I just quit a job...well, handed in a two week notice.

Before explaining any details, let me give you a little history of this first. I began working in this nursing home chain way back in 1991, in Springfield, Illinois. I had intended to move out west so, getting the attention of the DON with my great work brought fourth a great letter of reference. I transfered to a good nursing home in Seattle. This was August of 1992. Staying with the same home through thick and thin of the nursing home business and the different nursing policies, I suddenly found myself challenged with a strange policy..... 'You will do as I say and never ask questions'. This was mostly applied to the nurses, not us working stiffs, so I thought none of this would affect me. I was wrong. A brand new nurse, under nine months experience, worked herself into a spot to spy on us supposedly, and wrote many incriminating letters to the DNS and the Scheduler about how many of us, away from her assign section, were 'wasting our time "watching TV, reading books, drinking coffee" etc... never bothering to see if we were on break or not. Anyway, she used this so-called, info (word against word, if you ask me) to very much increase the patient load for me,and another, while substantially decreasing the patient load for the aids under her personal command. To give a clearer picture: I at South Station have 30 patients. The aid at West Station has 30 patients. The two aids at North Station, where our busy body nurse works, has 23 patient with two aids.

I found this to be putting my license and patients at risk. I handed in my two week notice yesterday. Frankly, It's a matter of consciousness. I believe I made the right decision.

:cry:

I'm working with them now for the time being knowing that I will soon leave. Some, I try to get them to care for themselves if possible; others, that are dependant.... well, it's hard.

Some of these people I've had under my care for five to ten years. Those will be hard to leave. I've always had the philosophy to see then and close, but being detached. I can do this, but will still miss them.

is toxic. So many stupid power plays, resulting in ridiculous rules and division among staff. It's down right frightening to go to work these days.

Hang in there - hope you find a better place to work.

I haven't had the chance to read it but I want to. She went undercover, this time as someone trying to get a middle-management position. From excerpts and interviews she describes the same type of environment you mention. I work a HUGE Fortune 500 company. In my 8 years there, I've grown more than a little weary of the Lord of the Rings cutthroat competition that is fostered by the management. I'm thinking of quitting to work on a Congressional candidate's election staff. I'll lose a LOT of pay, which will make things tough because I'm used to the security of my current job. But on the other hand, it's something I actually find interesting. The worst part of my job, apart from the toxic interpersonal atmosphere, is having to constantly feign interest in the tedious day-to-day details of the work. Very tiresome, not to mention unnecessary-stress inducing.

The way I see it, working for shit is worse than unemployment. I'm about to be unemployed. I'm lucky (again) for I'm graced to know some very rich people who have offered a room to me. Throughout the years, I always seem to have this kind of luck. Not to say that I'm freeloading. Nothing could be more untrue, for I wish nothing more than my own place. I consider my friend's place as refuge and I can't wait to get out of here! I'm not going to do so for some meaningless, shit-ass job again. This time, I hope to really help people and not some big, dumb-ass corporation.

I hope you explain your reasoning. Sounds like a troublemaker.

I almost became a admin. But the admin would not stand up to the DOn. I called hime a litlle man walked out and never looked back. Work in mental health now and make a bunch more money

You won't have trouble finding a new job.

:shrug:

and that cow was giving management just what they needed, ammunition to use to cut staffing levels again.

Nursing home staffing varies from state to state and type of nursing home to type of nursing home, but it has never been generous. I worked my way though nursing school in a nursing home, being paid an insultingly low wage and often expected to care for as many as 25 bedridden and incontinent patients by myself on an evening shift.

Once out of nursing school, I had to make the decision to quit two jobs because I felt my license was being put on the line every time I showed up to work.

Our health care system is broken. Trying to stay in the trenches right now will not fix it. Nursing boards around the web are full of horror stories from nurses who could no longer take the short staffing, long hours with mandatory extra 12 hour shifts, and outright hostility from management and who have gone on to other careers.

I hope you can find another job that is less of a meat grinder, but be aware that ass kissers are always with us. Healthcare workers have to figure out how to work in spite of them. Just be aware that by accepting unsafe staffing, you're not doing anyone a favor. Quitting in protest is the best thing you could have done.

at a job that I was at for 5 plus years all the while receiving high marks for the work I was doing. I knew the Axe was coming down on me many months before it actually happened.

So when it did happen I was already prepared to do something else.

I never got a chance to do that something else, because within a few weeks of leaving the old job I got a better offer for pay, benefits and above all else a much much more relaxing atmosphere. Now it has been 3 months and I still look forward to wearing shorts to work and seeing what each day brings as far as new projects at the office.:)

This change is gonna be good for you - Good luck.