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Ready to quit your nursing job? If so, you are not alone.
Now more than ever, nurses are taking a stand against, unsafe patient-to-staff ratios, mandatory overtime, and rejected time off requests.
Let’s face it, becoming a nurse is hard work. Not only do you need to be smart, but you also have to be compassionate and have a high level of physical endurance.
It takes a great deal of mental strength to make it through nursing school. So why is it that so many nurses want to quit the jobs they worked so hard to get?
According to the 2020 NSI National Health Care Retention & RN Staffing Report, hospitals have around a 17% turnover rate. High-stress areas such as emergency care, oncology, and hospice are among the specialty areas where nurses experience higher than normal levels of burnout.
One of the reasons for this is that nurses in these environments encounter patients and families suffering on a routine basis. This type of constant exposure can lead to secondary traumatic stress (STS) and compassion fatigue.
I experienced STS early in my career while working as an inpatient oncology nurse. Sadly, I had cared for several leukemia patients within a four-month span and each of them was dying.
I was a mess.
Secondary Traumatic Stress
So, what is STS? It is a condition that occurs as the result of exposure to the suffering and trauma of others. In hospice, this can impact everyone on the team.
This I can understand and relate to.
Unfortunately, STS isn’t the only reason nurses are ready to quit. To begin with, nurses “eat” their young and some supervisors are not supportive.
Often, your co-workers are not team players.
As a result, nurses are exhausted!
Here are some things to consider when trying to decide whether you should leave or stay.
3 Things to Consider if You’re Ready to Quit
1. Comfort vs. Success
First, comfort and success are not the same things.
Just because you have been with the same company for years, it doesn’t mean that you should stay nor does it mean that you are successful.
Don’t sacrifice your sanity and your soul if you are not happy.
You don’t have to be miserable just because you are getting a paycheck.
Furthermore, you don’t have to feel guilty if you are ready to quit and move on.
Have you ever thought, I’m only here for the paycheck? Is that the way you started out of your nursing career or the job?
If I had to guess, the answer is NO.
Have you ever heard the saying, “my soul left my body?”
This phrase always makes me think of the nurses who are just going along taking lateral abuse or feeling like they no longer love being a nurse.
Most of the time this is the result of poor leadership and the lack of balance between work and home. When you have the mentality that you are only there for a paycheck, it is like losing your soul.
2. Toxic Workplaces
(Take it from me.) Each time you give a piece of your soul away, it becomes harder and harder to find your way back.
If you are working in a toxic or unsafe, it might be time to start searching for other opportunities. You can’t risk becoming a work zombie with no soul or direction.
Take into consideration that nurses who are happy and empowered at work have fewer medication errors and higher patient outcomes. (Sounds more like what you want, right!)
Only you can make the decision about whether you can continue to stay. Try to remember that the stakes are too high!
You deserve to be more than a cog in someone else’s machine. I challenge you to take an inventory of the things you are sacrificing and to ask yourself honestly if it is worth it.
For instance:
- Are you sacrificing things that go against your core values?
- Do you have to break your word to your family and friends?
- Have you given up the hobbies that are important to you?
- Do you dread waking up every day?
- Do you feel stagnant?
- When was the last time you felt empowered?
The list goes on and on. (Do the inventory and trust your gut.)
3. Culture matters!
It is possible to give up so much of yourself that you no longer know the person in the mirror.
When the company mission and culture are no longer healthy for you, you must acknowledge it and move on.
You work for yourself!
Become your own personal brand manager and protect your brand.
Your company is paying for your talents and you can take those talents to an organization that is more aligned with your personal and professional goals.
Better yet, you could take those talents and grow your own business.
While that can be scary, many people have done it and so can you.
Personally, I love the saying “It always seems impossible until it is done.”-Nelson Mandela
Again, I stress the importance of not becoming a zombie.
You can’t be your best when you feel beaten down.
Your experience is valuable. Just because someone in your company doesn’t see your contributions or experience that way, doesn’t make them right.
You don’t have to stay
That’s not to say that you should leave, only that you must train people how to treat you professionally. Own your talent. After all, the company is paying you for the use of your knowledge and talent.
When it is time to move your talent, there is no need to feel guilty or disappointed. You shouldn’t stay where your talent is not being used.
There is a saying that you should bloom where you are planted. I totally disagree with this statement. Here is why…
I love plants but I don’t have a green thumb. So, I decided to try my hand at succulents. I figure they can survive in almost any environment and they require little attention. However, I lost one due to fungus and another split because it was overwatered.
I have two others that are doing great (not sure why). While three of them are still alive, I would not say that they are thriving.
The same can be said for your career. You may not be able to thrive in your current area so it might be time to explore other areas that might be more aligned with your personal and professional goals.
Perhaps you should branch out and try a different specialty.
I worked in cardiac telemetry and I figured out pretty quickly that it wasn’t a good fit. Just because something is not a good fit doesn’t mean that there isn’t another area out there that would be better suited for your strengths.
My point: You don’t have to feel pressure to “bloom” where the conditions are not healthy.
Recognize that sometimes you are just stuck and ready to quit.
Feel free to move on without feeling guilty.
If You’re Ready to Quit, Don’t Be a Martyr.
This is an easy trap for nurses to get caught in. I’ve even fallen into this one myself!
You love your team, but you don’t love the job anymore. Perhaps you are a manager and both you and your staff are miserable.
I have heard people say things like “this place would fall apart without you!” This is simply just not true.
The show will go on with or without you. (Harsh but true.)
You shouldn’t stay in a toxic work environment as a sign of loyalty to your team. I am not trying to be negative.
Just keep in mind, that even CEOs, nurse managers, and staff leave when it’s time.
That is the natural evolution of business. Whether it is for greater opportunities, professional development, retirement, or death. Everyone leaves at some point and everyone is replaceable.
Try to remember that misery loves company and if you are the one on the limb, you are just providing top cover. Imagine that the farther out on the limb you go, the weaker it gets. It’s actually quite simple when you think of it that way.
The Aftermath
It can be difficult and humbling when you decide to leave your job.
It’s hard to leave one kind of crazy for a new kind of crazy. You’re not the only one who feels this way so don’t be too hard on yourself.
You should understand that when you leave it may be hard to move on. This is understandable considering you likely spend more time with your co-workers than you do with your own family.
The average employee spends more than forty hours per week at work. It’s no wonder there’s a sense of loss when you leave your employer. You should also consider that when you leave, you may lose friendships that have been developed over the years.
Try to remember, they are your co-workers first and friends second. Things will change.
This might not be as difficult for someone who has been contemplating leaving for several months or years. You may have been slowly convincing yourself or “breaking up” with your employer for quite some time.
BEFORE YOU QUIT!
Document Your Accomplishments
Before you decide to leave, take some time to reflect on your time with the company. Have you ever wondered what you have really done to make a difference?
If so, here is a list of things you should document.
- Committees you have participated in
- Policies you have helped develop and implement
- Trainings attended
- Staff and/or Student orientation
- Certifications
- Collaboration and relationship building
These are just of few of the areas that may help you highlight the work you are doing. Sometimes, you might forget all of your contributions if you are caught up in the day-to-day activities of your job.
This will also help you put things into perspective. You might find that you don’t really need to quit.
You might just need some time away, so take advantage of your vacation time to step away and reflect and take care of yourself.
Conclusion
Finally, if you are ready to quit because of burn out then you should take time to reflect and give yourself permission to move on.
Leaving your nursing job on your own terms will make the decision more bearable.
(Leave on your own terms.)
You’ll feel better about the move and can direct your energy toward fulfilling your destiny.
I also suggest you take advantage of the variety of nursing specialties out there before you leave the profession completely.
If you are ready to quit your nursing job, please leave a comment below with the reasons that led you to this decision. I would love to hear from you. You never know who you might help
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