2 week notice and manager is upset.

Nurses Professionalism

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I was offered this amazing opportunity to work in a small icu department of a local hospital. I have wanted critical care since I graduated but was already offered a med surg job and decided to try it out for a year. I loved my job, but hated the way I was treated. When I moved to nights, things got better and we continually had issues with staffing, carrying 8 pts or more a night. When I mentioned that I didn't feel it was safe, I was told this was not acceptable and I needed to watch what I say. I received a verbal warning about my "attitude toward recieving admissions." I did not agree but was stuck.

Now, however, I emailed my notice to my manager when I had an official offer. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get it since it took a while for them to extend an offer. When I emailed my manager she asked why I didn't mention it in my review that morning. I explained why. Then she told me that I was one day short of 2 weeks. I explained my start date and apologized. I expressed concern because I didn't want to burn that bridge. She failed to respond, so I called HR and asked if being one day short would hurt me. They called my manager to which she responded she would be willing to let me work a different day in the week to work out my two weeks. I told her which day I could work and she has yet to respond and told me she would see if that would work. (Keeping in mind they only have 2 nurses and an LPN scheduled for the 30+ bed unit that day)

I feel terrible but my manager and I have butted heads often. I didn't want to mention anything before I knew. I did not want to go over her head, however I know that she would not have offered to allow me to work a different day and would have taken away the opportunity for me to be rehired.

Did I do the wrong thing? I wish that things would have been different but it is my dream job.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

You did fine. Work out your notice and don't look back.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Sometimes, you just have to live with the fact that you ruined somebody's day and they aren't happy about it. You didn't do anything wrong, but it added to the burden of your manager. She'll just have to deal with it.

You have expressed your regret that this causes her trouble and are trying to help by offering to work another day. That's all you can do. You can't make it "good" for her. Prepare to move on.

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You have done the best you can. I've never heard of an employer arguing over one day, how petty! It's their loss.

By the way, LPNs are nurses.

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Specializes in Float Pool - A Little Bit of Everything.

You did not do anything wrong.

I always tell my peers this, I know that it feels awkward to give your notice and leave a job. We often feel a sense of shame when we find another position that is better for us and for our careers. But remember this, if it is in the company's best interest to be rid of you, they will drop you like a bad habit. So do not ever feel guilty for doing what is in your best interest. This of course, when you give the proper notice and follow protocol, of course.

You gave your notice and offered to change your days to help them out. Many people who do not get along with their boss, just leave with no notice. This was the case quite often when I was in SNF/LTC. I watched many a RN, LPN, and CNA walk out, work a shift and never come back, leave before clocking in, etc.

Good luck with your dream job!

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You are right, there is this weird sense of shame about it. I'm not sure where that came from, but it's there. Thanks for the reassurance ladies!

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I didn't mean that LPNs are not. I love our LPN but they count different in staffing numbers, which is why I made the distinction.

So, my manager has decided that I cannot work a different day in the week, despite her staffing levels. She has screwed me out of the eligibility for rehire because I am short 1 day. I am half tempted to just not show up my last weekend, but the other nurses don't deserve that. My manager doesn't deserve for me to work out what I have her if she is going to be this petty about it all.

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I didn't mean that LPNs are not. I love our LPN but they count different in staffing numbers, which is why I made the distinction.

So, my manager has decided that I cannot work a different day in the week, despite her staffing levels. She has screwed me out of the eligibility for rehire because I am short 1 day. I am half tempted to just not show up my last weekend, but the other nurses don't deserve that. My manager doesn't deserve for me to work out what I have her if she is going to be this petty about it all.

Your manager deserves a full 2 weeks notice.

Contact your new boss and explain that you need to give an extra day of notice to your current boss and ask if you can start one day later than planned. I think your new boss will have respect for your desire to play by the rules and I hope he/she can accommodate your need to start 1 day later, if indeed that is necessary. Are you taking any time off between jobs?

If you don't give proper notice, you are really going to mess yourself up by becoming ineligible for rehire.

Explain to your current boss that you are truly sorry you miscalculated and didn't mean to cause her distress and you understand how hard she works to staff properly and could the two of you please figure out a way for you to give her the 14 full days of notice.

Here's hoping things work out well for you and for your current boss.

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Specializes in ER/ICU.

I always try to give 4 weeks notice or more but here in IL, it's an at-will state. Meaning two wks is preferable but really I don't have to give notice to my employer and neither does my employer to me. Now granted it can and does effect rehire-ability if you don't give two weeks. But honestly...would you go back to work for this manager or company. I sure wouldn't. To use this place as a reference might cause you some problem in the future but I'd just use someone else as references if you have that option. Just my opinion :-)

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Specializes in PACU.

I too would call your new employees and ask for the additional day. I believe most employers will respect this because they appreciate getting a full two weeks themselves when someone leaves.

The other thing I would do is write a letter of resignation and give it HR. When ever you do a resignation letter it ends up in your personal file and when HR receives a call about you and they check the file they'll see it right on top. It can make a difference in what they tell people when they call and verify employment.

You can google how to do one. Make sure you attach a copy of your email giving your notice to your supervisor, to prove the dates. This letter can and should explain the work you did for your company (worked for a year, always on time, gave great patient care....) it's a chance to sing your own praises while thanking the company for the chance to work with them. Make sure you say something nice about them too.

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I am not taking any time off between jobs due to financial reasons. I agree she deserves a full two weeks. I just think that 1 days shouldn't be the tie breaker. I am trying to figure out how this can work. I plan to talk to her face to face on Tuesday (as she is out of the office Monday due to the holiday) and seeing if we can talk it through. I'm nervous about delaying the new employer because they only offer new hire classes every 2 weeks, which means it will push me back 2 weeks to start and that is 2 weeks without income that I cannot afford. I'm terrible at this as I have only ever worked out a notice before twice in my life prior to nursing school.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
I am not taking any time off between jobs due to financial reasons. I agree she deserves a full two weeks. I just think that 1 days shouldn't be the tie breaker. I am trying to figure out how this can work. I plan to talk to her face to face on Tuesday (as she is out of the office Monday due to the holiday) and seeing if we can talk it through. I'm nervous about delaying the new employer because they only offer new hire classes every 2 weeks, which means it will push me back 2 weeks to start and that is 2 weeks without income that I cannot afford. I'm terrible at this as I have only ever worked out a notice before twice in my life prior to nursing school.

You can offer to work one last day at your old job during your days off from your new job, if you're that worried about it. I would not delay starting the new job if you're supposed to start an orientation class on a specific day.

Otherwise, I really wouldn't worry about it that much. Your manager is just looking for ways to lob one last monkey wrench into your life. This is the way she's always treated you, which is why you are leaving.

You've made a good-faith effort to do the right thing. "Eligibility for rehire" is a lot like a credit rating: desirable but often made too much of. Move on and don't look back.

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