“Should I quit my job?” | Healthcare Professionals Quitting
Sometimes we give up far too soon, right before we reach fruition even, but more often, we hang on to things way past the expiration date. Dr. Batalden says, “every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.”
Nursing and healthcare, in general, have always been a revolving door: people come, and people go, except this time, they’re leaving, and they’re only coming back once there are fundamental changes.
Nurses shortage and strikes in the US and UK are frequently in the news, but what are the causes of this shortage? The shortage we’re experiencing is the direct result of another shortage (maybe you’ve heard of them) a shortage in our pay, a shortage of respect for us as individuals, and a shortage in commonsense safety measures that allows health professionals to provide effective and safe care to our patients and communities.
“Hospital profit margins have hit record numbers…”
Hospital profit margins have seen record numbers, yet those that have contributed the most to its success don’t get to share. We’ve romanticized the health profession so much that it comes with an honorary title of “healthcare heroes.”
The title hero refers to someone who has persisted even when the situation is unbearable and inhospitable. A hero endures even at the detriment of their mental and physical health.
Continuous self-sacrificial behavior in toxic conditions isn’t heroic; that’s neglect, and after a while, that behavior is not sustainable for anyone: hospitals, patients, or for self.
Resources:
- Be sure in your decision.
- Speak with your supervisor or boss and be transparent.
- Know what you want and decide on things you aren’t willing to compromise in case you receive a counteroffer.
- Give at least a 2-weeks’ notice.
- Complete an exit interview: It allows the employee a chance to be heard and gives the facility insight into why you are choosing to leave but also ways in which they can improve.
- Write a resignation letter.
- Last but not least, before you go, don’t forget to ask for a reference.
