4 weeks notice?

[eileeny21]

Hi, I currently work on a Med/Surg floor and have been there for 7 months. I just accepted a full time position at a nursing home, since this has always been my passion and I now realize my calling in nursing. I recently gave my employer my 2 weeks notice and will start my new career in two weeks time. However, my current employer told me I suppose to give 4 weeks instead of 2. I have never heard of this before and I always thought a notice of resignation was a courtesy not a requirement. I am also partially quitting since my orientation experience there was horrible, being treated as if I was the most stupid nurse on the planet, and also having a very crazy work schedule with nothing being consistent whatsoever, where everyone else has consistent shifts. I am wondering if you have ever heard of a 4 weeks notice?

[elkpark]

It really just depends on the employer and their written policy. Follow the particular employers policy. If you don't you lose PTO and get a black mark on your record.

This ^^ -- and this kind of situation is exactly why it's important to know what your current employer's specific policy is before you start job-hunting and discussing start dates with other organizations. You can't just assume that 2 weeks is standard/universal policy.

In my experience (with many employers over many years, haha), new employers respect and appreciate that you want to do right by your "old" employer and leave that position under good circumstances; that is an indication to them that you will treat them right as an employee, also. I've never had a new employer balk at the amount of time I needed to serve the expected notice at my current position, or pressure me to start sooner. (Of course, I've also never scheduled a start date with an organization and then had to call them back later to push back the date because I found out I was supposed to offer a longer notice than I had originally offered.)

[Sun0408, ASN, RN]

If anyone believes that they will be able to go back to an old employer and work again even with the "stellar" review, in this day and age where jobs are scarce, you are being had. Quoted from netglow

This is not always true.. I left company A with proper notice and went back to company A a year and a half later.

[monkeybug]

At our local hospital all professionals (nurses, RT, PT, etc.) must give 4 weeks notice. To leave before that point will make you ineligible for rehire. Look in your facility's policy and procedure to see. Don't burn any bridges you might need to cross 10 years from now!

[monkeybug]

If anyone believes that they will be able to go back to an old employer and work again even with the "stellar" review, in this day and age where jobs are scarce, you are being had. Never trust an employer. They will be eternally PO'd that you left - nobody cares if you were a great nurse or not - they just don't care because you quit. That's all. You must understand that, they can have 100's of nurses who are experienced ready to take report at a moment's notice. It is no hardship to find nurses to fill a vacant spot - unless the facility is a trainwreck, and cannot keep nurses on staff. These places will be the ones to threaten. You can leave these places at any time people!

.

You might have a difficult time getting back in the same unit (although I can think of 2 specific nurses who left and came back at my last hospital job), but so many hospitals are part of systems. I left one facility, and ended up at another in the same system several years later.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

My health authority requires 4 weeks notice. It depends on your HR policy. Everywhere is different.

[Vespertinas]

If anyone believes that they will be able to go back to an old employer and work again even with the "stellar" review, in this day and age where jobs are scarce, you are being had. Never trust an employer. They will be eternally PO'd that you left - nobody cares if you were a great nurse or not - they just don't care because you quit. That's all. You must understand that, they can have 100's of nurses who are experienced ready to take report at a moment's notice. It is no hardship to find nurses to fill a vacant spot - unless the facility is a trainwreck, and cannot keep nurses on staff. These places will be the ones to threaten. You can leave these places at any time people!

The last place I left stressed the 4 week notice thing because their end of the policy was that they HAD keep my position available for ME to return if I so chose for 4 or 8 weeks after I left (I forget). Union rules, I'm sure.

[NICUmiiki, DNP, NP]

While a notice is a courtesy not a requirement in most states, you could become ineligible for rehire and get bad references if you don't do what the company requires.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

Our employee hand book says staff people must give 2 weeks and managers must give 4. In many buildings these days, managers who resign are walked out as soon as they resign....never happened to me. I've always had to work out my notice. In places with nothing in the handbook, my rule of thumb has always been to give as many weeks notice as they gave vacation.

[evolvingrn, BSN, RN]

You should always read your employee handbook before you start applying for new jobs the expectations are highlighted in there. I gave 4 week notice because that was part of my contract agreement . Had i not, they could have deemed me 'not for rehire' per the handbook.

[ak2190]

Meh, unless you think you will end up back at that place, who cares. You don't owe them anything.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Never burn your bridges though. What happens if/ when you need a reference from that employer? Your next employer will definitely expect to contact someone at your last place of employment. It's professional to provide the required notice.

[08RNGrad]

As many others have stated, follow policies as stated in employee handbook, end of story. Never burn bridges. You can't forecast what will happen in the future, you do not want to become ineligible for rehire. All the hospitals I've worked for explicitly require 4 weeks notice in writing. Best of luck to you.