Thinking of quiting after 2 years

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi all.........I work for a major healthcare org in rehab medicine. I've been there for over 2 years and really 'loved' going to work. I don't anymore, I'll try to make this short.

In 2 1/2 yrs, we have gone through 5 managers. We've lost alot of good nurses/techs and we are treated like 'you-know-what' by our 'mother hospital'.

We have been filling out our own schedules for almost a year and since we have weekend option nurses, we only work 1 weekend every 4-5 weeks. Now before some of you make comments, I know this is a rare thing and believe me, I'm thankful for it!! When our latest manager quit (stress from higher ups), the 'mother hospital' took over our scheduling and when it came out friday, all #@&& broke loose. We were put down for shifts we don't normally work....ie: I do 12hr days and they have me doing 8hr days and evenings. They gave a PD nurse all my 12hr shifts and I'm also working 2 weekends in a row...one nurse is not working ANY weekends. I requested off the weekend before my son ships out, but guess what?? I'm working plus I'm working the evening before his plane leaves.......I was hired for 12 hr days and have been working them, until now. They didn't even ask if I was avaliable for evening shift?? I'm losing hours.....one week I'm getting 32 and the PD is getting 44!!

They said they 'tried' to be fair for everyone..........well, I was so mad I cried and honey, that is mad! We get called off so nurses from other hospitals can 'get their hours' and PD/PRN nurses can get extra hours. We are full-time. We have voiced our complaints and they say they are 'concerned and listening', but the same things keeps going on.

Well, I have put in my apps for about a dozen other places. I just can't work there anymore and the hard part is........I love working with the other nurses and the physicians. I know EVERYBODY there and the thought of 'starting over' again is about to eat me up.........

I need some feed back about this...........should I stay and 'ride it out', wait for a new manager........win the lotto????

Thanks for listening and thanks for your opinions, I really need some input here.

Specializes in Med/Surg.

Nannanurse,

I feel for you. I am in the same boat at work. Our manager got laid off ('restructuring') last fall, she was fantastic, now our new manager also manages another floor...we hardly ever see her...she plays favorites with the nurses from the floor she already managed (one of my coworkers caught her letting them have first dibs at our OT shifts, even though they do not work on our floor!!!) She quit allowing one of the long-time nurses on our floor write our floor's newsletter (she said it was 'unprofessional' because it reported personal news such as new babies, marriages, etc...but also general news about the unit. ) I mean, come on...who was that hurting?? She has been completely inflexible about schedules, she made the few nurses we had that worked 8 hr. shifts switch to 12 hr. shifts or leave. Only 12 hr. shifts are allowed on my unit now. The morale on my unit is SOOO low...and it used to be great...about 30-40% of my coworkers have left since this all has happened. I want to leave too, but I am kinda stuck since I am in school full-time for the next 11 months getting my RN and don't have time to do an orientation elsewhere...but I am also hopeful about 'riding it out' and that things will get better. I'm losing hope though. If it weren't for the people I work with, I would have left a long time ago...however, since they are all leaving...then I probably will too. I feel your pain because it is terrible to one day LOVE the place you work at, the people, etc. and then the next day it is horrible. My advice to you is, get out now before it gets worse. I wish I had. :crying2:

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Specializes in Government.

Nananurse, I'd make sure I found out how the bizarre schedule was generated. It may have been by someone 8 rungs up the ladder who was told..."we need a schedule by such a date, don't care how you do it". It might have been a flight of desperation. Dig a bit before you leave.

I was in rehab for 15 years and great jobs are getting harder and harder to find. If you like the people it might be worth seeing if this was an emergency situation or the waqve of the future.

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Well, this 'wave' has been crashing in on us for a very long time. From the ones that have been there for a few more years than I have, this is the 'normal' way of doing business.........and they keep telling us that we work for one of the best places to work in St.Louis.........I don't know who votes for that, but none of us have :coollook:

My stress level is through the roof right now......alot of different things going on and I just can't take this anymore.....we are 'encouraged' to voice our opinions and concerns and they act like they are listening, but we know that they are not.

I work with great doctors and awesome nurses.....well, 90% of the nurses are awesome........I won't completely leave. Going prn is about the best I can do if something else comes up, but everybody I care about is leaving too........we can't keep new people, they leave after a couple of days......especially when they are hit with twice the patients that what they are 'suppose' to get. I don't blame them. Our last manager was 'encouraged' out because of all the bs........

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I feel for you. I've been at this for two years also (ICU). I'm not having any problems with scheduling, but my stress level is through the roof. Without violating specific HIPPA regulations, I can only say that I have witnessed one of the most horrible incidences of patient abuse by a doctor. The sad thing is, I charted the incident, informed the patient of her rights to file disciplinary action...and was reprimanded for my actions.

There was a "suggestion" that I change my charting (to cover the doc's behind), and I flatly refused. I am and will remain foremost a patient advocate. If that costs me my license in the future then so be it. At least I did what was right.

I think my current state of depression stems from being an idealist in a place where egos and god wanna-bes thrive. (Guess I picked the wrong profession, huh?) Oh well...venting helps...

I hope you stick with it. You've worked hard for what you've achieved. Don't let uninformed (I'm being nice with that word) people keep you down.

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Thank all of you who read and responded. It just keeps getting more stupid everyday. I asked to get off at 1515 today, I usually work 12's, so I can go to the MD....migrains, can't pee, stiff neck, rash on face, nausea and extreemly tired....they said 'no problem's since we had 4 nurses scheduled and only need 3.......well, at 0510 they called me off for the whole day. Needlesstosay, I had to go in and fill out a PTO reguest since I only have 20 total hours this week vs 40......I have bills to pay too.

One good note, I was asked to take part in the interviewing process for our new director.

I'm willing to stick this out, but the 'hurt' will be here for awhile.......several of us has interviews next week...........the saga continues.....

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[quote name='CHIRN

I think my current state of depression stems from being an idealist in a place where egos and god wanna-bes thrive. (Guess I picked the wrong profession, huh?) Oh well...venting helps...

I think your statement explains nicely why so many nurses ARE depressed. We get this idealistic nursing school idea of how nursing should be and we run head on into the dyfunction that is today's healthcare system. Its not easy to stay focused amidst the chaos and the egos. :o

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[quote name='CHIRN

I think my current state of depression stems from being an idealist in a place where egos and god wanna-bes thrive. (Guess I picked the wrong profession, huh?) Oh well...venting helps...

I think your statement explains nicely why so many nurses ARE depressed. We get this idealistic nursing school idea of how nursing should be and we run head on into the dyfunction that is today's healthcare system. Its not easy to stay focused amidst the chaos and the egos. :o

I totally agree. When I was a new nurse we went to the Nurses' March on Washington. I was so impressed at that time by how well nurses stuck together. I couldn't wait to practice. HA! What a jolt when I realized that I was way off on that one. I was also asked to change my charting when I charted that a doctor hadn't called me back after multiple pages (pt with blood sugar of >500) Finally called charge nurse who called medical director and was taken care of. BUT I charted it all. I was asked the next day to change my charting and a general memo went out stating that we cannot chart that a doctor did not return a page. I gave my 2 week notice the next day. I think I too picked the wrong profession. We not only worry about our patients care but also our licenses, ALL THE TIME.

Anyway, that felt good to get that out...... :chuckle

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Doctor didn't return my pages. BUT I charted it all. I was asked the next day to change my charting and a general memo went out stating that we cannot chart that a doctor did not return a page.

Anyway, that felt good to get that out...... :chuckle

This kinda thing really burns me too. I am careful in my notes to not appear to be 'jousting' but I definitely stay factual in my notes. Altho it has bitten me in the butt...LOL!!

Something similar happened to me when I was a new grad and a medsurg patient was about to code....I couldn't get the doc to return my calls, and (like I was taught in school) I accurately documented my attempts as well as conversations with the answering service who also could not reach him.

I got the supervisor involved and she decided to move the patient to ICU where the patient coded and died. The next day the doctor was all over my charting demanding I should be reprimanded, made to change it, etc. My DON tried to appear supportive to me but made it obvious she must bow to pressure. GRRR. (I refused to change my charting, and that doc hounded me until I left that job for greener pastures)

This is so often the reality young nurses face. No wonder they leave the profession so frequently the first few years out. The older nurses have learned how to mitigate bad stuff on the job, the new grads fall right into the traps because so often school has not prepared them for reality, which slaps them right in the face. :o

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Time to dust off the ol' resume.

I would tell them that I am not available to work the new hours. As far as a schedule that can't be changed. Ask them how they intend to cover you when you are not available because they changed this, carving it in stone and never told nor asked you until it was in stone.

Either they value you enough to accomadate you or they don't. My guess is they don't. (I don't mean that you are not deserving and a wonderful nurse. I mean they do not have the common sense to recognize your value. Idiots!)

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Our staffing coordinator at my last job changed the schedule and didn't bother to consult with me. I showed up for work one night and lo and behold ...I wasn't on 'the schedule' on the unit...it had been changed without notifying me. I had saved a copy at home to prove what my agreed schedule WAS. This happened to 6 or so of us nurses. :(

She had changed me to a different nights and I firmly told her I was unavailable and if she wished to change my nights it was something she needed to discuss with me. Next schedule same thing happened and nurses were getting written up for 'no calls no shows'.

A bunch of us went to the DON. The DON sided with the staffing coordinator.

Needless to say I am no longer working for this facility.

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Why does this so-called profession have to be this way? I worked as a bank teller before becoming a nurse and was treated with waay more respect. Hmm, maybe that would be an idea....

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
Time to dust off the ol' resume.

I would tell them that I am not available to work the new hours. As far as a schedule that can't be changed. Ask them how they intend to cover you when you are not available because they changed this, carving it in stone and never told nor asked you until it was in stone.

Either they value you enough to accomadate you or they don't. My guess is they don't. (I don't mean that you are not deserving and a wonderful nurse. I mean they do not have the common sense to recognize your value. Idiots!)

Couldn't agree more. This is insane. How sad, though, to lose great staff.

I agree with Barefoot... be there to see your son off. That's #1 priority.

(((HUGS))) to you.

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