Been here 5mths, want out of contract...

english_nurse · Jul 18, 2006

The OP needs to get an immigration attorney here as soon as possible. First, the agency must meet what they had listed in the contract when they first submitted it to USCIS for approval. Sounds like they owe you back salary, as well.

yes i couldnt agree more! :bow:

cariad · Jul 19, 2006

to sort your immediate problems of lack of money right now, sign up with another per diem agency and at least try to earn some decent money to survive. you could maybe even work the public holidays then as well and get paid for them.

sounds like you have plenty of things to sort out with your agency, but in the meantime you need to survive.

pg27 · Aug 7, 2006

kheynurse, could you pm me what is the name of your agency, so i will not apply to them

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Aug 8, 2006

kheynurse, could you pm me what is the name of your agency, so i will not apply to them

Lol:lol2: Dont go with any

suehp · Aug 9, 2006

I have been here in the uS for 5months, with a contract with an agency for 18mths. They have messed things up EVERY way they could possibly think of. We are now on the poverty line, and I don't think that is reasonable for an RN with 15yrs experience.
I want out of my contract. Is there anyone out there who has bought themselves out?
What I need to know is....do they make you pay the whole amount upfront, or can I make payments?
Just grasping at straws...I can't afford the $10K they want, but I can't afford to stay working for them either.....
Anyone have any advice?
Thanks in advance, K.

OK here is my story....

We came over here 10 months ago (we meaning my family & another UK family). We were sponsered by this particular place, and everything was ok for the first couple of weeks. We were told we were going onto nights but thought we were going on 12 hour shifts, but no we get put on the 8 hour hsifts.

6 weeks into starting we were given a "Recruitment Assistance Fee" form to sign. If we left our employment beofre 24 months we would have to pay back $5000...(we have never seen this $5000). We were never told about this once until we saw the form. We both signed it as we didn know whether they could send us back to the UK (since found out that this wouldnt happen)..

Both of us unhappy so left after 5 months. They didnt pay us our last 2 paychecks so they could get their money back (which they shouldnt have done - our last paycheck but not the last 2). They also withheld my PTO, and I still opwe they $2600. Anyway the other hospital I got a job with offered them directly to pay this $5000 but they refused....

p to date I still owe them the money. They got a Lawyer to send a letter to us demanding the money in a threatening way and we had 30 days to dispute the debt. I did dispute it (and managed to work out they owed me money) but the other UK NUrse didnt dispute it. TO date we have not heard from them regarding the debt.....

Anyway just be careful what you sign. I have had to sign another bonus referral program with new hospital but it is pro rata - so only have to pay according to how long i have been there. This one is for 18 months.

Also to note that any bonus will be taxed 25%, rather a lot to be taxed on but with federal tax and other taxes this is how it is... :uhoh3:

geordiegirl2 · Aug 9, 2006

I have been here in the uS for 5months, with a contract with an agency for 18mths. They have messed things up EVERY way they could possibly think of. We are now on the poverty line, and I don't think that is reasonable for an RN with 15yrs experience.
I want out of my contract. Is there anyone out there who has bought themselves out?
What I need to know is....do they make you pay the whole amount upfront, or can I make payments?
Just grasping at straws...I can't afford the $10K they want, but I can't afford to stay working for them either.....
Anyone have any advice?
I can only speak for the agency i came with and I know a few people who left them and to my knowledge they were never were chased for the money.
I agree with Englishnurse your agency surely are in breach of contract and therefore you should be free anyway although they could possibly argue they did try and to get you full time work.
Madwifes also got a good point in that there is a high chance you can find a hospital who will pay a sign on bonus that would at least give you a lump sum. Your earning potential once your not in that contract is huge and you may find it much easier to sort things out financially.
I don't know which state you are in but all the nurses i sat NCLEX with are out of contract now and we're all earning considerably more.

plato353 · Aug 10, 2006

A warning to all nurses thinking of signing on with agencies that promise you the moon and stars. Out of personal experience i travelled to Visalia after being promised the hospital that i would be working for is very progressive.

Being a scepitc i saved myself a lot of harm as the hopsital was situated in the middle of nowhere amoungst diary farms just off the interstate between Frisco and LA. I was not impressed. Generally i dont have a problem with cows

The same happened to me in 1997 when i came to the uk i was left almost broke. Fellow nurses remember once you pass your nclex you hold control of where it is that you would like to work. Check out http://www.hospitalsoup.com and study a hospitals profile. Phone there HR department and see if they can assist you in the migration process. If you are on holiday over there arrange a visit to see the unit. Also look at http://www.medhunters.com and look at the various rn positions on display. http://www.realtor.com will give you an idea of the price of houses in the area. Look at http://www.salary.com and try the salary wizard in an area where you think you want to live.

To many nurses are being left with bad experiences upon arriving in the USA. I think its about time that agencies should be given the boot or exposed for their deviant practices. I will not tie myself into a contract with an offer of working in any three states not knowing until the last minute where i am going to end up.Surley someone must have a clue.

Apologies for sounding patronising but we need to learn how to negotiate ,after all nurses generate the business for these agencies. Dont sign until you have seen or done some homework on the hospital where you are going to end up.. Asking tough questions is not a sign of rudeness i view it as reassurance. it takes care of various issues such as child care etc.

Plato353

suzanne4, RN · Aug 10, 2006

All of you need to read the contract in detail before signing. And a few things to keep in mind, the green card is yours when you get it. It does not belong to the agency.

Provided that you did what you were supposed to do per the agreement, and the agency did not, you do not owe them anything as they are in violation of the contract. Contracts are a two way street and have to be honored by both, and fair to both sides.

Any of you that are having issues, need to seek consul of an immigration attorney, one that specializes in nurses. No one should ever be treated like this.

And on the other side, there are some recruiters and agencies out there that really care and do things the proper way. You just need to look for them.

plato353 · Aug 11, 2006

Suffice to say Suzanne reading a contract in detail forms only 50 percent of the overall settlement of any nurse to a new enviroment in my view. Honouring contracts is not the problem if both parties hold up there promises.

What nurse finding him/herself in a new enviroment( ie culture,language,work practices etc) is going to be adept in challenging a agency with vast resources in a new country who knows the legal structures. Thats why so many nurses suffer in silence . This is a forum where nurses vent there spleens regarding these issues.

Remember those phillipino nurses that were deported 2and a half years ago from Arizona.(working at a large and famous group of hospitals).Recruited on the cheap. Exploitation is rife.

It happened to me in the UK as mentioned before but it was hard and i integrated.

Having lived abroad for many years going through the various stages of adaptation ,assimilation and finaly integrating i am now weary of dodgy angencies. Believe me i am not agency bashing here but as we say in the UK the three major stresses are divorce,death and moving house hence my apprehension:uhoh3:

Plato 353

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2006

Plato I find your post interesting, especially as you have relocated before and have experience of life in a foreign country.

mojofla · Aug 11, 2006

I moved here in 1989 from across the border. We were recruited by a headhunter company apparantly. I started in Bridgeport,CT.....OMG...what a nightmare of a hellhole. Bridgeport hosp was a disaster...gross at that time and we were put in the nursing school dorms (on the floor that no one had lived on for years). There was mold in the showers, mice running around and about 3 inches of grease in the kitchen.Our salary was a lot less also. We had some phillippine nurses on our dorm floor and they were so mistreated. They were told they had to wear dresses in the dorms, no hairdryers and there was a couple who dated and shared a room but still had to pay for 2 rooms. They refused to allow one of they to have time off to get her tonsils out , the poor girl was always sick because of it. The manager also took one of the phillippine nurses and grabbed her by the shoulders and started shaking her behind the nurses station.There was a place near the hospital called Father ?Panic village where you could hear the gunfire at night from the drug deals going down. We were told no cars needed as transportation was great....please!!! It was so dangerous. Finally we overheard management saying 'these canadians never had it so good'. WE QUIT. They came up and tore through our rooms. We arrived to find all our belongings thrown in boxes like it was garbage. We demanded our paycheck and all final monies owed. Security escorted us around. We had no place to go but those nursing students and security guards liked us so they hid us in their rooms and in empty dorm rooms until we found a new job and place to live.

So thankful ...I found a travel job in Stanford,CT and live d in hospital house next to hospital so I could walk to work. Everything worked out. No one came after us...they didn't know where we all went. Life moved on. I also walked out on 2 gross travel assignments in early 90's ...nothing happened. I left travel nursing after a while and finally went full time. Eventually my salary was more than that of a travel nurse(even with housing subsidy figured in).

Keep your chin up . I know how it feels to have come from another country and feel so dependent. Ultimately do what is best for your family and you.....find another job first. Maybe there is a hospital nearby with housing or you can take a nearby travel assignment so at least your housing is covered. We just drove to border and got new work papers and moved on...believe me many sleepless nights were spent and tears were shed. Dont let them hold you hostage...YOU'RE A NURSE.... you can get a job anywhere...there is a shortage and lots of agencies/hospitals will overlook stuff....its all about the money to some of them and if you can make them some they will hire you...good luck

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2006

I moved here in 1989 from across the border. We were recruited by a headhunter company apparantly. I started in Bridgeport,CT.....OMG...what a nightmare of a hellhole. Bridgeport hosp was a disaster...gross at that time and we were put in the nursing school dorms (on the floor that no one had lived on for years). There was mold in the showers, mice running around and about 3 inches of grease in the kitchen.Our salary was a lot less also. We had some phillippine nurses on our dorm floor and they were so mistreated. They were told they had to wear dresses in the dorms, no hairdryers and there was a couple who dated and shared a room but still had to pay for 2 rooms. They refused to allow one of they to have time off to get her tonsils out , the poor girl was always sick because of it. The manager also took one of the phillippine nurses and grabbed her by the shoulders and started shaking her behind the nurses station.There was a place near the hospital called Father ?Panic village where you could hear the gunfire at night from the drug deals going down. We were told no cars needed as transportation was great....please!!! It was so dangerous. Finally we overheard management saying 'these canadians never had it so good'. WE QUIT. They came up and tore through our rooms. We arrived to find all our belongings thrown in boxes like it was garbage. We demanded our paycheck and all final monies owed. Security escorted us around. We had no place to go but those nursing students and security guards liked us so they hid us in their rooms and in empty dorm rooms until we found a new job and place to live.
So thankful ...I found a travel job in Stanford,CT and live d in hospital house next to hospital so I could walk to work. Everything worked out. No one came after us...they didn't know where we all went. Life moved on. I also walked out on 2 gross travel assignments in early 90's ...nothing happened. I left travel nursing after a while and finally went full time. Eventually my salary was more than that of a travel nurse(even with housing subsidy figured in).
Keep your chin up . I know how it feels to have come from another country and feel so dependent. Ultimately do what is best for your family and you.....find another job first. Maybe there is a hospital nearby with housing or you can take a nearby travel assignment so at least your housing is covered. We just drove to border and got new work papers and moved on...believe me many sleepless nights were spent and tears were shed. Dont let them hold you hostage...YOU'RE A NURSE.... you can get a job anywhere...there is a shortage and lots of agencies/hospitals will overlook stuff....its all about the money to some of them and if you can make them some they will hire you...good luck

Wow what an adventure I thought mine was good but yours leaves me speechless. Your story gives me inspiration thank you for sharing it with us.