Resignation Via E-Mail

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.

A nurse sent out a scathing e-mail yesterday, copying in everybody, including the Chief Medical Officer, tendering her official resignation and slamming her supervisor for playing favorites (among other things). While it was tacky, it was basically true, for she quit for the same reasons I left this same department last year. The higher-ups shut down the mail server in an attempt to block her e-mail, but it didn't work. Democracy works! :smokin:

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Well....while it may have been true, and made her feel good for the 5 minutes after she sent it, she is now blacklisted from any viable job in that area. Hopefully she plans to move. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in Case Management, Home Health, UM.
Well....while it may have been true, and made her feel good for the 5 minutes after she sent it, she is now blacklisted from any viable job in that area. Hopefully she plans to move. :rolleyes:

Maybe she already got another job, when she sent this out. That way, she had nothing to lose.

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Well....while it may have been true, and made her feel good for the 5 minutes after she sent it, she is now blacklisted from any viable job in that area. Hopefully she plans to move. :rolleyes:
Why would she be bladklisted? I was a DON for several years. I would hire her.
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I say this since most employers would have a hard time with exiting employees publicly causing controversy. It really is not different at all from an employee going in to a boss and screaming at the top of their lungs and being disrespectful when tendering their resignation and needing to be escorted from the building.

I've found in most jobs there is a 'grapevine' that extends beyond the institutional walls. In this case, nurses may even talk between institutions due to the broadcast nature of the message. Why people think they can get away with in emails what they would NEVER say to someone face-to-face, I will never know. Hopefully all the things this nurse said in her email were completely factual as well, otherwise, considering this was sent solely to 'inflame the masses', she could also be looking at a libel suit.

Rule #1 about emails, Never send something via email that you can talk about person.

I'm not saying her gripes weren't legitimate, just that this stunt has most likely damaged any professional credibility she may have built up over the years. JMHO.

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Rule #2 about emails, Never send something via email that you can't talk about in person. There is an electronic record of it, even if it was never printed.

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I say this since most employers would have a hard time with exiting employees publicly causing controversy. It really is not different at all from an employee going in to a boss and screaming at the top of their lungs and being disrespectful when tendering their resignation and needing to be escorted from the building.

I've found in most jobs there is a 'grapevine' that extends beyond the institutional walls. In this case, nurses may even talk between institutions due to the broadcast nature of the message. Why people think they can get away with in emails what they would NEVER say to someone face-to-face, I will never know. Hopefully all the things this nurse said in her email were completely factual as well, otherwise, considering this was sent solely to 'inflame the masses', she could also be looking at a libel suit.

Rule #1 about emails, Never send something via email that you can talk about person.

I'm not saying her gripes weren't legitimate, just that this stunt has most likely damaged any professional credibility she may have built up over the years. JMHO.

I agree with you. It was unprofessional and my first thought was how cowardly. Stand up for yourself in person. Don't hide behind a computer screen.

Maybe all the things she said were true. The way she went about it was wrong.

steph

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

What about burning bridges? I've never wanted to do that!

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I agree with you. It was unprofessional and my first thought was how cowardly. Stand up for yourself in person. Don't hide behind a computer screen.

Maybe all the things she said were true. The way she went about it was wrong.

steph

Ditto,,,, extremely cowardly

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.
What about burning bridges? I've never wanted to do that!

Yep..my thoughts exactly. Never burn bridges behind you.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I wouldn't be so quick to judge it as cowardly. I imagine she was just extremely angry at the working conditions and at her wits end and acted impulsively out of anger. Perhaps she regrets it. But the fact that they wanted to shut down email to stop her voice of truth from being heard says a lot.

Personally, I would never use email for a letter of resignation, nor would I burn bridges. But I also think that all upper management from CEO's on down should get each and every letter of resignation. People need to have their voices heard to stop it from happening to someone else.

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I agree with many of you but here is my take on the situation. When I am angry and try to do something in person it gets all flubbed up. I mean, I start to shake, cry, can't get my feelings out properly. Putting it down on paper (or a computer screen) makes it easier to get my thoughts in order and I don't have the physical reactions. Just a thought...........maybe she had this problem? I don't think I would have handled this particular situation that way just because it would be important to me not to damage my reputation or burn bridges. I would have to come up with some other coping method.

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