Anyone receive a sign on bonus?

Gerusha · Apr 17, 2005

Has any LPN received a sign on bonus? One facility (LTC) I applied to is advertising sign on bonuses, but it doesn't specify amount or whether it is RN or LPN exclusive. If you have received a sign on bonus, was it is LTC, how much was it, and how long was your contract?

I was offered a job at a LTC facility and the sign on bonus was $2,000. I am an LPN.

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 17, 2005

I wouldn't ordinarily post here, as I'm not an LPN, but I wanted to share one wee bit of wisdom gleaned from my experiences with sign-on bonuses: If a facility is offering such enticements, it's usually because a) they have high turnover, or b) they're desperately seeking warm bodies.....neither of which is a good sign. Beware of the small print as well, if you decide to accept a position: they often make you pay back the bonus if you don't remain employed there for a specific amount of time, usually no less than a year and often longer, which is an eternity if you're stuck in a horrible job!

Best of luck to you.

HisAlone · May 4, 2005

I just accepted a position in Oncology with a $5000 sign-on bonus. I get $2500 after the first month, the balance after 6 months. The committment is 2 years - if you leave before the 2 year mark you only have to pay back the prorated balance. It's a great hospital with good benefits and this unit has an excellent reputation for employee satisfaction and retention.

jude11142 · May 4, 2005

I work in a LTCF and got a sign-on bonus of 2500.00. 1000.00@6 months and the rest @ 1 yr. 2500.00 seems to be the avg sign-on bonus around here for LPN's.

JUDE :Melody:

labornurse · May 4, 2005

I agree with mjlrn97. My hospital is offering sign on bonuses for any warm body with a license because of high turnover. They are also offering bounty money to nurses who work there, for any nurse (rn or lpn) they can lure in to this facility(something you definitely wouldn't do to a friend.) The turnover is due to the dark ages management mentality and staffing ratio. I would think twice and look three times before I jumped in to a sign on bonus.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · May 30, 2005

Has any LPN received a sign on bonus? One facility (LTC) I applied to is advertising sign on bonuses, but it doesn't specify amount or whether it is RN or LPN exclusive. If you have received a sign on bonus, was it is LTC, how much was it, and how long was your contract?

I know it's a couple of months since you first posted this question, but for those who might be reading it I wanted to add my two cents. :twocents:

I accepted a sign-on bonus of $5,000 for an RN position at an acute hospital. Everything mjlrn97 said in the above post is right. It is usually because these places are having trouble keeping staff for one reason or another. As fast as they get staff in with the bonuses, other staff are going out the door. They divvy it out to you in increments. I got half in 3 months with the rest after 6 months. But, here's how I lost my bonus money. Just before my 3 months they offered me the assistant head nurse position on the unit where I worked. I was so flattered that they recognized my skills and saw a life-long dream coming true. I accepted. They did not inform me that in so doing I forfeited my bonus because it was an administrative position and the bonuses did not apply to administration.

That's what your dealing with when you hear about great deals like that. Remember the old saying that if it's too good to be true it probably is. Anyone considering accepting a job with any kind of bonus attached to it should check out why the place is paying bonuses. Be very careful of these hospitals.

MQ Edna · Jun 11, 2005

When I started at the hospital I work at now as a GVN I got a $1500 sign on bonus. GN sign on bonus is $2500. This was with a 1 year contract. Experienced LVN's are getting somewhere around $3,000 and RN's up to $7,000 and this is at one of the best working conditions and lowest nurse pt. ratios in the area.