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I am a newly licensed RN in New York and I am having a dilema. I was recently hired at a nursing home and rehab but things seem strange. they have asked me to volunteer one or two weeks of my orientation! During the interview I kept being told "I hope you are long term". Then as I left the interview other employees, as I was introduced, made similar remarks along the lines of are you the one that is going to stay.

Because I am a new nurse, and single mother who NEEDS to work, I accepted but now I regret it. I was told by my instructor that this is not common practice and they must have a high turn over rate. What if this place is not safe for me as a new nurse and then I worked for them for free! Another nurse 8 years in the field told me I should not have accepted that.

Yesterday was my first day and I went in at 7 am, I basically sat around for 3 hours because 2 RN's and 2 CNA's had called out. the night nurse was there until 930am, 2.5 hours past her shift trying to figure things out. Also there is no union and they have not even given a salary or benefit package.

what should I do? Is there any organization I can call to find out if this is right? Also you should know I attained this interview from a family friend that is also an RN supervisor in this nursing home, I do not want to let her down but I think she was not truthful or straight forward about the situation.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
Thank you for all the advice! You guys really solidified my feeling that this was wrong and I should advocate for myself. I am not good at any type of confrontation so any speaking tips/points would be appreciated!

No need for confrontation. Simply and respectfully say, "I'm sorry. I just cannot work here or anywhere else for free. I'm no longer a student; I have a valid professional nursing license, and I need a paying job that offers some sort of benefits."

There are quite a few threads on here discouraging RNs from accepting insulting wages for our education, skills, and knowledge. The world as we know it will cease to exist if you new guys start entering the workforce for free. Of course, this is an over-dramatization.:)

But, if you start out working for nothing, you've just shown them that they can offer you next to nothing...benefit and salary-wise; not to mention dealing a huge blow to all that our nursing organizations have fought so hard over the years for. It will take you years to make a decent wage with that company. And, I doubt that any of your future concerns would be taken seriously, if even heard, should you choose to remain with the company.

Wage-free orientation is NOT the answer to an obvious management/nurse-retention problem.

Specializes in Dialysis.

So just say thank you for the opportunity but I cannot work for free or even start without seeing my benefit package?

I think the reason that they made you sign a contract for volunteering training is in their own best interest (OF WHICH I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH). But, perhaps they are used to having interviewed for many people for the position, hired them, paid for training and having the nurse quit soon after..its like a bad cycle of lost revenue. So although its is not right nor may be illegal but if you signed a contract then you "agreed" to volunteer your time which then it is not illegal?.....

With all that said, I personally would not come to orientation/training and not be paid, my time is precious especially if you are a single mom where you have to provide for your child. Continue to look at other places for employment, and as other posters suggested have a meeting with HR to discuss being paid for training...

Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
I think the reason that they made you sign a contract for volunteering training is in their own best interest (OF WHICH I TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH). But, perhaps they are used to having interviewed for many people for the position, hired them, paid for training and having the nurse quit soon after..its like a bad cycle of lost revenue. So although its is not right nor may be illegal but if you signed a contract then you "agreed" to volunteer your time which then it is not illegal?.....

With all that said, I personally would not come to orientation/training and not be paid, my time is precious especially if you are a single mom where you have to provide for your child. Continue to look at other places for employment, and as other posters suggested have a meeting with HR to discuss being paid for training...

Whether you are a single mom or an heiress is immaterial. The fact is, when you sell yourself short, you sell all of us short. It's really hard for the rest of us to keep fighting for decent pay and benefits if there is a whole pool of applicants who'll work for peanuts. (Or not even peanuts.)

Ideally we'd all be unionized (don't get me started on that) and no employer would be pulling such shenanigans. But the least we can all do is not be willing to work for nothing. Orientation is work, and needs to be compensated.

The only exception is to volunteer for a reputable charity if money is no issue. Otherwise, do not work for free. It devalues us all.

Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
So just say thank you for the opportunity but I cannot work for free or even start without seeing my benefit package?

I can't tell you what to say. But that is exactly what I'd say!!! Nursing professionals do NOT work for minimum wage....definitely not less! The fact that a NURSE in a position of hiring would even SUGGEST that another nurse WORK FOR FREE makes me want to suggest that he or she lead by example!:smokin: At the end of the two weeks, let's meet and discuss the pay situation again.:cautious:

Specializes in Dialysis.

You are right and I even spoke to the "family friend" before I go to HR tomorrow and she just said that if she was me she would take it. I am going to listen to everyone advice here and stand up for myself!

Specializes in Dialysis.

I wanted to update everyone. They asked not to come in person because the doh has been there all week,which is why o was smuggled out of the building on the first day. I called and it was explained to me that if I don't do the one week I would not be hired.also she claried that during that week I would just be shadowing and taking notes. Which does not make it better anyhow. She said they are asking me to volunteer because I have no experience and in order to train me for 3 weeks they need me to volunteer one. Mind you originally they wanted me to volunteer two of those weeks! The wan told me well we just hired and LPN and she will be volunteering 2 weeks so I don't know how you only got one! Basically she said call me Friday when you make up your mind.

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