Here is the story in a nutshell. I graduated and took my 1st RN job in a Tele floor in Dec. I've worked there previously as a tech. I drive an hour and 20 mins. to work one way, I work nights and it's been really rough on me for multiple reasons. I'm scared to death to drive home most days because of how exhausted I am. I'm scared to death I'm going to hurt a patient because I'm tired, I can't think straight and I don't have the utmost concern from my coworkers at times (most of the time they are too busy talking trash about various other people, they don't have time to help). My orientation was cut short because of my previous experience on the floor, my manager continues to lie to me on a regular basis about everything, my co-workers are toxic and I really despise this floor the longer I work there. The only thing I like is my patients and I can't even give them decent care because I'm insanly busy. This is not at all what I thought it would be.
So last week, out of the clear blue, my previous job calls me back and offers me a full time position, I have worked there for 2 years now, which was basically all during NS. Orientation is awesome, clear cut and in writing and they are OK with my VERY limited experience as an RN. I can start whenever I'm ready. This job is 20 mins. from my house and the hours are perfect. I may have to work nights but that's OK, I'm 20 mins. from my front door to theirs. Worse case, if I'm too tired to drive home my husband can pick me up. My family is thrilled, I'm thrilled. All is good, until today.
So I tried to turn in my notice today. I am very recently off orientation (like 1 day recent), still on probation. I am the "extra" on all the shifts for the next 7 weeks. My manager tells me she requires 3 weeks. I try to explain that I don't feel comfortable to work effectively the next 3 weeks because of the drive, my toxic co-workers on nights, etc, I would rather just leave peacefully and without hurting anyone or loosing my license. She tells me no. So then I resort to begging her to let me go back to days to work (at least I feel safer in my driving during the day and they aren't toxic to me) and she tells me that isn't an option or at least one she is willing to consider at this moment in time. She then goes into the "lecture" about rehire, etc....
Basically I'm to the point where I don't think I can take it anymore. Because of our repeated conversations today, I got no sleep (she knew I had to work tonight and waited all day to return my call) so I had to call in tonight because I refuse to provide patient care with no sleep. Because I did that - I'm sure I'm on the "do not hire again list" already.
I guess I'm asking - what would you do? I've tried to explain to her my need to work closer to home, I'm still on probation, I've offered to work days for my notice. I feel I've done everything I can to make her understand and she doesn't and won't listen to me.
I'm not sure I care much about burning this bridge. My new facility, I'm already an employee so my manager can't hurt me there, I've worked there for 2 years, so I have a good history. I have no intention of ever driving 1 hour and 20 mins. to work again in my life, it's just to hard in nursing to do something crazy like that. If I ever decide to leave there are multiple facilities close to my house that are not affiliated with the place I'm trying to leave. HR tells me that they aren't allowed to release anything anymore except my dates of employement.
I'm scheduled again tomorrow night and I'm going to get some sleep and go in as planned but I would really like some advice as to what to do or say to my manager when I see her again.
I can stay awake and I can put on a good face with my co-workers for the next 3 weeks but I guess my question is why? Why should I go through all this hell, lack of sleep, crappy co-workers, a manager that lies just so I don't get "blacklisted" from a place I am about 99.9% sure I'll never work in again no matter what. If I'm insane enough to want to make the 1 hour and 20 min. drive again, there is another hospital right across the street that is always looking for RN's.
Who is to say she hasn't already "blacklisted" me because I did call in tonight and the policy reads "no PTO shall be taken during the notice period".
Why should I stay there? Because I'm obligated? But I'm not, I work in a free will work state. I can be fired just like I can fire my job....without notice.
Why should my family suffer anymore? I am driving to and from my job almost 3 hours a day........What if I get in an accident? The statistics all point to that happening considering I drive 144 miles a day.
Why should I be subject to toxic work environments that are only going to get worse when they find out I'm leaving (why be nice to her....she's bailing on us anyway....lets give her the crap patients....she's leaving)???
I guess I just wanted this notice to be easier. I knew she wouldn't be overjoyed, but I figured I could've caught a tiny break from her and she would've tried to make this work out for me. She knew that I didn't seek out this job, she knew the sought me out.
I tried to give options and she wouldn't listen and they were very plausable options as we have 2 open spots on day shift.
And, in all honesty, I should still be on orientation. She took me off my last shift I worked, despite my repeated objections to being off orientation. If I was still on orientation, I can't see her keeping me for 3 weeks.
And, for the record...I'm not causing any OT by leaving early or leaving my shifts "short". I'm the extra RN on the shift for the remainder of our 7 week schedule I am on. So for the next 7 weeks, the schedule is very covered....with or without me there.
With all the big corporations (like HCA), buying and selling hospitals all over the country, it could conceivably happen that the hospital 20 minutes from your house gets bought by the corporation you are leaving and if you are blacklisted you won't be able to work at any hospital the corporation owns. Never know what the future may bring.
Specializes in ER, ICU, Infusion, peds, informatics.
why should i stay there? because i'm obligated? but i'm not, i work in a free will work state. i can be fired just like i can fire my job....without notice.
why should my family suffer anymore? i am driving to and from my job almost 3 hours a day........what if i get in an accident? the statistics all point to that happening considering i drive 144 miles a day.
why should i be subject to toxic work environments that are only going to get worse when they find out i'm leaving (why be nice to her....she's bailing on us anyway....lets give her the crap patients....she's leaving)???
why stay? because you never know when not staying could come back to haunt you.
people in healthcare tend to move around alot. hospital to hospital within a town, or even from big town to small, nearby town. you may never go to work for that hospital again, but that doesn't mean that you won't have to work for that manager again. or that director for hr.
you don't want to be remembered as "that girl who let us put her through an extensive orientation, then quit. and she didn't even work out her notice."
it doesn't matter that it wasn't a good orientation, or that the enviornment was a toxic one. those things won't get remembered.
that being said, don't stay if it is going to make you and your family miserable. no job is worth that. we're just trying to help you think through the decision, so you don't make it in haste. and if it ends up having negative consequences later, you arn't left thinking "if only i'd known...."
You all have made excellent points and thank you for helping me see both sides. I appreciate it - I really do.
My instincts are telling me to try and talk to her 1 more time but if she is not willing - I need to just move on. I can't shake off that feeling either......my morals say I need to work out the notice because you just never know.....but my instincts say it isn't going to matter.
Should point out as well - my new manager as well as HR both think that even if I walk the straight and narrow I'm still going to get "blacklisted" because I left so soon after ending my orientation.
You give your reasons to leave your present position, the who, what, where, when, and why. That is your decision. How it can come back to you? You do not know. It never pays to p off people in positions above you if you can do or say anything to avoid it. There are points to be made in the view opposite of yours. I'm not trying to convince you to change your mind. Example: I did nothing wrong one time. I got laid off due to downsizing and went to a toxic workplace where all the charge nurses except two, left within weeks of each other. Blacklisted? It is no joke to me. Not a joking matter at all. Years went by before I got back into nursing, based on what people who had the ability to sully my good name (and the good names of others also) said and did. Another story: one of my supervisors, far better than me in more ways than one, went through employment h*** one time, including long, involved lawsuit against her employer. She had a job interview at the opposite end of the country. Drove all the way across the US for the interview with a positive attitude. She was given positive feedback concerning being considered for the job before she even decided to make the trip to interview. What happened when she got there? She was told that she would not be interviewing; they had contacted her previous employer. So, leave your present employer. But hope that you never suffer any consequences. Good luck.
Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.
You are obviously too stessed with this place.Im usually about not burning bridges,but under the circumstances...You can not be the best nurse under these conditions and you worked hard for your license.Read the policy manual to see how much notice is required from this facility.Most places require 2 weeks notice.Anyways if you really feel overwhelmed,do whats best for you.You will find a new position in no time.Im sure of it.BE STRONG!
go to your dr and tell him or her that you are utterly exhausted and not well. get a note and then call hr and tell them that since you do not have 'sick time' you want to know how to file for disability.
they'll accept your resignation before having to deal with that issue.
That place is killing you, and the manager is spiteful and vindictive. I'd just quit. Give HR and the manager written notice, then don't return. Start the other job. Don't put this current toxic job on your resume at all.
Another suggestion is find an employment attorney ASAP, tell her/him this story, ask if they could write a termination letter for you. A letter from an attorney might just stop this hospital's treating you like trash.
You have a right to stick up for yourself and to not suffer like you are.
From what you post, it's obvious that you want to leave now rather than later and that's totally understandable.
I went through something like this a little over a year ago - working at a hospital that just wasn't working out for me. The staff was just awful to one another and I felt my sanity and my license was in danger if I continued to work under those conditions. Even after discussing it with the manager, nothing changed. I was threatened with the "black listed" policy (HCA hospital) and ultimately I didn't care. I have no plans to ever want to work at that particular hospital again and if that is the way HCA operates, then I don't ever want to work for them ever again anyways. There are plenty of other hospitals, agencies, home health, etc...opportunities out there without worrying about your own personal well-being. Plus you already have another job waiting!
Bottom line...you have to think of yourself first. Do what's best for you & don't allow a guilt-tripping manager make you second-guess yourself.
Do one of two things, either call off every shift for the next three weeks or simply call and tell them that you won't be back. It's like you said, the manager may blacklist you anyway so why waste any more of your valuable time and energy working for someone like that? If you work in an at will state, then just quit and don't worry about it. I'm also telling you that if you want to quit without notice, it's OK!!! I did just that last fall because of hateful coworkers, long drive, stress. I just couldn't make myself make that long drive one more time. I never looked back and had another job within two days. I went back to the place that I stayed PRN at when I went to the place that I quit. If you have another job waiting, then go there and don't look back. You have given the manager at the first place every option to do the right thing by you and got no where. You don't feel safe, and you shouldn't have to endure that feeling for another three weeks, shake the dust of that place off your feet and don't feel guilty. You are the number one priority here not that workplace. Please take care and let us know how this turns out.
Go to the director of nursing, request a meeting between her, your manager and the director of HR. At this meeting state all your observations and facts about the floor, manager, your commute, including the concerns about you delivering SAFE patient care under the circumstances. Be firm about them clearing the "not for rehire" verbage. After all this ultimately about SAFE patient care...DOCUMENT what you have said in this meeting. They will have a hard time getting around patient safety issues. I know someone who even got out of a contract due to unsafe patient care issues. I also know someone who was on a "not for rehire" list and 2 years later called this same hospital and ask if he could apply for a job and they said absolutely YES, they were so short of nurses and had to rethink their policies. Good luck, your new position sounds great...go for it and don't look back.
mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP
1,168 Posts
I can stay awake and I can put on a good face with my co-workers for the next 3 weeks but I guess my question is why? Why should I go through all this hell, lack of sleep, crappy co-workers, a manager that lies just so I don't get "blacklisted" from a place I am about 99.9% sure I'll never work in again no matter what. If I'm insane enough to want to make the 1 hour and 20 min. drive again, there is another hospital right across the street that is always looking for RN's.
Who is to say she hasn't already "blacklisted" me because I did call in tonight and the policy reads "no PTO shall be taken during the notice period".
Why should I stay there? Because I'm obligated? But I'm not, I work in a free will work state. I can be fired just like I can fire my job....without notice.
Why should my family suffer anymore? I am driving to and from my job almost 3 hours a day........What if I get in an accident? The statistics all point to that happening considering I drive 144 miles a day.
Why should I be subject to toxic work environments that are only going to get worse when they find out I'm leaving (why be nice to her....she's bailing on us anyway....lets give her the crap patients....she's leaving)???
I guess I just wanted this notice to be easier. I knew she wouldn't be overjoyed, but I figured I could've caught a tiny break from her and she would've tried to make this work out for me. She knew that I didn't seek out this job, she knew the sought me out.
I tried to give options and she wouldn't listen and they were very plausable options as we have 2 open spots on day shift.
And, in all honesty, I should still be on orientation. She took me off my last shift I worked, despite my repeated objections to being off orientation. If I was still on orientation, I can't see her keeping me for 3 weeks.
And, for the record...I'm not causing any OT by leaving early or leaving my shifts "short". I'm the extra RN on the shift for the remainder of our 7 week schedule I am on. So for the next 7 weeks, the schedule is very covered....with or without me there.