Journi Gillette

Career Resources / Job Searching / Nursing Resignation Letter

Nurses spend a lot of time and effort preparing resumes and cover letters for the perfect job. What happens when it is time to move on from that position?

Deciding to change directions in your nursing career can create feelings of fear and even panic. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with an informative post that should put you at ease.

Whether changing positions for personal reasons or to pursue a better opportunity, you will need a nursing resignation letter.

Generally, nurses should have a conversation with their employer before submitting their letter. You don’t want to just email or give a letter to your supervisor without first talking to them. 

The letter is not a way to hide from tension. It is a courtesy to help the transition process go smoothly. 

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How should I structure my resignation letter?

We suggest you provide the following content in this order:

1. A formal letterhead, which includes your contact information, the date, your director’s name, position, and address of the facility
2. A proper introduction
3. An official declaration of resignation, including your title and last day
4. Reason for departing (optional)
5. An offer to assist with the transition
6. Statement of gratitude
7. A brief concluding paragraph followed by “sincerely” or “best regards”
8. Your signature and name 

Here’s an example of an excellent resignation letter:

Formal resignation letters

Knowing what – and how much – to say in your letter is tricky. Below are a couple of crucial tips for writing a professional resignation letter. Following these guidelines can reduce your anxiety. It can also help you more easily transition to your next phase in life.

Be clear, concise, and kind

Of all the recommendations we make for crafting your letter, this is the most essential.  

Some nurses part from their current jobs for positive reasons –promotion to a new position, or to pursue an advanced nursing degree such as a nurse practitioner. Yet, others leave due to uncomfortable circumstances such as staffing shortages or clashes with management. 

That said, do not go into long, drawn-out explanations of your issues with the company. Maintain the utmost tact by simply thanking them for the experience. You can also mention a few good highlights.

Provide notice

The national average for nursing turnover is between 8.8 and 37%, depending on geographic location. Most nurses prefer a speedy exit when changing positions. However, providing your current employer with ample notice is the right thing to do.

 Even if you are leaving a toxic work culture, maintain professionalism by providing your employer with as much notice as possible for your intended departure. 

Two weeks is the industry standard for a resignation.  Clearly indicate in your resignation letter your final date of availability.

Nurse resignation letter example

Feel free to use this resignation letter example as a template for you to write your own.

June 7, 2022

Lisa Franklin
Stewart Park Dialysis Center
77 Western Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74008

Dear Mrs. Franklin

I am writing to inform you of my resignation as a dialysis nurse at Stewart Park Dialysis Center, effective two weeks from today. My last day of work will be June 21, 2022 

Working with Stewart Park Dialysis Center has helped me grow as a nurse and as a person. I have enjoyed my time working with you. Working here, I learned how to provide patient-centered care and work efficiently. I have become quite close with my colleagues who I cherish and admire. Thank you for the opportunity to work with such a great team. I wish you and all the staff good fortune in the future. 

Reaching this decision has proven difficult, however, I decided to start attending school full time to become an advanced practice registered nurse. My goal is to work as a nurse practitioner. 

If you need me to help train my replacement over the next two weeks, I am more than willing to do that. 

Respectfully, 
Nancy Davis

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Sending a nursing resignation letter by email

While it is not ideal, sometimes your resignation letter must be sent via email. If you must resign this way, follow these best practices:

• Use a proper greeting for your supervisor in the email. Keep the body of the email short, referencing the attached letter for further information. End the email with a professional closing.
• Make sure the subject line of the email clearly indicates it is about your resignation. Something like “Jane Doe Resignation Letter” should work.
• Attach the formal resignation letter in PDF format. This allows your employer to easily print or electronically save the document for their official records.

A final word on nurse resignations

Quitting the nursing job that you worked hard to secure can scare even the bravest nurse. Hopefully, we’ve provided you with the courage to take that step and leap into your future.

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Career Resources / Social Media and Nursing

Leveraging social media to one’s advantage can help healthcare workers like nurses foster professional connections. It can also help nurses receive pertinent work-related information as well as educate and inform patients.

When not used appropriately and responsibly, however, social media is a liability to both nurses and their employers. This often happens when nurses divulge too much information on the internet and violate privacy laws.

• How social media misuse can affect your nursing career
• Social media guidelines for nurses
  • Do not transmit patient information 
  • Observe ethical patient-nurse boundaries
  • Understand the privacy of posted content

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How social media misuse can affect your nursing career

Hiring managers may use your social media to inform their hiring decision. The average turnover cost for a nurse is between $37,000 and $58,000.

Given the cost and frequency of turnover, a quick screen of a potential candidate’s social media is well worth the time. In fact, a recent study revealed that roughly 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates during the hiring process.

Candidates should be aware of unattractive pictures of college parties, drug use, illegal activities, profanity, and other unprofessional behavior that can affect them negatively. Engaging in heated debates and controversial opinions are also no-nos.

A negative social media presence could influence employers’ decision to not offer an interview or a job. 

A nurse from Salem Health was put on administrative leave due to a controversial post she made on TikTok regarding COVID health restrictions. What she thought was a harmless post ended up resulting in her taking down not only her TikTok account but her Facebook one as well. Her careless actions ultimately left a mark on her nursing career. 

Inappropriate posts can violate patient privacy. Sharing something seemingly harmless like a photo on Facebook or Instagram can give away personally identifiable and confidential information that violates HIPAA.

Violating any HIPAA regulations can result in a fine anywhere between $100 – $50,000 per violation. Additionally, worst-case scenarios can permit a $250,000 fine and even possible imprisonment for as long as 10 years. So it’s essential that as a nurse, you’re being smart and safe on social media.

For example, a ProPublica report from 2015 detailed 47 different incidents of nursing home and assisted living workers misusing social media and violating patient confidentiality laws. 

Social media guidelines for nurses

Social media is a great outlet for nurses to express their feelings and seek support from friends, family, and colleagues. However, healthcare workers must be mindful of their usage. Here’s a look at three must-follow tips and standards provided by the American Nursing Association for nurses using social media.

Posting any PHI (Protected Health Information), without patient authorization, on social media may constitute a HIPAA violation. These violations include:

• any text, image, video, or other media identifying the individual as a patient of the practice
• any media where patients of a practice or PHI are visible
• posts that include enough detail that could identify the patient
• responding to patients posting an unfavorable review of a practice or citing a disagreement with a practice

Even seemingly harmless videos of nurses doing nice things for their patients can fall under these violations. To be safe, nurses should share photos and/or videos of patients only if the patient authorizes and consents to this information being shared.

Do not transmit patient information 

You can’t use social media to transmit any form of individually identifiable patient information. You can discuss various aspects of your workday with a patient, but you can’t provide any identifiable data. 

For example, if a patient gives you a ‘thank-you’ card for the care you’ve provided. On the inside of the card, the patient has signed their name. The front of the card, however, has absolutely no personally identifiable patient information.

So, you can make a post on social media using a picture of the front of the card, but not the inside. Also, keep in mind that you can’t say the patient’s name or the location in which they are receiving care.

Observe ethical patient-nurse boundaries

Although it is always encouraged for nurses to be warm and friendly towards patients, it’s important to maintain boundaries. In order to maintain proper conduct in patient-nurse relationships, it is inappropriate to communicate with patients outside of care. This includes not adding patients on any form of social media, no exchanging numbers, and obviously, not meeting outside of the healthcare facility.

Understand the privacy of posted content

Just because a nurse posts content on a personal social media profile doesn’t mean certain co-workers and patients won’t see it. This is especially true when nurses don’t separate their personal and professional profiles.

When nurses publish content, they never know when social media followers and friends will share the content with their own network. As a result, unintended parties may be able to see the post in question.

So, to avoid this, it’s highly recommended that nurses separate personal and professional profiles to take advantage of privacy settings. 

If you have not recently reviewed your social media privacy settings, don’t wait to check on them. You can choose to allow only certain groups of people to view your information by making your profile private. If your privacy settings are correctly set up, a hiring manager, patient, or anyone other than who you choose won’t be able to view your content. 

When in doubt, play it safe

Taking a conservative approach to what is shared with the public is the best option for nurses in most cases. Consider changing your privacy settings and always be aware of how what you’re posting may impact yourself, your patients, and your employer. In fact, it is even recommended that you do not disclose where you work or any of your colleagues.

More than half of hiring managers (57%) found inappropriate behaviors when screening candidates that lead them to not hire someone. The last thing nurses want when preparing for an interview is to hurt their chances of getting a new nursing job because of a careless post.

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