MO Hospital offering $5,000 sign-on bonus to new grads

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Missouri hospital offers nursing students $5K sign-on bonuses

Hmm...seems to me they're suffering from a nursing shortage. They certainly don't offer sign-on bonuses to new grads when they have a glut of graduate nurses from which to choose.

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

I recently took a spot that had a sign on bonus but you had to have Level 1 Trauma experience of 2+ years. So I feel like there is an experience shortage for sure in some of these towns.

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I think I am personally familiar with those hospitals offering bonuses in MO. The ratio is 1:6 for a step down cardiac unit. Not sure what med/surg is but I imagine it is similarly outrageous. There are nurses who can manage it, but I consider this unsafe. And this was on a day with full staffing!

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Specializes in L&D, OBED, NICU, Lactation.

My hospital will offer bonuses if people ask, despite other organizations in this area offering up to $10K. They changed our tuition reimbursement policy to EXCLUDE programs leading to NP or CNM though...bastards! I've taken sign-on bonuses with and without a contract. Depends on what I need/want at the time.

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac-step down, tele, med surg.

I recently accepted a job with a sign on bonus in the ER. The hospital sought experienced ER nurses who will stay for at least a year. I really like the hospital and department so far. I think that a sign on bonus does not necessarily mean the hospital is terrible, but that for some reason they are having a hard time retaining staff, which is sometimes just a supply and demand thing, not bad working conditions. I do encourage people to research the facility before signing on though.

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3 year contract at Mercy to get the sign-on bonus (paid at 90 days) - if you leave before the contract is complete the bonus is prorated. The bonus is part of a push to remove travel nurses. ratio is 3:1 in ED. Any trauma, CVA, STEMI goes 1:1 automatically.

Honestly, I've been really impressed with the new management and direction of Mercy locally. complete positive change of management 1 year ago from director up to C-level. Some departments are fully staffed after hiring during the last round in June.

If you pick up OT currently "Mercy Pay" is an option. 20 to 30 dollars an hour on top of their OT pay, resulting in an hourly pay of ~$60-$65. As a manager put it "we're paying travel nurses that rate - why not pay our own people the same rate".

It's great for new grads here.

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
3 year contract at Mercy to get the sign-on bonus (paid at 90 days) - if you leave before the contract is complete the bonus is prorated. The bonus is part of a push to remove travel nurses. ratio is 3:1 in ED. Any trauma, CVA, STEMI goes 1:1 automatically.

Honestly, I've been really impressed with the new management and direction of Mercy locally. complete positive change of management 1 year ago from director up to C-level. Some departments are fully staffed after hiring during the last round in June.

If you pick up OT currently "Mercy Pay" is an option. 20 to 30 dollars an hour on top of their OT pay, resulting in an hourly pay of ~$60-$65. As a manager put it "we're paying travel nurses that rate - why not pay our own people the same rate".

It's great for new grads here.

Wow, that sounds awesome.

I wish more places would follow suit.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am not speaking for all such positions, but in my 21 years, offering anyone a sign-on bonus, to me, signals trouble in these times of grads coming out every year in such numbers. Usually it's a toxic environment or so grossly understaffed that the bonus means nothing in terms of what a nurse will face taking such a position.

Yes, there are rural areas in need, pockets. I have been a rural nurse and it's hard to get people to leave bright lights and big cities to the Great Plains, where I used to live.

But in my current market, a sign-on bonus means "Danger, danger Will Robinson, run the other way".

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A sign on bonus is a temporary spike in pay and usually spread out enough that it doesn't make a huge difference. I find it gimmicky and prefer to avoid gimmicky places. A higher wage for "forever" would be preferable.

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Specializes in ninja nursing.

Mercy, the hospital this bonus is at, and Cox are the only two hospitals in Springfield. They run a duopoly in that region of south Missouri and north Arkansas. They are extremely dishonest and greedy companies that pay their nurses horribly. Actually ALL employees. Techs make minimum wage. Nurses start out with a BSN at $19 and they cap them at $29 (with 25 cent per year raises). I graduated from Cox College a few years ago and most of us left the area. Cox and Mercy have an agreement that you cannot leave one hospital and go to the other for a raise. The hospitals like to talk about the cost of living being lower but it really isn't.

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Specializes in ninja nursing.

I graduated there. They have two nursing schools but pay nothing for BSNs. It was $19 when I left and I had $30 grand in student loans.

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just joint a travel company and travel there. Don't fall into the trap of getting stuck with a signing bonus

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
just joint a travel company and travel there. Don't fall into the trap of getting stuck with a signing bonus

The article and OP is about sign-on bonuses for new grads. New grads cannot become travelers.

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