Sign bonuses! Can you believe this?

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Apr 19, 2002

I once took a sign on, but it was a little different. We started up a new open heart ICU in a small community hospital. I got $5000, in two installments. Two months into it, I realized it was a mistake, for many reasons. But the nurse manager was my best friend, and she was so short-staffed, that I promised to honor the 6 months worth of bonus I rec'd up front, but I told her, 6 mo to the day, I was gonna be gone, and I was. They took taxes out. I also was free to leave w/o having to pay back the bonus, according to hr, but like I said I just felt it was the right way to do it. They had 4 months notice. After the first year they lost half of the original team, by 2 years, only 2 were left.

JMP, if I could have ratios like that again in ICU (I was lucky enough to have 1 to 1 in my first OHS unit), I may even go back to the hospital. Maybe I need to go to Canada?! Is your pay in Canadian dollars or US? If US, that's pretty good.

babsRN · Apr 19, 2002

Our longevity bonus is given over and above the annual merit increase without expectation of future service. It's given in recognition past service. So there's no aggreement to sign. It's given at regular intervals...I think currently somewhere around every 3-5 years until about year 15...then it's given annually. It's typically about 3-5% of the annual salary. I'm giving ranges because I'd have to go back and recheck our current policies...we change these programs frequently(by increasing them) in reponse to the current job market conditions.

JMP · Apr 19, 2002

Hoolahan

The rate I quoted was in Canadian dollars........but then everthing else here is in Canadian dollars too, like rent food gas etc.

I do work at a great hospital.........and I quite like the support, consideration and back up we as nurses get.

However, I do have this need to satisfy ........ an adventure. But I am not ready yet to make up my mind and leave this great country or my current position......... I am still thinking it over.

They would scoop you up in a NEW YORK MINUTE Hoolahan!

hoolahan, ASN, RN · Apr 19, 2002

LOL JMP! I would really miss my old folks I see now. I have 2 senior buildings next to each other, and it is so funny, when it is hot outside, all the folks like to sit on benches in front or in a pretty little gazebo by the parking lot. I walk by, and I know almost everyone, they look at each other and say, she's your nurse too? It's great. I couldn't give it up , no matter how ridiculous my home health paperwork is, they are worth it!! I have one guy who has a jazzy chair, and he zoomed up to my car yesterday as I was pulling in to say "Hi." It's fun, very very hot in the buildings, but I love these folks! It's like having 20 more grandparents w/o any family arguments! LOL!

Dplear · Apr 19, 2002

50 K at McCallen Texas is being offered......2 year contract...but let me tell you McCallen is an armpit of a town to say the least.

I worked a travel contractr there before...

Dave

CC NRSE · Apr 19, 2002

i just finished a travel contract in corpus. mccallen was offering a bonus just for travel even then( when i took my assignment). you could not pay me enough to work there. i have heard some horror stories about that place!!!! :eek:

moonrose2u · Apr 19, 2002

shay:

praytell, how did you get 50K? what's your specialty?

moonrose2u · Apr 19, 2002

check out this article

http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/04/18/loc_nurses_look_askance.html

grnvillechick · Apr 20, 2002

I am located in Montgomery,Alabama---we have 3 hospitals city wide--2 of them owned by the same system....they are paying 3-5K sign on bonuses...and 2K recruitment Bonuses...I did the sign on for a year---yep they hit you in taxes---and after that I went PRN...and if I chose to work 3 12 hr shifts a week---I would make 50K a year...no lie. The hospital I am at is 95 RN positons down. I have a friend moving here who is a 23 yr exp RN---yep ..she will get a sign on, I will get the recruitment bonus. It is plain nuts...but in this time of shortage....it is the well deserved milk and honey period for nurses.

Why dont they sink the cash into thier full time RNs????fools...then no one would leave. They have to pay bonuses just to get the nurses to come in extra. Insanity...and after being full time for the last ten years, this prn gig is the way to go girls!!! You can plan your work around your life...not your life around your work schedule!!! If you can do it....DO IT!!!!...and if you move to Montgomery..remember me !!!!

shay · Apr 20, 2002

Originally posted by moonrose2u
shay:

praytell, how did you get 50K? what's your specialty?

I didn't take, was offered it. The location was too remote for my hubby to get a job there. It was for OB or Peds nurses. If you want the name of the hospital, I'll tell you...

ERNurse752, RN · Apr 20, 2002

There was a hospital in my area offerring $14K sign-on bonuses for ER/OR/ICU...it was tied to a 3 year committment.

They quit doing it soon after they started though, b/c the existing staff got pi**ed off and started leaving in droves.

I took a sign-on bonus after I graduated...$2400 paid over 12 months, tied to a one year committment. But I'd already been at that hospital for 3 1/2 years, so I figured one more wouldn't kill me. If I broke the committment, I didn't have to pay anything back , I just wouldn't get the rest...so not too bad of a deal.

I don't think I'd ever make a committment for over a year, and not even that if I didn't know what I was getting into...

More money = more desperate!

MHN · Apr 20, 2002

We have just completed Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA)= contract rates with pay rises for next 2yrs.

this was negotiated by Nurses Union with hospital staff on an EBA commitee.We got $1500 bonus when agreement signed for full time staff and proportional amount for part time staff.This was a good outcome for all as it was not just for new staff but current employees as well.