3 year contract?

Let me tell you how this plays out in real life....

Back when I worked in a cubicle farm, we were bought (again). The new "owner" stated that we would get tons of training, lots of opportunities for going to conferences and seminars. Very exciting to a nerd.

Then, the catch. Sign a contract that state that if you leave, you repay all training taken the prior 12 months. Keeps someone from learning cutting edge stuff, then leaving. Sounds reasonable, right?

I took one look at the contract and said, no way, and went to the next cube farm. A friend of mine stayed. What they did was state that you had to attend x amount of training classes, and x amount of seminars per year...which averaged out to about 10,000 dollars. You are signed up, and told to attend, no options. If you get fired for not attending or any other reason, you still have to repay the 12 month amount.

My tried to leave for 3 years....she couldn't afford to. Finally, she just quit and spent another 5 years paying her employer back (interest and penalties). Can you say "indentured servitude?"

i would not sign a 3 years contract. 1 year contract-yes.I signed a 1 year contract for relocation assistance and sign on bonus in a rural area which i don't really like but willing to stay to get my experience.

It is still ur choice. Goodluck.

Indeed!

Contract or agreement or whatever it is called if not put together by the hospitals legal department probably has been reviewed by them. The cards are probably stacked in their favor.

Having to pay them back for orientation and extra training is an easy statement to make the big question you should be asking is dollar amounts... They can value training at almost any price level.

3 year contract sound similar to a military contract and at least with the military you get health insurance, housing, etc, etc...

Unless your desperate: Don't sign.

I repeat...

This is, frankly, all moot as you haven't seen the contract. I think you have all the advice you need until you have more information.

Are your former fellow students experiencing the same problem with lack of newish grad jobs?

Ask them for a copy of the contract for YOUR lawyer to reveiw. They probably won't give it to you. If they won't give you a copy then run, don't walk away from that employer. Which I would recommend doing any way.

Sorry - I don't want you to get caught on shifts, money etc,

My point is that they have you and know that you are "stuck" so they could do just about anything. And you'd have to suck it up or leave. And since they will bill you - well, you know.

I think you want to hear that it would be a good idea to go with it. I just cannot do that.

3 years.
3 years.

Keep on keeping on and work on getting what you dream of - it will not take three years. I know that it is a tough market - but, being able to control your "destiny" is worth more that any false "security".

They will tell you that there are no problems with anyone that came on board and signed their contract. They will tell you anything. Yet, they will give you the written promise of a contract that protects them - not you. I say don't do it. Three years could be a nightmare. They admit that they had to do this because they had many go down the block after they trained them. Let that be your lesson. When you have been treated well and given opportunities to advance your nursing practice most all will stay and keep growing - when that many have had to flee it is most likely a bigger problem that what you are being led to believe.

They admit that exodus had been a problem and now they have a solution and it is to bind you in a contract. They solve their problem with trapping you by a contract.

Did they give you a number or what it would cost to walk? If you can walk with super great training and experience and "pay" less than a week of salary - maybe it is worth it. Likewise, if you get ALL the training in the first 6 months and your "walk fee" goes down with ever passing month - it may have some value to you. Are these national classes or internal classes that are specific to your orientation to their facility for doing the job you were hired (contracted) to do? All jobs have an orientation phase and facilities that have to bind folks via contract should make your "Ugh-Oh" radar go off. Three years - just not worth it.

If they do 6 months of ECCO, ACLS, Hemo - Balloon, LVAD and such classes, PALS and others it might be worth some consideration to give them a year once your "training" is complete. If it is not too expensive. Otherwise, you are just a slave (maybe a marginally paid one, but a slave nonetheless). There is a reason that others departed. Trust me - they will tell you anything.

As for IV and PALS and other classes. They are offered at many sites. They are not cost prohibitive as a rule.

I teach ACLS, PALS and a bunch of other classes and have never charged more than $500 and usually far less. Way less - my company even did them free to our referral areas and staffs for many years and recently instituted a fee per class policy and it still amounts to less than $50 bucks as a rule.

I can tell you anything - but, it still is just your decision. I just hate to see NURSES taken advantage of - and to do it upfront is even worse. I say no.

Be careful. Anything that makes you feel like this at the beginning is almost certain to be worse as time goes on.

Good Luck whatever you choose.