Is nursing pay decreased if you take advantage of perks?

[RNS5]

Would a facility pay a nurse less if he or she takes advantage of loan forgiveness or tuition reimbursement? In other words, because the nurse signs a contract to work for the facility for a certain amount of years does this enable the facility to pay them less since the nurse is now "stuck" with them? I hope this question is clear. I am just trying to figure out my options before I sign any contracts in hopes of getting my student loans forgiven or paid for. Thanks for any advice you can offer!

[PAERRN20]

No, they shouldn't. I took advantage of tuition reimbursement. I get paid the same whether I took the "extras" or not. Usually the only time you'd make a different amount is you when you are causal/per diem/PRN. In those cases though you don't get benefits but you get a higher hourly pay. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you sign ANY contract. Some hospitals are awful and somewhere you wouldn't wanna be for a shift left alone a whole contract. Hope that helps...good luck.

[llg, PhD, RN]

It depends on the specific employer and the deal you make with them. Tuition reimbursement programs don't usually reduce your salary. But some "loan repayment" programs do.

Of course, you may also have to pay back any funds you received if you don't fulfill your end of the contract. If you hate the job, etc. and want to quit for any reason, you have to take that into consideration. Read the fine print very carefully before you sign anything. You might also want to run any contract by a lawyer first.