Break contract in order to have healthier and safer life?

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Hello all, I thank everyone in advance for any responses. I am a nurse with just short of 3 years clinical experience in acute care, most of which being med-surg and most recently L&D. I have been at my new job for 6 months and signed a fellowship contract when I started for a 2 year commitment after the training was completed (7 days of classes plus regular orientation). If the 2 years service commitment is not completed I owe 10 grand. My issue is, due to recent personal events and the need to get out of a physically and emotionally abusive relationship, I will not longer be able to work hospital hours. Basically, I need to find a school nurse/doc office/clinic/public health type of deal so that I will be able to pick up and take my daughter to school as I will no longer have help with her and have very, very minimal options as far as family or friends who are available to help.

As it stands, the only reason I am still in my relationship is because I have no one to watch her at night while I am working, which is not okay and I know it but this contract hanging over my head is preventing me from doing what I feel I have to do. In addition to all of this, I am getting called off low census literally every week at this point and am not making enough to pay my bills, which is not something that was disclosed to me in my interview. Granted, I admittedly did not ask either, but as I am about to be living solely on one income I cannot continue this.

I am terrified to break contract and do not have the money to pay them at this point. I have looked up similar threads on here and all of them are new grads complaining about hating their floor and wanting to leave early. I am a responsible person, I stuck out my two years on a floor I disliked and got a job in a specialty I really enjoy. I feel like due to my circumstances though, I literally cannot continue working in this capacity. Has anyone been in a similar situation or known someone who was and was able to pay a smaller amount or get out of the contract? I like my job and my coworkers and do not want to leave on bad terms but as I have stated, I really can't continue to live like this. My anxiety is nearly unbearable and I cannot sleep over this whole issue.

Please help! Thanks everyone.

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Specializes in ED.

I had a great opportunity with a local level 1 trauma center and they gave me a scholarship to boot. Unfortunately I had to turn it down because we had to move out of the state. I explained the situation to the scholarship coordinator and they let me out of the contract. You should contact your own contract negotiator as well.

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You have unusual circumstances, and it sounds like the hospital is not living up to their end of the bargain by not giving you full time hours.

Have a lawyer look at the contract before you negotiate.

Best of luck.

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Is your hospital affiliated with any physician offices or home health? My hospital system is, so if I needed to, I could transfer to one of those. Maybe you could transfer within the company that would meet your scheduling needs.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

One way or another, you need to get out. This guy could seriously hurt you and your daughter -- even kill you. Violent men escalate to murder way more often than we would like to think.

What if someone finds out that you are leaving your daughter alone with him, and reports you to CPS??

Like a pp it also occurred to me that they may be in violation of the contract by not giving you your full-time hours.

I would call your local DV resources and see if they can advise you, or recommend area attorneys willing to do some pro bono work.

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