I PASSED PHARM/Question about hospital recruitment contracts

jessjoy · Dec 20, 2002

I know what you mean. They are "wooing" us at every clinical site we go to. I actually am signing on for two years at a hosptial. But I work as an intern there. I don't think I would be comfortable signing on somewhere where I didn't know how the nurses interacted, how they treated students and new grads, etc...... The hospital I work at is great and I feel comfortable "signing away" my life for 2 years.

NurseWeasel · Dec 20, 2002

Oh, great. Now you gotta throw Insta-Recruiting into the mix! LOL

I can certainly understand your hesitation... how do we know so early in our training (not to mention career / experience) what we want to do for the 2 years following graduation? Yikes. I think I'll hold out til just before I graduate (so I say NOW, lol) and evaluate my options at that time.

Awfully tempting, though, isn't it. Anybody else sign on early in the game?

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2002

A hospital around me is offering $20,000 tuition reimbursement to alums of my program if we agree to work for 3 years. Most people in my class are not planning on signing up however, because they don't want to make the committment and the hospital is owned by Tenet. I'm still debating..... any thoughts?

Love-A-Nurse · Dec 20, 2002

congratulations on passing pharm!

2banurse · Dec 20, 2002

First, Congratulations on passing your pharm. final...hadn't you written on a previous post that you were really worried?

In regards to the recruiting, I would feel really hesitant to commiting to any job, especially for more than one year, until I'm towards the end of my course. Of course, I too, have feared some commitments (I guess that's why I'm 38 with 3 cats..OMG!!!!)

Kris

emily_mom · Dec 20, 2002

I guess I'm lucky, b/c only one hospital requires a contract. The others will give you $1000-2000 q 6 months you work there. I wouldn't feel comfortable signing my life away. What if you can't get in the dept you want? They will put you wherever they need you and it may be the one place you DON'T want to be...

Kristy

NurseWeasel · Dec 20, 2002

For a couple grand I can SEE not signing a contract. But for TWENTY GRAND??? OMG I'd seriously be thinking about that one. Even if it was for 3 years, being a floater or assigned to some icky dept... that's a lot of money in addition to salary.

I spent almost 5 years doing clerical (BO-ring) work at a state prison... way inside, got locked in at times and worked smack in the middle of a whole bunch of angry men. I think the boringness and beaurocracy were the worst parts. If I can do that for 5 years, I can do a bad hospital job for 3 years @ $20,000.

Just my two cents, your mileage may vary. And I'm not saying I'd do it for sure, just saying I'd have some serious internal debate going on. =)

NurseWeasel · Dec 20, 2002

OK but just thought of something else, lol.

What if your program didn't cost $20,000? Do you only get the $ up to the amount of your tuition costs? Better check the fine print.

essarge · Dec 20, 2002

Most hospitals that give you "scholarships" do it with a contract. I am contracted for 4 years where I work. The up side is that, if I decide not to stay there, the "scholarship" then turns into a loan and I just pay them back over a period of time. This works really well for me because the hospital is very familiar to me (I've worked as an extern for almost a year now) and I still have the option of paying them back should I decide not to stay there.

Find out if this is the type of thing that they are offering. If not and you want to try this hospital out, insist that they put a payback clause into your contract. With the nursing shortage as it is, we have the power, and if they want you bad enough, they will do whatever it takes to get you there!!

Gator,SN · Dec 20, 2002

I have no intention of signing a contract! A lot of the facilities around here are advertising programs, the catch is signing your life away for X amount of years. If they were so wonderful, they would not offer so much money and then ask you to SIGN! What happens if you HATE IT?? too bad your stuck because even if you quit, you have to explain where you have worked and that can make or break you. No thanks......

Gator

NurseWeasel · Dec 20, 2002

Whether you signed a contract or not, if you hate it and quit you STILL have to explain where you worked... or did I miss something?