“You need to quit your current nursing job when _________.”
Yes, there are just times when it’s better to leave than to stay unhappy in our nursing jobs. We asked our nursing community on Facebook and Reddit to fill in the blank. Here are their answers:
Facebook:
You need to quit when you feel…
- “When you’re happy on your way to work, then you step inside!!!” – Janet J.
- “When you become depressed and physically ill when you open the door.” – Tameka L.
- “You stop caring.” – Angelia T.
- “You feel burned out…it happens too.” – Pat M.
Being disrespected is also a sign to quit:
- “When management has started completely disrespecting you.” – Rachel I.
- “No raises based on performance and no higher positions because ‘You’re an LPN’” – Caroline T.
Of course, money can be a reason:
- “When you won a million dollars in the lottery” – Kaur P.
But not going by ethics in nursing is a bigger reason to leave:
- “The DON makes you re-write an incident report to cover the facility’s behind and save money, and then discharges you when you don’t comply. Planned on quitting anyway, I’m a nurse for the patients, not someone’s puppet.” – Nani G.
- “When it is more important to bring gifts than care provided to increase patient satisfaction scores” – Tammy T.
One shares the obvious:
- “…you dread going to work. It’s normal to not like working: hardly anyone does. But when you DREAD it? Time to move on to something else!” – deardeerdeerdear
While others look at drastic measures:
- “You look for excuses not to go or fake illnesses so you won’t have to go. You pray you are in a car crash on the way to work so you get out of going.” – Shinez
- “Being in a car crash if bad enough would put me into my unit. I don’t need my coworkers doing pericare on me.” – Seremban2
Another considers its effects on patient care:
- “You actually feel anger towards your patients. I always feel sorry for those nurses but even more worried for the patients.” – lonelyfriend
And another considers career advancement:
- “Either if it is boring and you have learned and advanced all you could or if it is a toxic environment either due to co-workers, management, or understaffing. (although ironically it doesn’t solve the whole understaffing issue).” – sub-vitalsigns
How about hygiene concerns?
- “You’re washing poop off butts with your bare hands.” – mortis_dei