mainly worried about repercussion from management and personally I don’t want to let my teammates down ( those that matter to me ) but I am at the point where I’ve reached my limit. Just needing senior advice and outside perspective  because I am certain I will be calling out my last 3 shifts. 

I'm really sorry you're going through this. I feel like you're seeking advice but you've also said you're already certain you will call in your last shifts. 

I did float RN for a while and HATED it. I still wouldn't have called in to my last shifts if I knew it would negatively impact me in the future. Being not re-hirable is much less of a concern than your current HR being able to tell future potential employers that you quit without proper notice. 

If you're looking for validation about your decision to call in, you don't need it. You have another job lined up, your environment has become toxic, and you have to do what is best for you. You get to decide what "best for you," means. 

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
13 minutes ago, TryingtoThriveRN said:

calling out any one of those shifts will make you no longer Eligible for rehire ( which isn’t something I am concern about being that I’ve switched to a different hospital system )

This can still come back to bite you in the future with other job changes.

Quote

I am certain I will be calling out my last 3 shifts

Then it would be best to simply inform your manager you will no longer be working out your notice.


Even if you aren't concerned about the eligibility for rehire, be aware that nursing is a small world and people will talk.

Specializes in Infusion oncology, Cardiac PCU.

How do I go about telling my manager I will no longer finishing up my notice without repercussion ? 

22 minutes ago, TryingtoThriveRN said:

How do I go about telling my manager I will no longer finishing up my notice without repercussion ? 

You can’t but at least this way you won’t screw your co-workers. 

Specializes in Infusion oncology, Cardiac PCU.

At this rate, would it be best to send my manager an email letting her know that wi I’ll not be coming in to work my last three shifts despite stating that I would in my resignation email 3 weeks ago? I’m trying my best to not burn bridges, but I’ve reached my breaking point. And with the M-F position, it’s harder for me schedule doctor/dentist appointments which I have one coming up on one of my last shift (either way I will have to call out). 

Yes it will but the bridges will be burnt. There’s no getting around it. Frankly, I would work the last 3 shifts and leave with a clear conscience. 
The fact that you scheduled a non-urgent appointment on a day you knew you were scheduled to work is beginning to sound a little sketch. It’s starting to sound like you are trying to justify your actions. As someone said earlier, the nursing world is much smaller than you think and we have long memories. My sympathy for your situation has taken a nose-dive. 

" I am certain I will be calling out my last 3 shifts. "

Well then I have no advice for you. Other than good luck in your new position...and  any repercussions that may happen with the call outs.

Specializes in Infusion oncology, Cardiac PCU.

Hey friend! Thanks for your reply and feedback. I came here to ask for feedbacks and an outside perspective because this is something that is eating up my conscience. I might have worded this in a way  where it just simply appear like I don’t want to work and want to find every reason to call out. Your reply does make it hard for someone to be open about how they feel and their situation. I never mentioned what the “non urgent” appointment was concerning because that’s a different topic of its own. I mentioned that my job starts at the beginning of this coming month and my last week notice ends right before the weekend before the new month starts. You should know how hard it is to schedule any doctors or dental appointments with the M-F schedule and I don’t want to jump into a new job already requesting days off. I did not purposely   schedule this “non urgent “ appointment on the day I was schedule to work but being that that was the only day available before I start my new job, I ended up doing it anyways and would have to call out regardless. I wasn’t planning on calling out other then that one day but I came on to this forum asking for feedback because I am now at the point where I am very burnt out and is planning on leaving my job before completing my notice. So I am sorry if your sympathy for me has taken a nose-dive. Please be more kind to those you don’t know and what their situation might be. You never know how impactful your words are,  Especially when they’re already feeling terrible about themself. 

 My guess is you came here seeking validation not feedback and once you got feedback you didn’t like it.  That’s on you. FTR: I work M-F so pretty sure I get the scheduling thing and I still think you chose poorly. I get being burnt out. We ALL are burnt out but that’s not a reason to leave your unit short for a week. I’m not being unkind I’m telling you that the optics are very bad. If you’re feeling “terrible” about yourself there’s a reason. You know calling out isn’t the right thing to do, not for your patients, not for your colleagues and in the end…not for you.

Specializes in Infusion oncology, Cardiac PCU.
15 minutes ago, TryingtoThriveRN said:

Yikes. 

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