Reason for leaving answer/Need advice

[RN75]

I resigned the first time ever suddenly with no notice. Ive been a nurse for nearly 10 years and finally had it with the hospital I worked. An old manager cheated my out of wages, position, not to mention tried to ruin my reputation as a desperate attempt to prevent my promotion. This woman was out to get me no doubt. So I transferred to another department for refuge and healing. Thats when a reported Hurricane 4-5 was predicted to hit my area AGAIN. Ironically, after a year of being out of my house for previous hurricane damage repairs, I was just moving back in that weekend the next hurricane was due to blow us away! I had made plans to sleep at the hospital with my daughter because I was scheduled to work that weekend. However, when I brought our luggage up we were told we had no room as promised, and were to sleep on the floor with a blanket and pillow there. Now come one folks, something is wrong with that picture! I dont mind sleeping on the floor as long as I have proper provisions. Leadership failed to operate with proper safety and health needs of employees by not giving us time to get a sleeping bag or air mattress at least! Well, to make a long story short, I was fed up. Between my ex manager cheating me just a few months before this, and my home being torn up for a year and having to move back the weekend ANOTHER hurricane was gonna hit, my son stranded in another state, breaking up with an ex boyfriend, my ex husband causing me grief signing insurance checks, dealing with crooked, lying, contractors, my dog staying at a kennel with a flimpsy fiberglass roof about to get blown away, and now being told me and my daughter were gonna sleep on the floor after working 12 hours on my feet with no place to shower, while they have TONS of empty beds availabe (we discharged most of the patients because of the hurricane), I HAD ENOUGH. So, I called in an hour before my shift and gave my verbal resignation.

The House Supervisor was understanding and told me she didnt blame me telling me ALOT of people quit. However, when I went to collect my Paid Time Off pay, I was told that I lost it because of "Job Abandonment!" According to policy, its considered job abandonment when one fails to show up for work for 2 consecutive shifts. I didnt do that! I called in and resigned. So, I emailed HR and asked them what my "Rehire Status" was and they told me I am elligible for rehire! Now, if they consider me as job abandonment then why am I elligible for rehire?

I said all this to ask....

What woud you tell the next potential employer as the reason you left your last position? Plus, I took this entire year off cause candidly I think I had an emotional stroke. I even wondered if I wanted to continue in a Nursing Career. I even wondered why I became a Nurse. As time passed and I sought healing from God and listening to wonderful, encouraging, inspiring and truthful messages at my new Church, I discovered that I am a Nurse by choice, however, God has given me a unique talent and gift to assist people to wholeness both physically and emotionally. They say "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," and I believe that! I miss nursing so much....thankful I had the finances to stay off a year as many do not have that luxury, even though I am a single mom.

I appreciate anyones advice as to the best thing to say during my next interview. I have even entertained the idea of going back to the same hospital I resigned from, to see about working on a different floor since they did say I was elligible for rehire. Also, I really, really, liked this hospital with the exception of two managers there. Somehow, I feel in my heart- the right thing to do - is to go back and make it right because its not like me to just resign without proper notice irregardless of the wrong things some of the managers did to me themselves.

I just need someones help! Someone whose resigned without notice, is a PCM, or even someone familiar with HR and how open should we be about questions iike this?

[caliotter3]

I am in the same boat. Terminated for leaving a case (in the proper way no less) when confronted by the client telling me that he was to be the judge of what I was to endure when it comes to his drug and alcohol impaired friend sexually harassing and battering me, amongst other goodies. My accts mgr, fired me, without reading my documentation, talking to me, or doing anything about the situation, except to accuse me of "walking out on the patient". What a crock. I did what was proper. What would you do? Call the law enforcement people and bring charges for sexual battery, as well as the other sundry illicit drug use, etc., going on there? Now I am job hunting and don't know what to do. Can't tell the truth, can't lie. Don't know how to put a spin on it. Oh, well. All I can tell you is hang in there. A lot of us are suffering like you are.

[nurseangel47]

The truth in both of these circumstances sounds as plausible as anything else does to me. If I were on the nurse manager's side or DON's side of things interviewing either of you, I would certainly understand with the proper amount of empathy!

Both of these extreme situations provided a lot of emotional angst in both writers' explainations of how they were treated.

I am too valued a potential employee as a nurse to put up with that kind of crap that both of you endured. No, nurses are too precious a commodity these days to put yourselves on the floor for a safe place to stay (#1 situation); or to be put in the line of fire, potentially, (i.e. drug induced violence/potential shootout involving drug exchange at purchase, etc.)#2 situation. I had this happen to me in home health .... was a visiting wound care nurse with multiple areas of breakdown we were trying to heal with wound vac., extensive wound care txs., and the pt. was making drug deals right there on the cell phone with me over him giving care. I called my manager from my cell phone in the car on the way to another client's house and found out she's known he's a dealer and still put me in harms way! I said, I'm not stupid. I refuse to take the case again, I value my life more than that!" We must be our own advocates. No matter how much crap we take, they only dish out more our way until we stand and say " no more!"

Both of you were right in what you did to save yourselves.

[guest64485]

Just write on your next application "family" or "left to care for family" or "family emergency" or something similar.

[RN BSN 2009]

You did a commandable thing by taking the time off -- If you would've went back right away that is just screaming BURNOUT! Only address the situation if it is asked about

[bagladyrn, RN]

In the first case I would put something to the effect of "took time off from outside employment to care for family/repair home after hurricane". In the second case since you were terminated, it's a little more difficult - keep your explanation short, nonspecific - something to the effect of "terminated for refusing assignment I considered physically unsafe/threatening."

I would not lie, but also would not get into a long involved explanation. Potential employers do not want to hear this and it is always considered poor form to badmouth a former employer (no matter how bad they really were).

[RN75]

Thanks Everyone for the great answers. I thought of these myself, but needed a little reinforcement and confirmation. I've been reading up on this matter on NursingSpectrum.com Excellent website for nurses as well as here. Guess I'm just a bit paranoid and defensive and need to get past this before the interviewing process.

BTW, as if all these other problematic events didn't hit me all at once, can you believe my house caught on fire several months ago too! LOL!!! Boy, my insurance company loved me I'm sure, but they did treat me well. I couldn't believe that many things could happen to one person in so short a time, even a house fire, which put us back into the hotels for 5 more months! In a two year span, my kids and I lived in our home for only 3 short months! But the fire turned out to be a blessing in disguise.....everything had to be renovated AGAIN, except this time I got a brand new kitchen, appliances, furniture, clothes, etc. And a word of advice in terms of home insurance: Get the 100% Loss of Use. It pays for everything if your home becomes uninhabitable, food, shelter, utilites, phone, laundry.

Thanks for the advice. Love the comaderie here.

[gitterbug]

Keep your chin up. Write family emergency for reason for leaving. I will not bore anyone with my story of abuse by the hands of an employer, but I do know how unfeeling, uncaring, and unfair employers treat nurses. I wish you and your family a better future.