I gave my notice at my OG hospital; I’m officially counting down the days until I’m no longer a staff nurse. I’m hopping on the travel nurse bandwagon, so I’m no longer able to keep up with the competencies and time requirements of my OG unit.
I’m excited, but I’m also really sad. Sending my letter of resignation was actually very difficult for me. I had told my manager when my last day would be, but it took me a couple days to send the actual letter. I was surprised by my own emotions honestly. I didn’t expect to feel sad, but that is truly what I felt.
I think my feelings toward leaving my job are mainly because of the people I’ll be leaving behind. I’ve met some great nurses, some great doctors, and some even greater patients. It’s a place filled with people and rules and protocols that I’ve grown accustomed to. I’m comfortable there, and leaving a place of comfort for the unknown is terrifying. When I first went to per diem status, it was with the mindset of having something to fall back on in case I didn’t like the job I was taking at the time and it’s a good thing I did. I ended up quitting that job after 2 weeks and my OG hospital welcomed me back with open arms and lots of laughs at my attempt to be free.
Making the decision to leave is a big jump for me. I’m a creature of habit. I like comfort and familiarity and knowing what I’m walking in to, even though the only thing I knew I was walking into at my OG hospital was pure craziness. I tell myself often that the job is the same, it’s just the location that is different. It helps that I’ve had a great experience with my first L&D assignment; they made the transition super easy. I’m not sure where my next stop will be on this travel journey, but I know I’ll be going out of state. I’ll most likely stay on the east coast for a while longer before I venture out to some of the other places I’d like to go, but who knows. I’m learning to embrace the idea of going wherever life takes me.
I will definitely keep you guys updated.
Xoxo,
Ash, RN