Binded with a contract and trying to see the positive side of it.

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi nurses,

so I regrettably signed a contract that is binding me to a one year employment with a plastic surgery office as an OR RN nurse .thinking that I had thirty days to back out of it. Unfortunately it turned out that the contractual period started on the first day of employment. Meaning if I leave now I will be penalized $10,000.

Then 7 days later I received a call from an agency (Prime staffing agency in NYC) that they were starting w pilot program for nurses with no hospital experience..it starts at $15/hr but it is possible to get into L&D directly with a reputable facility - Jersey city medical center.

after three months you will make new grad rates for nine months then go up another bump afterward.

L&D has always been something I wanted to do . And now I'm losing it because I feel like I did something so stupid and careless by signing the contract. I had no idea that it was even possible for me to get an offer like this one because I don't have the best GPA nor do i have any acute experience.

i want to try to renegotiate the contract to working per diem perhaps but im honestly worried that I will end up with nothing. What would you do if you were in my situation?

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I'm pretty sure you aren't going to like this answer, but I'd stay with the job I'm in and work out the contract. This is exactly the reason they had you sign one.

A year is just a tiny speck of time and when it's up you'll have a year of experience and be able to look for a new job.

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Im

wondering if there's a possibility for private clinic nurses to move into the hospital. Worried that it gets harder and harder every year

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Then 7 days later I received a call from an agency (Prime staffing agency in NYC) that they were starting w pilot program for nurses with no hospital experience..it starts at $15/hr but it is possible to get into L&D directly with a reputable facility - Jersey city medical center.

after three months you will make new grad rates for nine months then go up another bump afterward.

A low-paying, new program that offers possibility, but no guarantee does not sound like anything to jump the fence for. If L&D is your dream and you have no luck after this contract is up, you could always considering moving to someplace like south Texas for experience. They'll take you if you have a pulse. It doesn't even have to be a strong one.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Im

wondering if there's a possibility for private clinic nurses to move into the hospital. Worried that it gets harder and harder every year

It's going to be a whole lot harder if you shoot yourself in the foot by breaking your contract and job hopping. If you still want to get into L & D in a year, find a way to make it happen. For now, concentrate on the job you have, and do it well.

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Yes you do have a point job hopping is so frustrating! And the $10000 they will take everything from

me...

and I didn't think of it that way sour lemon.. Thank you for that perspective

& yes maybe that's a possible route as well moving is definitely a goal for me . Move away from NYC! But I didn't know that they would take new grads with no experience! I didn't even think that was possible anymore . Are you located in Texas?

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Yes you do have a point job hopping is so frustrating! And the $10000 they will take everything from

me...

and I didn't think of it that way sour lemon.. Thank you for that perspective

& yes maybe that's a possible route as well moving is definitely a goal for me . Move away from NYC! But I didn't know that they would take new grads with no experience! I didn't even think that was possible anymore . Are you located in Texas?

I'm in Southern California which is an employers' market (as is NYC). There are less saturated markets that are more employee-friendly, though. If I wanted to do something specialized that I couldn't break into here, I would consider moving for a while.

You will always have options if you're willing to be flexible.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

No way would I burn a bridge for $15/hr minus $10,000, and no guarantee of a permanent position.

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Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

Consider this a valuable lesson in that good employers rarely require contracts (because their staff don't leave in droves), and any contracts you do sign should be read and understood in detail before you sign). And don't mourn too much for this missed "opportunity." Starting out nurses at $15 an hour sounds shady as heck, and neither the agency nor a hospital that would partner with such an agency sounds like much of a prize. I would not be at all surprised if participants in that program found that for various reasons none of them were needed when the three month peanuts for pay period was up.

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Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

Incidentally, if you google the staffing agency you mentioned, they have all either one or five star reviews... and the five star reviews are all from accounts that have only left one review, that mention everyone in the office by name glowingly, and that pick fights with other reviewers and dismiss reasonable complaints.

The one star reviews appear to be from real nurses.

Hmmmmmmmm.

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Specializes in retired LTC.
No way would I burn a bridge for $15/hr minus $10,000, and no guarantee of a permanent position.
My bolding

Also to consider is that new pilot programs are sometimes bogged down with big problems and there would be no recourse for you if the program were to shut down - leaving you 'poop out of luck'.

And from what I'm reading in your post, you'll be an employee of Prime Agency (???), not the hospital. Another risky issue as I can think of multiple scenarios whereby it's agency versus facility woes.

Just one other thing (and this is personal) - what's with $15?!?! I think lawn & garden employees make more than that! You know that the agency is charging a heck lot more!!!

Your post has too many indecisives - too much 'possibles', 'probables', like 'maybes'.

Like maybe you need to be reeeallly cautious. Please be careful.

Good luck!

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Specializes in ICU.

What?? $15/HR for an RN?! That sounds so shady.

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