New detox nurse watched coworkers ignore a patient's worsening symptoms. She emailed the director and quit in 2 hours

A medical detox facility should be a compassionate environment where healthcare professionals collaborate to ensure patients' well-being. However, for a nurse named Leslie (@caldo.de.les), her experience was quite the opposite when she started her job at a new detox facility. On May 26, 2026, she turned to TikTok to explain why she walked out only two hours into her shift. While the toxic workplace and lack of support had already been wearing her down, Leslie said the nurses' callous response to a patient desperately asking for his medication was the final straw. Her video has received 338,000 views on her TikTok.

A cold welcome

The story started as Leslie walked into the facility at 8:50 AM for a scheduled 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM shift. She expected a seamless orientation, but her first day at work was far from smooth. Having worked as a psychiatric detox nurse for four years, Leslie was familiar with the field, but the building was, of course, new to her. Since she didn't know anyone at her new job, she went to the receptionist and asked for the medical director mentioned in the email. The front-desk staff welcomed her and guided her to the nurse station to find a trainer. 

Instead of helping her out, all the other nurses stood there unresponsive, making Leslie feel unwelcome. In fact, even after she introduced herself, nobody replied. Leslie was obviously shocked by the cold environment, but she let it slide. After an awkward silence, a nurse finally snapped, "I'm in charge today. I don't have anybody who wants to train, but I guess I'll do it." Nonetheless, before Leslie could even settle, the nurse accused her of being three hours late for a 6:00 AM shift. Despite Leslie's explanation, she refused to believe her. Sensing the hostility, Leslie offered to reschedule with the medical director. This caused the nurse to backtrack immediately. Meanwhile, the floor staff spent the morning hours only gossiping and openly boasting about how their behavior recently drove a new nurse manager to quit.

The last straw

With nothing to do, Leslie decided to help patients with vitals. It was during this time that she met a patient exhibiting severe tremors, which was a critical sign of withdrawal. While the in-charge nurse brushed off the warning, Leslie insisted on provider evaluation. The on-site provider assessed the patient, confirmed the severe risk, and ordered an immediate transfer to the emergency room. 

The toxic environment reached a breaking point when Leslie overheard the nurses mocking her behind her back. She even overheard them complaining about "young nurses" trying to run everything. Frustrated, Leslie offered to help the other nurses with minor tasks but was refused. Deciding that she would no longer tolerate the disrespect, she gathered her belongings and left. Once in her car, Leslie emailed the medical director a full account of the shift, making any potential return conditional on working alongside supportive staff. In the end, she also recalled another incident she saw: a patient requesting some medication, and instead of helping him, a nurse tried to dodge him because she wanted to go out for a smoke. 

An unfortunate reality

Unfortunately, what Leslie witnessed during her first day at the detox center isn't a rare sight. In fact, more than half (52%) of patients across the United States feel ignored or dismissed by medical workers, according to a MITRE survey. The number rises to about 6 in 10 people within the Hispanic community. Moreover, the study also revealed that 50% of patients report that a healthcare worker makes assumptions about them without asking first, which is exactly what the other nurse did when Leslie first told her about the patient. 

'You dodged a bullet'

Meanwhile, reacting to Leslie's experience, @agentosopeluche noted, "Hi, HR here. Onboarding is a critical part of starting a new job. Terrible onboarding is a key indicator of how the job is going to go. You dodged a bullet, my friend!" Similarly, @lindsey0922 commented, "I’ll never understand why people treat new coworkers like this. We all were new at some point, and everyone should be welcomed with kindness and respect."

You can follow Leslie (@caldo.de.les) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.

More on Scoop Upworthy

Employee's decision to walk away on the first day of training is inspiring people: 'Never came back'

People who said 'I'm outta here' after the first day of a job reveal what made them quit

Doctors tried discharging her despite ChatGPT's grim warning. Then a nurse put her job on the line