having to tell your manager you're quitting....the good, bad, and ugly

[HappyNurse2005]

Well, I am thinking about getting a new job, and just thinking about having to tell my manager that I am leaving is giving me the heebie jeebies. I've done it2 times before and it still creeps me out. Just the fear of not knowing how they will react-how do you say it? then, 30 day notice before leaving? Working out that 30 days, having everyone ask you why you're leaving, etc etc. honestly, hearing people say they'll miss you over and over again is hard!

first manager, I said " I found a new position" and she said "awww, man"

second one, I honestly dont remeber what she said.

so, when you told your boss you were quitting, how did it go? good? bad? funny? how was your last 30 days (2 weeks, whatever your notice was)? This job (if I leave) is going to be harder b/c its in home case management so I have clients of my own that I will have to say goodbye to over and over again.

anyways, whats your story?

[Reno1978, BSN, RN]

When I quit, the circumstances made it easy to just tell my boss. I was relocating back to my home town in Washington State since my father had a significant change in his health. She wished me well and said I was welcome to come back any time if my situation ever brought me back to Nevada.

[SweetLikeSugar]

When I gave my notice to my previous manager, she hung up on me. Then she refused to speak to me for about a year after I left. She's well known around the hospital for being one of the worst managers to work for. A few CNA's from my old unit have transferred to my current unit and they still get the same treatment when they give her their notice.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

As a new manager I got my first resignation last week I was so dissapointed I felt I had failed the employee and took it really personally. I dont know if I handled it as well as i should have so I spoke to her again and told her I was sorry she was leaving and she would be a loss.

We are a dialysis unit and a new dialysis unit has opened about a mile a way, they have taken a lot of our patients and they offer our staff more money to come work there, of course they only want the good staff and actively recruit!

I guess the first one is always hard I was told this week that we should QTIP everything as a manager which means

Quit Taking It Personnally! a good one for most of us to use including those handing in their notice it may be that your manager is like me and feels I have failed my staff

[kayern]

I agree with the previous poster.............Talk about leading by example..............The DON needs to walk the walk and talk the talk if she/he expects managers and staff nurses to do the right thing!

[SweettartRN]

I have a hard time with the giving notice myself. When I was in the "business" world, I gave notice twice- both times I worked for less than ideal companies (yet another reason I got into nursing) and was told to pack my things. One of them even told me that I was one of the best employees that they had, but they weren't going to pay for two weeks of "getting nothing."

Now that I am a nurse, I also have a hard time with giving notice in general. It seems that there is a two-way standard with giving notice. An employer can come and terminate you at any time for any reason, but if you don't give your employer notice, then you can risk getting a bad rep, or a poor reference; both of which I don't feel is fair under at-will employment statutes.

[purple10]

I gave a two week notice to a former office manager, she told me to go ahead and leave because she didnt want to bring down morale in the office (of 3 people, who already knew I was leaving).

[BamaRN3]

I am working my last day of a 2 week notice. I have worked for the company for 5 years. They have an automatic no rehire policy of anyone who leaves (stupid I know) but I wanted to work my notice out anyway because I thought it was the right thing to do. Noone has spoken to me in the whole 2 weeks. It has been awful, I cannot wait until this day is over and then I just have to get through turning my computer in etc.. I have been a great employee for 5 years! I hate that it is ending this way. Oh Yeah, my Mom has run sound at the company meetings for several years and my church has allowed us to use their facilities. The owners did call my Mom and thank her for all her help over the years and how much they appreciate her. WHAT? REALLY? You can never predict how people are going to act. You just hope they act professional and do not take a resignation as a personal insult.

[ebear, BSN, RN]

WOW! Some of these responses amaze me! They wonder why so many nurses have "had enough?" Boy, could I write a book!

[MzMouse]

I love my job, but I can't stand my current manager. I would take pleasure in handing her my resignation. But since I do love my actual job I refrain.

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

I love my job, but I can't stand my current manager. I would take pleasure in handing her my resignation. But since I do love my actual job I refrain.

While I don't have a problem with my hospital's managers, I have major problems with the company bigwigs. When I do eventually leave for good, which is at the most 5 years and 4 months-until retirement I plan on writing a never-to-be-forgotten exit letter! All the seven seas won't wash off what I intend to throw at them!

All that currently keeps me where I am is the leave (at 20 years service I'm on the maximum scale) and my colleagues.

[ebear, BSN, RN]

I hear ya, Chrisitine!

[jjnmrsmom]

I gave my notice about 2 weeks ago. I was so nervous because my boss was new to the unit herself, we just went through an inspection which she was VERY stressed about. So I didn't want to add to her already full plate. But I wasn't going to pass up an opportunity either.

Before I got the chance to tell her she recieved an e-mail from my new manager. When I spoke to her she wouldn't even look at me... she just shuffled papers on her desk. But after a day or two she resolved herself to the fact that I was leaving, like it or not, and she was fine.

My big problem with leaving is everyone experssing their opinions on whether they think it's a good move for me or not. They seem to think it's their job to approve/disapprove of my decision. I would be happy with a simple; "best of luck to you, you'll be missed!"