Unsafe and ready to move on.

[CRNAhopeful2020]

I have been working as a PCT for about two months now at my local hospital. While I really appreciate the experience and I love that some of the nurses have been patient with me while I learn what I'm doing, I feel as though I need to quit.

Let me give you some background on this hospital:

Back in the day, this place was thriving, it had Peds, OB, Psych, Med/Surg, ICU the whole shabang. The economy fell and this county hospital was minutes away from closing its doors, so the doctors bought the hospital and have been fighting to keep it open for a few years now.

This hospital is the essence of unsafe.

Doctors send up ICU patients with insulin drips when we have no ICU unit and no ICU nurses. They send up children although we no longer have peds. We have admits that need gowns and pillows yet we have none so I am forced to run around an empty hospital hoping to God to find something for these patients. We have MRSA patients and yet not enough gowns to treat them so nurses are going into the room with nothing on. The other night our floor had no disinfectant and a patient peed on the scale, I was told to just leave it there and they will figure something out. I guarantee you, no one figured anything out.

The other day while I was drawing labs, I couldn't get blood on one of our MRSA patients so I asked the nurse to come help me. She walked in with nothing on and drew his blood with no gloves, nothing and then DIDN'T WASH HER HANDS.

I am tired of working somewhere that doesn't even follow basic contact isolation precautions, but I'm worried about quitting since this is my first medical job and I've only been here two months. I don't want that to look bad on my resume but I also don't want to be here anymore...

What do I do?!

Also, I've been thinking about writing my letter of resignation and giving it to the nurse manager, but she is so scatter brained that I know she just wouldn't say anything to anyone about it and then it would look like I quit without warning. Would I have to give a copy to HR and the Housing Director?

Or should I just stick it out?

I'm not super worried about finding another job, there are a lot of nursing homes around me that need CNAs (and pay a hell of a lot better than this place, where I only get 9.50 an hour), however I am worried that my leaving will make me look flaky.

I just don't know what to do.

[nlitened]

Personally, I would run away from this place! But it is up to you whether you stay or not. If you choose to leave write a resignation letter and give one to your director, one to your manager, and one to HR. It is always good to give at least 2 weeks. Thank them for the opportunity and experience and leave it at that. It is a shame places like this stay open:no:

[Graduatenurse14]

OMG!! Get out now!!

Also, for the sake of future patients as well as current employees, I would report this hospital to the Health Department at the local and state level even to the CDC, DHHS, OSHA and any other agency that I could think of- all anonymously.

[Missingyou, CNA]

I'd leave too. You can bet that if something happens because of lack of equipment, it will come on you and the "hospital" will probably not back you up.

I wouldn't care what the "hospital" thought about me as far as being "flakey" or whatever else for leaving. Chances are, when asked for a reference from that place, they will only be able to verify that you did indeed work there.

Give your too weeks notice for your own health and safety!

If you feel you can find other employment elsewhere easily enough, then all the more reason to do it.

Keep in mind that if you mention (say, in an interview) the reason you left was because it was an aweful place...unsafe..etc, it may reflect badly ON YOU. If asked, I'd just say that you are looking for something closer to home....better benefits....or whatever else..