Any regret taking NHSC loan repayment?

[Lkat]

Getting closer to signing a 2-year-contract as FNP at the FQHC where I work in order to get loan repayment funds from NHSC/HRSA. Anyone who's done this have any regrets? It's crazy expensive if you don't honor your contract, a minimum of $31,000 you have to pay back the government, even if they give you less than that for your loans! I'm hesitating because I'm not sure I trust the management of this FQHC. They like to write people up (mostly support staff) and generally manage in an adversarial fashion. I can take a lot of BS after being a bedside nurse for 12+ years and I know I can put 2 years in, but I'm worried I'm somehow going to get on management's wrong side and wind up owing the government thousands of dollars! Appreciate any advice ...

[ToFNPandBeyond]

I can only speak for myself, but I know I WOULD HAVE regretted my decision to accept my nurse corps award if I had signed on the dotted line. I applied twice and the second time was a charm. But when it came time to signing my life away...ahem...i mean, signing on the dotted line, I realised I would've been restricting myself of the great plethora of opportunities for working at places I actually wanted to work at. With nurse corps or NHSC, you're greatly limited to where you want to work. Not only does it have to be an FQHC, but it has to match their scoring and other factors, plus the pressure of finding a site within a time frame after you graduate and pass boards was too much pressure for me. There were some qualifying FQHCs in my location that still used paper charting or other backwards methods that I felt would hinder rather than encourage my growth and clinical skills as an NP.

Personally I'm glad I didn't do it, but I still think it's a great opportunity for those who otherwise could not afford nursing school. My advice to you since it appears you've already accepted the award and are about to work for an employer, to keep searching for an employer that meets their criteria buy is also a good fit. If time allows, keep searching! Don't settle. Make sure they have systems in place that'll support you as a new grad. How is their onboarding? Do they embrace mentorship? Etc.

[InquisitiveAPN]

I have a good friend getting this nhsc loan repayment. He loves the money and happens to want to live in BFE, but he's stuck even if he wanted to move and almost had to due to an exigent circumstance. He coniders it a nail biter.

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

I won a Nurse Corps Scholarship, so I have to do 2 years public service. I'm currently working in a rural FQHC and am very happy. Worst case, it's only 2 years for goodness' sake. If you need the money, then take the job. You can leave after 2 years if you don't like it. Otherwise, look around - there are plenty of places that quality for loan repayment!

[KansasFNP]

No regrets. Held on for 2 years, learned a lot, and got a ton of loan money off my back.