Advice for breaking nurse residency contract

Nurses Career Support

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I'm a first year nurse. I'm also in my early twenties. Right out of school, I accepted a job in a nurse residency that offered training for a 2 yr contract and monetary agreement. I could not find another job, and was naive about accepting this job. I was never advised that with contracted jobs -- the hospital might have a retention problem. The program was extremely hyped up, and I felt like I needed the education. Fast forward to now, I work on my own on a surgical floor. I feel like things are not safe and I'm risking my license a lot of times. I've also realized that this floor is in general not a good fit for me. I go home after work in tears, unhappy and scared for my license and my mental health. Without getting into too much detail, I've talked to coworkers and they too think the floor is not a good fit for me. The only thing that keeps me pushing is the contract and my coworkers. I accept full responsibility for picking this job, even though now when I reflect, it seems to look like a trap for new grads. So my question is: Should I seek transfer (not sure they will let me)? Should I break my contract?

On 8/29/2019 at 1:03 PM, HayRayRN said:

Hi just want to update for any readers out there,

I gave it a year. I switched to days which did help my overall mental well being, but still really disliked the job and environment I was in. I was just tired of the constant issues with poor management, purposefully short staffing the unit (no tech, short a nurse, always being badgered to come in on days off to work), and this constant blaming the nurse for everything wrong culture that existed there. I made some great friends there, but it was a toxic place to work. So after talk with my management (who would not transfer me), family, coworkers, friends, I made the decision to quit so long as I had another job lined up. Never once was I questioned for only staying on the floor for a year in my interviews. Found a job in research & clinical trials.

Also, while I do agree that employers invest in hiring and training new employees and will contract you to recoup costs....I have not seen another hospital in this city (major medical center in the US) contract for 2 years at a monetary value of 10k. The training I received was 1 teacher in a room of 150+ new hires, disorganized, busy work. It was kind of ridiculous, and I look back at that now and think it was a huge red flag. I still believe that program was a trap to new nurses. They hired so many, you'd get to your unit and look around and not a single experienced nurse was working the shift with you. That's scary.

So did you have to pay money back for the contract? I am in the same boat and I told them before I was locked in my contract that I was not happy and they said they would help me transfer... well I’m still stuck with the promise to transfer in January but I feel like they are stringing me along. 

New grad nurse here....just quit my 2 year contract after only being 4 months in. Reading through some people's responses is disheartening, honestly. I get that the first year of nursing is HARD. I totally get that. But WHY IN THE HELL would you encourage someone to stick it out if they are absolutely miserable. Sure, the nursing community is small, but it's just a job. Nursing shouldn't be your entire life, there has to be some sort of work/life balance. In my opinion, it's not worth sacrificing your mental health. At the end of the day, they'll just replace you with another warm body. That's the sad reality. We as nurses need to stop complying and bending over backwards for inappropriate requests made by management and upper executives. Unsafe staffing isn't safe for either the nurse or the patient. One of the reasons I quit is because I had a 6-7 nurse/patient ratio with no tech or free charge nurse 98% of the time. I couldn't get s**t done for any of my patients. With that many patients + having to do the job of the tech I barely had enough time to get meds passed on time. It was also a HUGE red flag to me that I was the only new grad on my unit and all of the senior nurses desperately wanted to quit. Being a new grad is hard, but you should feel supported by your unit. Instead, I was engulfed in nothing but a toxic environment everyday I showed up. My question to all of the people that essentially said to just "suck it up" is this- would you tell someone to stay in an abusive relationship? Absolutely not. Life is too short and there are too many jobs out there to stay somewhere you're miserable. 

 

--Signed a new grad nurse that has ZERO regrets about quitting their residency after only 4 months 

3 Votes

Hi! Its been a while since you posted this. I am an LPN, but I graduate next year, May 2023 with my RN. I was curious on the residency journey after I graduate and found this form. Just wanted to pop in and say that I hope you all are thriving in your careers and found happiness especially after the start of the COVID19 pandemic. 

 

-Future RN

Hi New and prospective RN Grads,

This is a note to you from the future. What they've written is true even if in the moment you might not fully realize it. However, you'll eventually move on to greener pastures. The experience will be difficult and even if you quit early you'll have learnt important lessons for your career. 

Somedays all you can muster is one more week. One more shift. One more hour. 

I started out RN journey desperate and frankly grateful to have a job after applying and hoping and waiting and hoping. Let this be a lesson that you need to apply early and start interviewing ASAP. 

And now to the very important part.

Yes, I broke my contract early. I finished 1.5yrs of it and unexpectedly welcomed a baby in the middle of the pandemic. It taught me to look out for myself, that this isn't it. Even if there is a tight bond with the coworkers I cannot sacrifice my body and mental health for this company.

No, no one has come after me or any of the RN that quit as earliest as 4weeks. Keep track of your "training" which will undoubtedly have a few canceled classes and unfulfilled promises.

Good luck to anyone entering floor nursing during this time. I'm happy to answer questions.

 

1 Votes
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
On 1/29/2018 at 3:46 PM, HayRayRN said:

My contract is very vague.. It's valued at 10k. The contract says nothing about transfers, in fact it does not specify the job I have on my floor, just informs me about my training and the facility I will work at. I have about a year and a half left. I'm prepared to pay if they come after me.

Consult a lawyer familiar with both nursing licensure and contract law. Some organizations with prorate the amount owed others will not. In some states these type of contracts have been found to be illegal as they amount to indentured servitude. This is not something you want any lawyer a good place to start is  The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA.org)

Hppy

Greeze said:

And

 

hppygr8ful said:

Consult a lawyer familiar with both nursing licensure and contract law. Some organizations with prorate the amount owed others will not. In some states these type of contracts have been found to be illegal as they amount to indentured servitude. This is not something you want any lawyer a good place to start is  The American Association of Nurse Attorneys (TAANA.org)

Hppy

Also you're not told that the facility didn't meet their end of the contract. A 1-6, 1-7 patient ratio when told it would be less, and with no tech, they are breaking the contract. 

2 Votes
Specializes in Psychiatric Mental Health RN.

I find this thread HILARIOUS. Nursing is unique in that the vast majority of new grad nurses are also new to working in the real world. As a second career new grad nurse I'd laugh in the face of most of the judgemental authors of these comments. Nursing is a great profession, it has few barriers to entry and allows for flexibility, upward career trajectory, work-life balance, etc. With that being said boys and girls, in the REAL WORLD nobody except your manager and probably their manager cares about something like you leaving before your contract is up. Their lives will be just as plush, their beds just as soft, their everyday routine uninterrupted. Take care of YOU, nobody else will. Your contract should outline any penalties for voiding it, pay up and move on. All this talk of reputation and word of mouth may be true for serious infractions, but put what the OP is saying into perspective... it's not even juicy/interesting. Leave your unit for another job, and your unit won't even remember you exist in 3 months, you're highly replaceable and so are these gigs. 

 

2 Votes
PsychMofo said:

 in the REAL WORLD nobody except your manager and probably their manager cares about something like you leaving before your contract is up. Their lives will be just as plush, their beds just as soft, their everyday routine uninterrupted. Take care of YOU, nobody else will. Your contract should outline any penalties for voiding it, pay up and move on. All this talk of reputation and word of mouth may be true for serious infractions, but put what the OP is saying into perspective... it's not even juicy/interesting. Leave your unit for another job, and your unit won't even remember you exist in 3 months, you're highly replaceable and so are these gigs. 

 

I agree with you, but it is still a contract. That company ONLY cares about that contract. With law there is no feelings, it's just paper. As a nurse, you can do everything possible to not break the contract, but when grueling work conditions exist to the point someone dies, codes, family members pressuring  you like you aren't doing anything, when you are hoarded down with orders from the doctor (and doctors LIVES ARE JUST AS PLUSH while you are hoarded down with orders, they 'don't have to answer a coding situation', they can pretend they didn't know or don't see!) at the end of shift, ambulances bringing  CPR's in progress, heavy patient critical care ratios, no company or hospital will tell you their organization is like this. 

1 Votes
Specializes in Psychiatric Mental Health RN.
delrionurse said:

I agree with you, but it is still a contract. That company ONLY cares about that contract. With law there is no feelings, it's just paper. As a nurse, you can do everything possible to not break the contract, but when grueling work conditions exist to the point someone dies, codes, family members pressuring  you like you aren't doing anything, when you are hoarded down with orders from the doctor (and doctors LIVES ARE JUST AS PLUSH while you are hoarded down with orders, they 'don't have to answer a coding situation', they can pretend they didn't know or don't see!) at the end of shift, ambulances bringing  CPR's in progress, heavy patient critical care ratios, no company or hospital will tell you their organization is like this. 

For sure! I'm not into coddling young nurses, and I'm not saying that there shouldn't be very real reasons (like unsafe work conditions, etc) to want to leave a job... what I'm saying is that a lot of the responses on this thread read like they were written by indoctrinated fanatics. As we all know, nursing can get clicky, "culty" even... and whenever folks try to leverage their experience to add credibility to bad advice I just like to chime in. Just because SOMEONE will stay through hell and high water doesn't mean that's the only or best way for YOU to do things. And scare tactics like "I've worked with nurses in Cali from the east coat and they all talk" is downright nonsensical. 
 

Leave that place professionally (Tough conversations, 2week notices, sincere good byes) and move on. I assure you... nobody cares 

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