Is Getting Into Nursing School Earlier Worth A Four Year Contract?

[Sheri257]

I thought you guys would be interested in this because I know getting into nursing schools with waiting lists is a big deal. I have a friend who's been waiting two years to get in, and has one more year to go before she starts. Most students are in her position and are also waiting two years.

So ... as a solution, the school has worked out a deal with two local hospitals. They pay for everything, and you go to school nights and do labs and clinicals on weekends because the classrooms and lab is available during those times. It's going to cost the hospitals $33,000 per student to do this because the state is not going to subsidize the cost of these extra students. The hospitals are basically paying the school to do this.

Because it's going to cost the hospitals so much, they're requiring the students to sign a four year contract to work there when they graduate. I don't know for sure but, I think they're also going to require the students to work as CNA's during school, since they've required us to work as CNA's when we've done externships there.

So, even though you will have tons of other job choices when you do graduate, you'll have to work for those hospitals for four years. One of the hospitals is an absolute nightmare to work for and, the reason they're probably doing this is because none of us current students who have worked as externs and done clinicals there before will work there. In the last graduating class of 30 or more students only three people went to work there. The other hospital is better but, there are also better job options out there than what they have to offer.

So ... would it still be worth it to you? I'm trying to advise my friend on this but, I may be biased because I didn't have to wait two years to get into school. On the other hand, she only has one more year to go and, when you do get into school and start doing clinicals at all of these different hospitals, you do realize how many options are out there and how crazy it can be to lock yourself into one place for four years.

All of us who are in school have changed our minds ten times when it comes to decisions about where we want to work because there's so many things we can do and places where we can work. I guess that's why a four year commitment seems really long to me, and not necessarily worth it. But, like I said, that's easy for me to say since I don't have much longer to go before I graduate, which is why I'm asking for your opinion.

What do you think?

:typing

[JaxiaKiley]

I think it could be a good deal if they required less time and were willing to agree to fair wages.

Does that hospital offer tuition pay back for employees? Seems like the students are getting the short end of the stick if they have to sign such a long contract when they will pay for their other employees to further their education without a contract.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

i think it could be a good deal if they required less time and were willing to agree to fair wages.

does that hospital offer tuition pay back for employees? seems like the students are getting the short end of the stick if they have to sign such a long contract when they will pay for their other employees to further their education without a contract.

the reason you are seeing this kind of program is because there are not enough hospital employees who are using that particular benefit. also, hospitals traditionally put a cap on the amount of money they pay out in tuition reimbursement for the very reason that they have put a 4 year work requirement on these contracts--so they reap the benefit of it. you would be surprised at how many rns do not utilize their tuition reimbursement benefit to go back to school to get their bsns, or cnas using that benefit to get their rns.

yet, on the other side, you could also say that the hospital is also getting the short end of the stick. they have to be patient and tolerate the training periods of these employees who they have pretty much guaranteed jobs to. the hospital has pretty much provided each student with their clinical area for school and on the job training. it's a relief for many students to get their first job out of school in a hospital where they have done many of their clinical rotations because they are familiar with the place. that is a big consideration that should be thought about. if an employee has a difficult time acclimating to their new roles and orientation isn't long enough, the hospital is still stuck with them. the hospital is pretty much obligated to keep on these students as employees unless they do something really, really gross to violate hospital policies that they can dismiss them for. i would like to know what the liability of the student is if the hospital dismisses them. are they obligated to pay back the tuition the hospital has already paid out? or, is it forfeited by the hospital? the hospital is going to have to do all they can to support these people through their scholastic program as well since the college is going to be mighty upset if a class of 30 dwindles down to a class of 5 due to actions on the part of the hospital. that would have been 25 spots that could have gone to people who would have seriously wanted to work hard for an rn. the state board of nursing would also have some serious questions if they see this going on since they do monitor statistics of the schools in their states. so, each side has pros and cons to their positions.

[sunnyjohn]

If they had a resonable buyout, so I could leave if I had to, I might consider it.

I take it there is none since it was not mentioned?

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

So ... would it still be worth it to you? I'm trying to advise my friend on this but, I may be biased because I didn't have to wait two years to get into school. On the other hand, she only has one more year to go and, when you do get into school and start doing clinicals at all of these different hospitals, you do realize how many options are out there and how crazy it can be to lock yourself into one place for four years.

All of us who are in school have changed our minds ten times when it comes to decisions about where we want to work because there's so many things we can do and places where we can work. I guess that's why a four year commitment seems really long to me, and not necessarily worth it. But, like I said, that's easy for me to say since I don't have much longer to go before I graduate, which is why I'm asking for your opinion.

What do you think?

:typing

Nope. Others most certainly will jump to this,without thinking about or knowing the possible downfalls of the arrangement. And there are many. Places will open on the "real" waiting list because of it; still others ahead of her on the list will make other choices. If she can afford to wait and see when she'll get placement, she'll be better off.

Some of my former classmates committed to similar arrangements (though no one at all agreed to four years indentured servitude). For some, a guaranteed job for a year or two was fine. Beyond that, forget it. Too many offers out there. I know of one hospital that has a deal where you work for one hour for every dollar they spend on your tuition assistance....umm...working for a BUCK an HOUR for repayment? Not in my lifetime.

Also, an agreement to work for 4 years doesn't mean she'll be getting the best payscale she could; she can absolutely be sure she'll be at the bottom of the barrel for unit assignments and shift changes. She'll have not a single thing to stand on to demand any better for herself.

[Sheri257]

If they had a resonable buyout, so I could leave if I had to, I might consider it.

I take it there is none since it was not mentioned?

Not sure yet ... but the hospitals are going to have to pay $33,000 per student to do this. So, I assume, that any buyout price tag could be pretty hefty if you wanted to get out of the four year commitment.

:typing

[tiffnshaker]

I can lend a little bit of experience to this thread because I've signed a 3 year work commitment with my employer.

I'm in an accellerated (16 month) program that's being funded half by the state of michigan and half by the health system I work for. The deal was that 60 of the hospital employees who had all of their pre-req's finished attend class at an off college campus site and do their clinicals at the hospital. Our "off-site" campus ended up being at the hospitals' coorporate headquarters where we have an enforced business attire dress code. Our teachers and clinical instructors come over from the college. We attend class and clinicals 12 hours a day twice a week and have some kind of crappy mandatory 6 hour self study time at coorportate too. This is an extra six hours that 'normal' students wouldn't have to attend. They pay for our tuition and books, and some of us got a computer.

In return we have to maintain employment at the hospital while we're students and commit to 3 years as an RN at the hospital afterwards.

What they don't tell you is that basically they own you and could give a crap how much you give up personally to be in their program. They are doing you a favor in their minds because you aren't personally paying for anything. And lord don't complain about their incompetent teachers or question anything at all because there are 300 people behind you scratching and clawing to be where you are.

I'm in my second year now with 7 months to go and if I had known it would be this bad I'd have paid for everything myself. We all pretty much are working at least 30 hours because our department managers wont let us go down to part time hours. We all have a huge monkey on our back because if we fail any classes or our attendence gets bad at work and we get fired we'll be in breach of contract and have to pay back about $10,000. This just happened to a friend of mine who is in the program with me. The hospital is giving us a $400 a month stipend on top of this but if we fall below an 80% grade in our class we immediately have to pay that back along with whatever $$ we have received previously. We're talking wage garnishment and everything. And when the hospital pays our tuition late the school takes it out of our financial aid and any aid we can get is held up.

The program is so intensive because it's accelerated that there is no way I can work full time and go to school full time as well, even though we were told it's "highly possibly to do this program and work full time if we are focused" before we signed the contract. I'm having to borrow money and go into debt anyhow just to keep my house, so why not attend school on my own terms and be free of the huge burdan on my back if I don't succeed.

Originally there were 60 of us and we're down to about 40 people left going into the second year. If you get pregnant, sick, your husband gets a job transfer, or you don't maintain your 80% academic standing, well then, oh well that's your problem and you are in breach of contract.

Not to mention that when you do graduate you're competing with 60 other new grads for spots at that hospital and your choices for a position in an area that you want to work may be limited.

This may be good deal for some who really want to get through school as quickly as possible, but personally had I known there were other options at the time I would have found another way.

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

They will basically own you for 4 years. That means that you will be doing all the shifts nobody else wants. You will also likely be working all the holidays. As a new nurse, even after orientation, you will feel safer if you are on a day shift with lots of other staff around to ask if you have a problem etc. With these contracts you are just as likely to wind up on a shift with very few other staff and if there is a problem, well, it's your license. I have seen this happen so many times, it's not funny. The pay back is usually pro rata, so unless you have the money to buy yourself out AT ANY TIME over that 4 year period, I would not want to commit to it. I would rather wait and be more in control of my own destiny.