Any Hospitals in Dallas Have Loan Repayment?

jla623 · Sep 9, 2008

Parkland is the only one that I know of.

lilkimball05 · Sep 10, 2008

I know the VA offers loan repayment....

Louise99 · Sep 11, 2008

Parkland does not offer it if you go through a nurse residency program like any ICU, ER, L & D, etc. I thought they did, but once I started working there I found out they don't. I was really disappointed and now I'm locked into a contract.

ThisOneGotLucky · Sep 11, 2008

Louise99,

Do they make you sign on for a certain time period upon accepting the nurse residency position? If so, how long?

Louise99 · Sep 12, 2008

It is 2 years from when the residency finishes. For my unit, it was 5.5 months. So about 2.5 years after starting I am eligible to apply, then I have to wait until April of the following year when the annual application process occurs. Notices of awards go out in October. For me that means if approved it will be January 2012 before the first payment would be made on my behalf...that is 4 years after starting at Parkland. I hope the word gets out to new hires because I think Parkland is still promoting this loan repayment and not telling nurse graduates that if they start in a residency program they are ineligible.

narcissus · Sep 15, 2008

hi,

i have a small question about the NELRP. if you are in a residency program at any hospital you don't qualify for it, or is this just true for Parkland Hospital's residency program?

Louise99 · Sep 15, 2008

It's true at Parkland because I had to sign a 2 year agreement that I would stay there since I went through an ICU training/residency program when I started. Because I signed this agreement, Parkland filled out the NELRP paperwork that I have a financial commitment/educational payback to them. They related the training tI received from them to do my job in the ICU as an "educational payback commitment." I do not believe this has anything to do with nursing school loans as these 2 things happened completely apart from each other, but I went to Parkland's chief nursing officer, to the Parkland attorney, and to my congressional legislative representative and nothing was corrected. Sorry for such a long response, but the bottom line is that it all depends on how your hospital answers the question on the form because that one question will disqualify you from being eligible for the program. Hope that helps and is not too confusing of an answer. Good luck to you. I'm still trying to figure out what to do.

vamedic4, EMT-P · Sep 15, 2008

It sounds like you got the shaft...and I hate to hear that. From the way you describe things it sounds as if Parkland's language is vague and downright confusing - intentionally. Probably to get people "in the door" or, " on the floor" so to speak.

How much would you have to "pay out" to leave? What was the value assessed on the internship I wonder? Could you pay that off and get the heck out of there?

I'm sorry this happened to you.

vamedic4

Right next door

Louise99 · Sep 15, 2008

Thanks a lot. I have been really upset about it. I would have to pay Parkland $10,000 to leave but it's substantially less than what I owe on my school loans so if I find a place that will help pay off my loans in the Dallas area, I would make a move. I'm hoping someone will read this who knows of another hospital that might offer some loan repayment. Otherwise I may have to leave nursing and go into something that pays better. I used to be a computer geek in my past life and that pays a lot better than nursing, but I love nursing much more!

lifeLONGstudent · Sep 17, 2008

Thanks a lot. I have been really upset about it. I would have to pay Parkland $10,000 to leave but it's substantially less than what I owe on my school loans so if I find a place that will help pay off my loans in the Dallas area, I would make a move. I'm hoping someone will read this who knows of another hospital that might offer some loan repayment. Otherwise I may have to leave nursing and go into something that pays better. I used to be a computer geek in my past life and that pays a lot better than nursing, but I love nursing much more!

I too work at PHHS -- and the chief nursing JERK has just left (hurrrrrray~)

Funny how they don't tell you this when you start the residency... and they all play dumb knowing damn good and well that you will be ineligible.

Also, it just irks me that the NIPS get to train in all the ICUs for 7 MONTHS (and we residents train in our unit for 3 months), yet their contract time starts from the DAY that they start their program (ours starts from when we FINSIH the residency and start taking pts on our own). Their penalty for breaking contract is PRO-RATED so it drops as their time there increases -- not ours. If we leave 1 day early, we still pay 10K.

Not fair - we residents actually WORK 4 months longer on our units as independents, but we are screwed in the end.

sorry, just venting. I too asked the CNO to help me with an issue and he told me "Your ____ (problem) is of no concern to us at Parkland" -- what a guy! I believe what goes around, comes around and I hope he is enjoying his!

Spread the truth about PHHS -- it is a great place to learn, but you should know the truth up front: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

LifeLONGstudent

Louise99 · Sep 17, 2008

My residency was 5.5 months. The problem for me was that I didn't find out about being ineligible for NELRP until after the date to drop out of my contract without paying back the $10,000. I didn't get any help from the CNO either, or the attorneys. It seems like such a little thing for them to investigate that would make such a big difference to their nurses. It sure would help morale. I never could get across that training at Parkland after I graduated from nursing school has nothing to do with nursing school loans. Understanding this concept does not seem that difficult to me, but the NELRP is not clear on what the term "educational payback" means. I tried to get NELRP to explain this better as well through my congressman, but I failed at that as well. Frustrating to say the least. So, I'll move forward and hopefully it will work out somehow.