Hi everyone:D
I need some help or some opinions please. I just graduated and passed my boards on the 18th. I started working on a tele floor on August 4th. My nurse educator for my floor informed me that I am required to take a dysthythmia course and a critical care course. I very willingly am going to these classes and im really excited Im getting such a good head start after just graduating. Anyway, I started the critical care course two weeks ago. Yesterday, my nurse educator walks up to me and says "Nicole i need you to sign this paper for me and just put it in my mailbox when you do." After she walked away, I look at the paper. It says that my hospital is paying $1200 to send me to this course and that I have to promise them 15 months of service. If I do not stay at the hospital for a full 15 months, no matter if Im fired, laid off, or quit, that I have to pay them back the $1200. Im a little pissed...number one, this is a required course to work on the floor. Number two, noone ever everrr mentioned to me anything about this before the class began and I think its totally unfair that they want me to sign some contract to pay them $1200 and hand it to me two weeks INTO the class!!!!! Is this legal? And how do I handle this? Im a new nurse and I dont want to start off on the wrong foot at my job and say the wrong things but I think this is totally unfair. Im single, no kids, and wasnt looking on staying there for 15 months and now Im stuck! Any advice guys? Thanks so much
Nicole