Employment Contracts in Las Vegas, NV

[VegasDude]

I'm a new R. N. who has worked a year in Med/Surg in a Las Vegas hospital. I was recently accepted in our Critical Care Unit, which I really want to do. The bad news is, they are telling me that since it will cost the hospital $6,000.00 to train me, they require me to sign a contract to stay in the Critical Care Unit (not the hospital, but in the specific unit) for two years, and to repay the $6,000.00 if I leave prior to the end of the two years. Normally I wouldn't care, but my husband may be transferred with his job, and he is our major bread-winner, earning more than twice what I do.

My question is: Does anyone have any experience with these situations? Has anyone had a situation where the hospital actually enforces these contracts?

Any information or insights will be appreciated!

[imanedrn]

I'm a new R. N. who has worked a year in Med/Surg in a Las Vegas hospital. I was recently accepted in our Critical Care Unit, which I really want to do. The bad news is, they are telling me that since it will cost the hospital $6,000.00 to train me, they require me to sign a contract to stay in the Critical Care Unit (not the hospital, but in the specific unit) for two years, and to repay the $6,000.00 if I leave prior to the end of the two years. Normally I wouldn't care, but my husband may be transferred with his job, and he is our major bread-winner, earning more than twice what I do.

My question is: Does anyone have any experience with these situations? Has anyone had a situation where the hospital actually enforces these contracts?

Any information or insights will be appreciated!

I'm in Vegas and had the same "problem." Not sure what hospital you're at... but I was trained as a new grad in med/surg and had to sign a contract owing them 12 months (after my training period) OR $2,000. I'm not looking to leave any time soon, but I'm pretty sure they'd enforce it, if I HAD to leave for some reason.

[TazziRN, RN]

Not in Vegas but in CA, my first hospital made us sign 18-month contracts in exchange for 6-month preceptorships. I'm talking intense training in your chosen area. If you left before the 18 months there was no financial ding but we were told that we would not be given favorable references and would not be eligible for rehire. (This was before employers were no longer allowed to say anything more than dates of hire and termination.)

[VegasDude]

I'm in Vegas and had the same "problem." Not sure what hospital you're at... but I was trained as a new grad in med/surg and had to sign a contract owing them 12 months (after my training period) OR $2,000. I'm not looking to leave any time soon, but I'm pretty sure they'd enforce it, if I HAD to leave for some reason.

I'm at one of the HCA hospitals. From the looks of the contract, it doesn't really look like a lawyer put it together, but my lawyers says it's enough to enforce if the hospital wants to go to the trouble of enforcing it, which is The Big Question.

[VegasDude]

Not in Vegas but in CA, my first hospital made us sign 18-month contracts in exchange for 6-month preceptorships. I'm talking intense training in your chosen area. If you left before the 18 months there was no financial ding but we were told that we would not be given favorable references and would not be eligible for rehire. (This was before employers were no longer allowed to say anything more than dates of hire and termination.)

My sense is that the hospital would rely more on procedural intimidation rather than actually going to court for enforcement, but then again, the other side is that if they don't enforce some of these contracts, word gets out and they become a paper tiger. I know that nurses job hop a lot, and there is indeed a nursing shortage, so hospitals are going to great lengths to recruit and keep nurses. I'm happy with my hospital and excited about going to progressive care and don't plan on leaving unless my husband gets transferred.

Thank you for your insights.