What Would You Do?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

I am an RN of over twenty years and currently work in a LTC facility where I have worked for four months. I work part-time afternoons and it is a killer--my feet hurt, my legs hurt, my hips hurt at the end of my shift because the staffing means I am on my feet, non-stop, for over eight hours. I kind of dread each shift.

Now, I have an opportunity to go back to work at an inpatient hospice facility where I worked previously but left because I could only get contingent employment there and needed to make more money. I am going to talk to them today about coming back and working four midnight shifts a week. The staffing ratio there is, believe it or not, one nurse to six patients! On midnights!

My heart (and my body, my wallet, etc. lol!) are telling me to return to the hospice facility, but I feel guilty and like a failure if I quit the LTC facility after only four months, plus, I am dreading telling them that I am putting in my resignation. PLUS, I don't really want to give them a two week notice if I do quit, I just don't want to go back...ever!

So, what would you do?

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I would quit (give notice) the LTC job after I've been hired at the hospice facility. Yes, even after just 4 months. The LTC job sounds awful for you and the fact that you don't even want to work your 2 weeks says a lot about how you feel about the job. Just don't quit until you have the other job in the bag!

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Give notice. Burning your bridges will follow you around forever. Go back to hospice. Life is too short to stay where you are miserable, but hopefully too long to burn your bridges!:smokin:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

Thanks! I just got back from an interview with the new night RN supervisor at the hospice and she was so nice. I think they are going to offer me the position, so yes, I probably should take it. I will miss the residents at the facility where I am currently working, but other than that it is nothing but stress and feeling like I didn't do a good job because I was trying to fit the work of either two shifts or two nurses into one shift and I hate that feeling.

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Do it...give two weeks notice and go, run...to the hospice. This is coming from a LTC nurse of 15 yrs that would love to do hospice!

Would you be willing to keep your options open at the LTC for a prn postion? Never know and it is good to keep the options open and never burn bridges.

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I would say go with your heart. If you can work night turn, then its all good.

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Specializes in MSP, Informatics.

and think about it. If you stay in the job you are in- on your feet for 8 hrs, poor staffing. that just gives that facility the idea that they can keep staffing like that and working people to death. Part of the reason we have poor staffing ratios is that we let them get away with it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

You all make really good points. I can't stay on contingent at the LTC facility because you have to be there six months before you can be contingent. I agree about letting them get by with the staffing numbers too. If they have enough people quit and the turnover is high, maybe that will finally tell them something about why people don't want to stay there. Unfortunately, a lot of the people that I work with will complain the entire time they are there but still continue to work there. I work in a city where there is a large university with a world class medical center as well as other hospitals and that city is only about 30 miles from a major city with many, many hospitals, not to mention dozens of other type of nursing facilities and opportunities for employment, so I don't know why, if they're so unhappy, they don't look for something else. I just can't spend my life being miserable and in pain. Life is too short for that.

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Specializes in Dialysis. OR, cardiac tell, homecare case managem.

GO for it. Why be miserable? I do agree with other posters give notice. I have been burned. You don't want to go down that road. Good luck !

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Specializes in CNA: LTC & DD.

You only get one body, why abuse it needlessly? That hospice job is just a-callin' your name.

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I feel your pain. I am a pretty new nurse (licensed in July 10). I sat unemployed for 2 months and finally applied to a LTC. I really did not want to. I had a lot of previous exp as a ER tech and EMT and still no hospital jobs. So as everyone says it is easier to find a job when you already have one. I managed to work there for 3 horrible months. I cried (and I never cry!). I felt horrible for my pts, and the staff that did try. I could not manage 26 residents safely and tried to say that. Everyday I felt like I was ignoring my pts and that my license was in jeopardy all the time. Literally I could run in and hand out a xanax to a tearful pt and had no time to spend with them. After 3 months I was offered a job at the hospital I had wanted to go to. I felt so guilty, but I had not applied to any jobs since I was hired, trying to be loyal. But I made the best decision to leave. I offered to stay on per diem but they gave me a guilt trip and an ultimatum. They lost. I do feel that I did the best I could, and so miss my residents, but I love my new job!!! My life is so much better, I am learning so much and actually feel appreciated!!! I even took a pretty decent pay cut to go to my new job and it was sooo worth every dollar!!!! Good luck to you! Take care of you! The way I finally shook my guilt off is knowing that they never felt guilty about leaving when I was drowning and my pt was in pain or sick etc.

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Specializes in LTC.

6 patients? :)

If you don't take it.. I will lol

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