There
are as many reasons to leave a job as there are jobs to leave. You might not
like the working environment, the management puts too much pressure on you, the
co-workers are hard to handle or you simply decided to move to another
hospital. Ok, you have your reasons and you’ve made a decision to quit your
job. But, is there a way of doing it gracefully? A bad exit can have long-term
consequences and should always be avoided if possible. If you’ve found yourself
in a situation like this, you can probably agree that it is a very inconvenient
and complex situation. However, if you are about to leave your job and don’t
know how to do that gracefully, here are a couple of tips that you could
follow.
1.
Be
True to Yourself
After
you’ve decided to leave the job after so many years, it is important to be
clear with yourself about the reasons why you’re leaving. Are you bored with
your job? Have you attained the highest level of success available at that
position? Is there a better offer on the table? Whatever the reason might be,
that’s completely fine. No one knows your reasons better than you. As you can
imagine, a lot of people will ask you that inevitable question again and again.
Why are you leaving the job? So, it’s always a good idea to have a brief and
concise answer prepared in order to avoid long and exhausting explanations with
your soon-to-be ex colleagues.
Related: What to Expect as an Emergency Nurse
2.
Provide
Appropriate Notice
Probably
the worst thing you can do when you decide to quit the job is to leave it too
quickly! If you don’t want your boss to be furious with you and remember you by
your last action, you should definitely give him or her some time to find a
replacement for your position and tie any loose ends. Two weeks of notice is
the norm, and if your position is difficult to fill, make sure to notify your
boss well in advance that you are leaving the position. If you don’t want your
name to come up negatively at the next board meeting, be reasonable and follow
this two-week’s notice rule!
3.
Offer
to Train Your Replacement
In
case there is enough time and you still don’t have obligations with your new
job, why don’t you offer to train the nurse that will replace you? Its kind,
it’s generous, and definitely the best way to leave. Your boss and fellow
nurses will think highly of you after this thoughtful gesture. Not only will it
help your medical center to get back quickly on its feet after your departure,
but will definitely earn you some positive recommendations. Winning situation,
right?
4.
Secure
Solid Recommendations
Moving
forward usually implies revising the past. In order to impress your future
employer, you might want to consider kindly asking for reference from two or
three people you worked with. Including your boss! Ask them to put their
testimonials as well as your skills and virtues in writing. Not only will it be
very useful for your future employer, but will also remind you’re soon-to-be ex
colleagues why they enjoyed working with you so much!
Related: The
Evolution of the Nursing Uniform
5.
Remain
Positive With Leadership Team
You
are leaving the job, not the people. Although you are starting a new job with
entirely new co-workers, remember that your soon-to-be ex colleagues were your
work family for a long time. They cooperated with you on many nursing tasks and
were your support system when you needed one. You never know on what seminars
or nursing events you may cross paths with your fellow colleagues again. That’s
why it is advisable to remain positive with all (or at least almost all) your
colleagues after quitting a job.
Leaving a job isn’t easy.
Leaving it gracefully is even harder. Over the period of few years, you’ve
acquainted with many of them and never exchanged words with a few of them. With
either of your colleagues and fellow nurses, leaving a good impression and
quitting your job gracefully doesn’t have to be a huge problem. Anything from
providing appropriate notice, offering to train the replacement nurse up to
securing good recommendations, could be good strategies for leaving your job
gracefully. Be true to yourself, remember these few tips and your ex colleagues
will soon be shattered that they lost you as a colleague!
Related: List of nursing organizations
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