Do nurses still get signing bonuses?

[Idaho Murse]

Title pretty much says it all, I know when jobs were more plentiful and the 'nursing shortage' was on everyone's mind there were signing bonuses. But I haven't really heard anything about them recently, have you? If you have what kind of bonus was it or how much?

[cokristinug]

I think most hospitals took away their signing bonus...at least from what i've seen/heard. Nurses are begging for jobs now, not the other way around.

[Crux1024]

I graduated in May 2009 and started in June of 2009. Those who were hired before March 2009 received a "stipend" aka sign on bonus of $6000 for one year of commitment to the hospital i work for. It helped send me on a post graduation cruise.

No word yet if theyre having it this year, but theyre barely hired anyone from what Ive heard.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

Prior to me, there had been a 10k bonus, which had been knocked down. I got hired on in March 2009. It was 3k, split up over a year.

Within another month, there was no longer a bonus at all, and people were just lucky to get a job.

So early last year, probably, I would say unless you are very experienced in a much needed specialty, not likely right now.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Since hospitals are now having an easy time filling empty positions due to a sluggish economy with a surplus of nurses in local job markets, there's no longer a pressing need for facilities to provide enticements such as sign-on bonuses, tuition reimbursement, and other goodies. If hospitals can attract and retain nurses without sign-on bonuses, then why offer them anymore?

Sign-on bonuses are still being offered in the most undesirable of areas such as the towns in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border.

[ItsTheDude]

yeah, there are still bonuses, the bonuses just aren't everywhere (newbies aren't getting them much now days) or as big ($$$) these days.

[Argo]

there is a 20k sign on bonus at one of the hospitals in roswell, NM with a 1 year commitment. There is one or was a month ago down in eagle pass TX for $20k also. My hospital has one for $3k. Alot of them in town still offer them but they are all in the $1500-3000 range..... I would almost guarantee you that all the hospitals in the border towns in TX have decent sign on bonus's of 10k plus... they call them retention bonus now at most places.

[itsmejuli]

Check this out, HCA is giving a stipend to nurses who are returning to work, they're not interested in new RNs.

http://www.morecareerchoices.com/BackToNursing.aspx

[Blackcat99]

In RN magazine, there was an ad for RN's and LPN's for a North Dakota hospital. I think they are giving sign on bonuses and help with relocation.

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Rilo Grande Valley undesirable? I love the RGV area. Love the people, climate, hospitals aren't the greatest but I do like Valley Baptist. I tried to move there years ago but for various reasons, never did. I still would in a heart beat though.

[MJB2010]

I graduate in May and have been questioning the travel nurses at the hospital I work at, and their advice (which I think is good advice) is that in this job market, any hosptial offering a new grad sign on bonus should be avoided like the plague. I was told to check the cost of libaility insurance at these places, it is usually much higher and these places are usually undesirable work locations. In some cases (in particular some border town in Texas) there were several examples of people paying back the bonuses just to leave, because the working conditions were so unsafe nurses were afraid to lose their license. This is all second hand of course, but these girls have been all over, and seem to have a lot of great insight so far.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Caveat emptor. Be sure what you are taking the money for. Right now, the most desireable places to work are not big on bonuses except in rare cases.