Revenge Quitting and Workplace Bullying: How Theatre Nurses Can Leave Well

Oct 6

3 min read

Revenge quitting is walking out of a job on the spot, out of anger or frustration, with no notice and no plan.

Most theatre nurses have had a shift where the thought crossed their mind. It rarely comes out of nowhere. It builds up.

Sometimes what is behind it is workplace bullying. That changes things, because walking out can cost you options you would otherwise have. This piece covers what revenge quitting costs, what counts as bullying, and how to protect yourself and leave well.

Why people reach that point

Revenge quitting is not planned or strategic. It is emotional, and it is usually aimed at something specific. The reasons candidates give me tend to sound like this:

Being constantly micromanaged
Being passed over for a promotion again
More and more work, with no extra pay or even a thank you
Raising concerns and feeling no one listened
Being treated badly by a colleague, again and again

The first four are frustrating, and worth a conversation. The last one may be bullying, and it needs a different response.

What counts as workplace bullying

In Australia, the Fair Work Ombudsman describes bullying as a person or group repeatedly behaving unreasonably towards a worker, where that behaviour creates a risk to health and safety.

In New Zealand, WorkSafe describes it as repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or group of workers that can lead to physical or psychological harm.

Both definitions have the same core: the behaviour is repeated, and it is unreasonable. That might be belittling comments in front of the team, being deliberately left out, being given impossible workloads, or being shouted at during a list.

It is also worth knowing what is not bullying. A one-off rude moment, high standards, honest feedback, and reasonable management action carried out in a reasonable way are not bullying, even when they are uncomfortable.

Employers have duties here too. In Queensland, for example, the Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice has applied since 1 April 2023 and names bullying as a psychosocial hazard that employers must manage.

If you are being bullied

Bullying is never something you should just put up with. Before you walk out, take these steps.

Keep a record. Write down dates, times, what happened, what was said and who was there.
Talk to someone you trust. That might be your Nurse Unit Manager, another manager, HR, a health and safety representative or your union.
Put it in writing. A written complaint, with dates and witnesses, gives your employer something clear to investigate.
Bring a support person to any meetings about it.
Look after yourself. Use your Employee Assistance Program if you have one, and see your GP if it is affecting your health.

In Australia, eligible workers can also apply to the Fair Work Commission for an order to stop bullying. One detail matters here: you generally need to still be working in, or connected to, the workplace where it happened. Walk out first, and that option may be gone. In New Zealand, WorkSafe has guidance for workers on raising and responding to bullying.

This is general information, not legal advice. Your union or an employment lawyer can advise on your own situation.

What revenge quitting costs

It feels powerful for about five minutes. Then reality hits:

No referee from your most recent role
No pay, and possibly unpaid notice owed
No plan for what comes next
Burned bridges, and awkward conversations later

Theatre teams are close, and people move between hospitals. How you leave is often remembered longer than why.

The smarter move

If you are close to quitting out of frustration, ask yourself:

Have I had an honest conversation with my manager?
Have I written down what is not working?
Do I have another role lined up, or a financial buffer?
Am I deciding out of emotion, or out of clarity?

If you are ready to go, go well. Give your notice, protect your referees, and have your next step in motion. Before you resign, it is also worth reading the question worth asking before you resign from a theatre job.

Leaving well is an underrated power move. Revenge quitting often gives your power away rather than taking it back.