Quitting without a notice

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2015

Few positions are immediately available. Reference checks, drug screens, employee health clearances, etc. can take 2 weeks or longer to complete.
As a hiring manager, if you told me that you would quit your current employer without notice and start my job immediately, I would not make an offer. I don't want to be on the other end of a "quick exit" when your next best job comes along.

This is the point I was going to make. If you are currently working and list yourself as employed on your resume, the prospective employer will expect that you need to give notice to your current employer. They will also respect this as they will expect the same of you when you are ready to move on from them.

mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 19, 2015

Nursing is a VERY small world. you lose your "eligible for rehire" status and the ability to cash out your PTO. I was told 2 weeks when I was offered my current (dream) job and then found out it was 30 days. I worked it out with management to find a way to work the shifts to make it up and it was well worth it. I meet people all the time that know somebody that knows somebody. Try to do right by the other company if you can. Taking the higher road is always best

sailornurse · Oct 19, 2015

I second, (third, fourth) what PPs have said. Plus, the medical community is a small one. You never know when you will run across those people again. I know a woman who burned three bridges in this region and she could not get hired anywhere else. Management and peers from each place just happened to be at the new place years later and she was shot down quick.You can handle two more weeks if you've made it this far. Good luck!

Agree with all posts so far, & yes Shadow is right. You never know who you will run into years from now & it may be in another city/town. It might even by the HR person who remembers you especially if you leave with no notice.

And you mention you don't plan to work for this company again. Companies can merge or buy/be bought by other corporations.

Had a former friend that I recommended for a job. Got fired the first day. She was asked to pick up a ringing phone as she was orienting. Instead, she asked" Are you talking to me? I'm new, just orienting."

So at end of the day she was told not to return.

She calls me to tell me what happened, then stated, Oh well I'll just apply at XYZ Hospital.

Umm-no. ABC Hospital & XYZ hospital are owned by same company.

Had students cheat in my class. Years later I'm working at local LTAC. Manager (former student) is interviewing, walks down hall towards me. Hey, was "Little Mary" one of your students?

"yeah she sure was". Then I promptly got up, went in patient room, closed the door.

She did not get the job. I'm sure she was not expecting to see her former instructor working there. Manager never asked for details, just my response was enough.

Yeah you just never know who will remember you if you don't give notice properly.

For all you know, the HR people know each other! Or other managers have friends at other facilities.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2015

The "my license is at risk" mantra is overdone and overblown. You will not lose your nursing license if you remain at your current place of employment for another two weeks.

My advice is to stick it out until the end of your resignation notice. Two weeks might seem like an eternity right now, but it will be water under the bridge when you look back several years from now.

Good luck to you!

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2015

I've quit many times without notice. I'm not proud of that. However, some places I have worked I don't regret not giving a notice.

NuGuyNurse2b · Oct 19, 2015

Sometimes you unfortunately must take the "low road" - ie, get the hell outta there. I don't necessarily agree on the "it's a small world" - while the people may be the same, their levels of authority are not. For example, my boss who got fired found a job elsewhere...as a staff nurse. She wouldn't be in the position to hire me if I went there. Or have any effect, really.

Hoosier_RN, MSN · Oct 19, 2015

Sometimes you unfortunately must take the "low road" - ie, get the hell outta there. I don't necessarily agree on the "it's a small world" - while the people may be the same, their levels of authority are not. For example, my boss who got fired found a job elsewhere...as a staff nurse. She wouldn't be in the position to hire me if I went there. Or have any effect, really.

No, but she could say negative things about you to prevent you being hired. Especially if she is liked by or has a friend or friend of friend in management. More than once I've been asked "didn't you work at xyz? Do you remember so and so?" If I say hire it's a go, if I say run, usually not hired. The one time they hired someone that I gave a negative review on, they learned the hard way...word of mouth means a lot in a tight job market

Postpartum RN · Oct 19, 2015

I don't necessarily agree that nursing is such a small world, it depends on where you live. However, I do think you should give notice if you are able to. I would especially feel bad for my coworkers that I would leave short handed; and also the pts that would be affected by short staffing. It's just professional and decent to give proper notice when leaving. And I agree with others who have said that even if you are not using them as a reference, your new potential employer can call them to find out if you are eligible for rehire.

Actually, when I quit my last job, I enjoyed the last 2 weeks I worked there after I gave my notice. Why? Because everything I did that I didn't like (basically the reasons that I was leaving) while at work, I kept thinking to myself "Soon I won't have to deal with this anymore! Yay!" It actually felt really good :)

Plus my coworkers made a farewell party for me and got me a gift, so that was really nice.

On my last day, everything felt very final. And it was very satisfying swiping my badge for the last time there :)

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Oct 19, 2015

I'm looking for some advice on this.
I currently have an interview coming up and if I feel like the place is the right fit for me and they offer me the job, I will take it in a heartbeat.
I haven't given my 2 week notice to my current employer yet. I'm waiting until I have something lined up before doing so. I don't think I can last another 2 weeks at my current place of employment. Staffing issues are a problem everywhere but I have been placed in unsafe situations where I am taking care of very high acuity patients that is putting my license in jeopardy. There a bunch of other reasons as well but that is the number one reason why I want to quit without notice.
So would you quit in my situation? Have you ever quit without a notice? I know they say to never burn your bridges but I highly doubt I will be working for this company ever again.
Thanks!

If you do leave without notice, do not tell a soul where you will be working. Your management will most certainly call their management and say negative things about you. You could lose that new opportunity and find yourself unemployed.

I have turned in my badge at the end of a shift in a dangerous situation and said I won't be coming back. All nurses should have another job to fall back on, even if you just work there one day a month.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 19, 2015

oops, double post. sorry about that.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 19, 2015

Agree with all posts so far, & yes Shadow is right. You never know who you will run into years from now & it may be in another city/town. It might even by the HR person who remembers you especially if you leave with no notice.
And you mention you don't plan to work for this company again. Companies can merge or buy/be bought by other corporations.
Yeah you just never know who will remember you if you don't give notice properly.
For all you know, the HR people know each other! Or other managers have friends at other facilities.

I actually didn't think about this. You made a very good point here. Thanks!

The "my license is at risk" mantra is overdone and overblown. You will not lose your nursing license if you remain at your current place of employment for another two weeks.

I know we hear that mantra all of the time on this website...but when you're taking care of all very high acuity (ICU) patients it is a problem. One day I had a trauma, a conscious sedation, an intubation and a brain bleed pretty much all at the same time with practically no help. How is that safe? Another day I had a code that turned into a ROSC that kept coding and that tied me up for hours. I kept getting patients in my other rooms. Was anyone else watching those patients? Of course not, even though everyone else knew I was busy. There was one patient that I had before this mess started but did anyone do me a favor and pop in to their room to check on them, maybe update some VS, etc? Of course not. I couldn't step out of that code room that I was in. I even asked if someone could pop in my other patient's room, etc, but that didn't happen. That right there doesn't meet the standard of nursing care. But at least I had SOME help with my code.

I've only worked in two ERs but comparing the two they're like night and day. Totally different. I could go on and on.

My advice is to stick it out until the end of your resignation notice. Two weeks might seem like an eternity right now, but it will be water under the bridge when you look back several years from now.
Good luck to you!

Thank you!

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · Oct 19, 2015

I've quit many times without notice. I'm not proud of that. However, some places I have worked I don't regret not giving a notice.

Did that ever hinder you from getting a job down the road?