I believe in job longevity. I also believe in employee rights. Therefore, no matter how long you are at your job for, if you are not treated right, and if you leave work and go home and cry more times than not, then it is time for you to look elsewhere. I did just that on April 29, 2018, after being there for five years. Now I know what you might be thinking: 'You've been there for five years, so why not just deal with it and stay?' I tried that for almost a year. I had hoped that things would get better. They didn't. They got worse. I was miserable. I would cry at least three times a week as I was getting into my car to leave to go home.

 You see, I'm an LPN—licensed practical nurse. Apparently there are some people who really don't believe that means that I'm a nurse. For example, RNs—registered nurses—would sometimes tell me that I'm not really a nurse. They would make comments to others that LPNs aren't nurses. I know LPNs cannot do everything that RNs can do, but LPNs are still definitely nurses. I didn't go through nursing school and sit through the NCLEX-PN for nothing. I know a thing or two about being a nurse.

 Things were great when I had first started working there. The doctor who I worked with was great; he valued my opinions and took everything I said into consideration. He always stood up for me. I worked with him for about two years and then he took a better job offer somewhere else. A new doctor eventually came into the practice. He and I worked just as well together as the first doctor. I would discuss patient cases with him and give him my opinions. If he didn’t think something would work, he would explain why he didn’t think it would work. I was always learning something when I worked with him. I loved working with the patients and I loved working with him. Yet, I was miserable for about a year. Why? Because of the other employees.

 Over time, nursing responsibilities were taken away from me. I felt like I was being treated more like a secretary instead of like a nurse. I got work dumped on me that no one else wanted to do. I was told not to go in to see patients anymore unless we were running behind schedule. This all came from upper management; not from the doctor who I had been working with (it wasn’t his personal practice). I was the only nurse affected by these changes though. The other LPN and the RN in the practice didn’t have to give up anything. They were still seeing patients with the other doctors. The RN even had the secretaries writing her letters for her. So why the double standard with me? I was never given an answer for that. After a while, I felt like I was just there taking up space. I felt so unappreciated. Not even underappreciated, but just plain unappreciated. It started affecting my overall health and well-being. I knew I had to get out of there.

 I thought about it for about four or five months before I actually did it. The pay was good, the benefits were good, and there were a few other incentives as well. I kept thinking to myself that may I should just stay and tough it out. But when something affects your overall health, and when you leave work crying more often than not (I even cried at work a few times); that’s when you know it’s time to leave and look elsewhere. So I did. I resigned from my full-time job without having another full-time job lined up. So now I’m working only my part-time job, which I have been working since December 2017—as a Class 1 special police officer for my local police department. But I’m struggling. I’m struggling a lot.

 Even though I’m struggling financially, I find that I’m not crying as much. My overall health seems better; my mental health seems better. I have days when I wonder how much longer I’ll be able to pay my bills for. I have days worried that I’ll never find another full-time job. But overall, I’m happier. Even though the amount that I make at my part-time job isn’t even enough to cover my rent next month, I’m trying to remain positive that I’ll have a full-time job soon. Yes, I get frustrated at times. I just try to maintain a positive attitude and focus on the good things that are going on in my life. At least I still have some sort of income. I’m applying to full-time and part-time jobs on a daily basis. I do have a potential job lined up; I’m waiting for them to formally tell me I’m hired. Even though it’s only another part-time job, at least it’ll be something.

 Even though people might struggle in life, things happen when they’re supposed to and how they’re supposed to. Life is a constant learning process. I believe that things happen for a reason, even if we don’t know what the reason is at the time.

Why It's Okay to Leave a Job That Makes You Unhappy

Even If It Means You Will Make Less Money and End up Struggling

I believe in job longevity. I also believe in employee rights. Therefore, no matter how long you are at your job for, if you are not treated right, and if you leave work and go home and cry more times than not, then it is time for you to look elsewhere. I did just that on April 29, 2018, after being there for five years. Now I know what you might be thinking: 'You've been there for five years, so why not just deal with it and stay?' I tried that for almost a year. I had hoped that things would get better. They didn't. They got worse. I was miserable. I would cry at least three times a week as I was getting into my car to leave to go home.



Why It's Okay to Leave a Job That Makes You Unhappy

Even If It Means You Will Make Less Money and End up Struggling

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PTSD

Why It's Okay to Leave a Job That Makes You Unhappy

Even If It Means You Will Make Less Money and End up Struggling

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of .css-13w9qce-Text{display:inline-block;color:var(--text-accent);}Pamela Dirr

About the Creator

Pamela Dirr

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PTSD

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of Pamela Dirr