Breaking a New Grad Contract?

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2015

Did you get a sign on bonus? Or did they pay for relocation?

You would have to return the money, if they requested it-sometimes they keep your last pay

The first six months are the hardest, have you made friends?

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · Oct 18, 2015

Stick it out. What dose the fine print of your contract say? Most 2 year contracts have a clause that you owe them money if you leave early.

You made a decision based on emotions and now you are stuck. This is a learning experience not only on the job, but life.

badwolf4 · Oct 18, 2015

No sign on bonus and they didn't pay to relocate. There is a fee that you have to pay if you break the contract that gets prorated depending on how long you worked for them before you broke the contract.

I've made friends but they are mainly new grads too and it is just about next to impossible to find a day that we both have off. I've made friends with my coworkers on my unit too but not really any friends outside of work. I'm an introvert anyway so it's harder for me to put myself out there but I've been trying to go to events on my own and meet people.

FurBabyMom, MSN, RN · Oct 18, 2015

I'd stay. My current employer, when I was hired, I signed a 2 year contract (it was really 30 months as orientation didn't count). There were times I was REALLY frustrated and wanted to move closer to my family. I visited them every time I could the first year. The last two years I've visited less often. I've made a conscious effort to create my own life here, making friends, doing things I like here. I encourage friends and family to visit me too. I joined a professional organization and have some awesome friends and mentors there. :) Now I have awesome coworkers, and genuinely enjoy what I do most days.

Is there a reason your friends/family can't or won't come visit you sometimes? Also - do Skype or FaceTime help any?

I don't know about your contract - is there a financial penalty for leaving early? Ours had one. I couldn't afford to pay it, so I had a financial motivator to stay.

BiotoBSNtoFNP · Oct 18, 2015

You should join something/volunteer in your community to meet other non-nursing friends. Having connections to the community may help with the loneliness. Is there a sport or other social group for you to join? I would try to stick out your contract.

Editorial Team / Admin · Oct 19, 2015

I get the whole wanting to be closer to your family, but consider this: would you really see each other more often if you were closer? I'm the one in my family who moved farthest from home; all of my siblings live within 15 minutes of my parents' house. Guess which one of us they see the most? Me, who lives farthest away.

Now, as a new grad making the transition from student to novice nurse, I would strongly advise that you complete the contract as a matter of helping your transition. It will also make sure you leave your employer in good standing- unless there is a really really good reason, burning any bridge is generally a bad idea as it can reflect negatively on a resume (could make you look like a job hopper), could leave you as ineligible for rehire (not a good thing for a prospective employer to find out), or could affect future potential jobs if the facility is part of a larger conglomerate or eventually joins a conglomerate.

There are other ways to make friends outside of nursing and the job: maybe there are some Facebook groups you could join or try using something like meetup to find other people with similar interests.

cracklingkraken, ASN, RN · Oct 19, 2015

I understand the homesickness.

Actually, when I went to college, I was going through a similar experience (relationship went bad), and I suddenly wanted to be home. With my friends and family who I knew being with would be soothing and comforting for me. (FYI, I was only 2.5 hrs away from home and still somehow homesick)

But as I made friends and got into the groove of things, I didn't miss home as much. Sure, I missed my parents and the familiar area, but I was starting to make my college campus my home as I built memories and friendships.

I hope it gets better for you. Being homesick is something I do understand. (Hugs)

Libby1987 · Oct 27, 2015

I think the worse part would be losing this opportunity of building the foundation of your career. Contract or not, do this for yourself. I can't imagine you regretting it. 2 years down the road you will have many more open doors and you can either move back home or continue on the path opening in front of you.

Amd every 2 months is pretty darn good. I get that you're lonely, you can try to occupy yourself, or simply realize that it's relatively short term and not to be wasted and just allow yourself to be okay with temporary loneliness.

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 27, 2015

STAY! This will be a learning experience/ growth opportunity on so many levels.

AnthonyD · Oct 27, 2015

Try your best to stay. You will grow into it! You are just about at the six month mark, a time when nearly EVERY new nurse goes through feelings like this, whether they work near home or far away. It's completely normal to feel like maybe you picked the wrong employer, or wrong unit, or wrong job. Your challenge is in the distance, for others it's other challenges, but my point is that it will get better. You can do it.

heron, ASN, RN · Oct 28, 2015

Forgive me if this has already been said, but a broken contract could lead to less than glowing references. It's a buyers' market these days and newbies have very little leverage getting hired.