breaking your RN New Grad contract early

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Feb 10, 2014

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 10, 2014

Are you sure you have to pay back the entire $30,000 -- even if you work 2.9 years? I've never heard of a contract that was that high that was not pro-rated (e.g. $10,000 per year for 3 years).

How long have you worked for that hospital?

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2014

My first job out of school offered sign-on bonuses; we made a 2-yr commitment and required to keep the FTEs that we were hired with. So someone hired at 0.9 deciding to cut back to 0.8 was breaking their commitment. If one broke their commitment, they had to pay back the sign-on bonus in full (after receiving it taxed at a crazy rate). I opted not to take the sign-on bonus, because I didn't know that we wouldn't move out of the area before two yrs was over. I think it was something like $1000.

How come you signed a contract that had that stipulation? I'm assuming that wasn't a $30,000 sign-on bonus. You'd be paying back money that you earned working.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2014

We can't give legal advice as per the Terms of Service you should have a lawyer look at the contract. You signed it and are therefore responsible. Saying now that it wasn't up to standard will not help you unless they promised something that they didn't provide...you are bound to the contract.

elkpark · Feb 11, 2014

I'm not in any position to offer legal advice (and am not doing so), but hospitals pay a lot of money to have good legal counsel. I would guess that any contract you signed is carefully written to stand up in court if necessary.

Was there some compelling reason why you signed such an outrageous contract?

PMFB-RN, RN · Feb 12, 2014

Breaking contracts early is exactly why one hospital I work at no longer hires new grad BSN RNs into the critical care nurse residency program for SICU. I do know that this hospital is very aggresive in it's attempts to be paid back the (prorated) $15K stated in the contract, at least in the cases where nurses have left for other hospitals or (far more often the case) to CRNA school. It's not universal. One young nurse who broke her contract to stay at home after having a pre-term baby that required a lot of care never heard anything from the hospital about paying the money back.

manusko · Feb 12, 2014

Has anyone out there ever left their New Grad contract early? I am in a contract that states if I leave before 3 years is up I will have to pay them $30000. This is the most I have EVER heard of especially for a non residency program. No courses were provided just regular orientation (8 weeks). For those of you who left your contract early, were there letters demanding money that were sent out? Did they take you to court?[/quote']
People I have seen try to break their contract absolutely were told they would pay a prorated rate. One person took their contract to a lawyer and they agreed that they would owe money plus legal fees if it came to that. If you signed a contract stating a penalty for leaving then they have every right to get their money.

SC_RNDude · Feb 13, 2014

We can't give legal advice as per the Terms of Service you should have a lawyer look at the contract. You signed it and are therefore responsible. Saying now that it wasn't up to standard will not help you unless they promised something that they didn't provide...you are bound to the contract.

You just gave legal advice. You don't know he/she is responsible or bound to it.

Sam J. · Feb 13, 2014

You just gave legal advice.[/quote\\
The point is not to sign a contract you don't understand, without having first received legal advice. If that's giving legal advice, I'm not convinced. It reeks more of common sense.

SC_RNDude · Feb 13, 2014

Has anyone out there ever left their New Grad contract early? I am in a contract that states if I leave before 3 years is up I will have to pay them $30,000. This is the most I have EVER heard of especially for a non residency program. No courses were provided just regular orientation (8 weeks). For those of you who left your contract early, were there letters demanding money that were sent out? Did they take you to court?

Without seeing it, no one can tell you if the contract is binding or not. There are many reasons it may not be. In the contract, what did they promise to do for you? Did they do it?

SC_RNDude · Feb 13, 2014

I'm not in any position to offer legal advice (and am not doing so), but hospitals pay a lot of money to have good legal counsel. I would guess that any contract you signed is carefully written to stand up in court if necessary.
Was there some compelling reason why you signed such an outrageous contract?

They don't always use their legal counsel for such things though as often these type of contracts aren't enforceable. Instead, a HR person puts together a document that is effective at scaring people into staying.