New Grad RN and Military Wife Frustration

[coastiewifern]

The past six months have been extremely frustrating to me. I graduated in May and began working as an RN in the same ER that I had worked in as a tech for the past two years. My husband is in the Coast Guard and has already been transferred once this year and will be transferred again this coming August. I opted to stay and gain experience in a department that I am very comfortable before going to our next duty station. Unfortunately I spoke up too soon about leaving this coming summer (shame on me), and now am having troubles with my employer allowing me to do continuing education (specifically TNCC) because "since you are such a recent graduate and you are leaving this summer we will get more bang for our buck by letting someone else attend." I feel completely discriminated against and threatened because I was also told I would have to repay the hospital for the education that I have done. Is this allowed? I am completely irritated by this because it's not my fault my husband is married to the government. :angryfire

[stiney77]

Sorry to hear about your situation. I think the hospitals at times care more about the dollar

[megykilo]

sorry to hear that. my husband is also in the coast guard, but we arent due to transfer again until 2 years after i graduate. i know what you mean about some health care facilities not caring about anything but a dollar. i would feel discriminated against, too and i hope everything works out for you. where is your husband transferring to?

[coastiewifern]

We don't know where we're going yet. He's stationed in Elizabeth City, NC and will be graduating from AMT "A" school in August. We should know where we're going by June I think. I'm excited to move. Hopefully we'll go somewhere fun.

[megykilo]

funny! my husband is an AMT3 as well, and he graduated this past august. i hope you get stationed somewhere fun too! i wish i was already done with school like you are! elizabeth city is pretty neat, i lived there for about 4 years when my dad was in the coast guard, and i went back for my husbands graduation this summer. good luck with everything, and my bet is that we will probably cross paths some time. :)

[BikerDi]

Don't feel discriminated against. My hospital and all the other hospitals in my area are spending so much money for orientation of new staff and then when they leave before 2 years they are making the employee/former employee reimburse the hospital. I have worked there for 16 years, but can tell you that it is hard also for the seasoned staff to continue to have new staff. It is like a revolving door. For instance, our unit has lost all of the staff that were hired 3 years ago.

I understand how you feel too. Because they won't want to spead more money on you, but you can pay for the TNCC yourself if you really want to take it. That is what I would do. Just get as much experience as you can, it will only make you a better nurse.

Enjoy your opportunities where you find them!

[coastiewifern]

I guess my frustration comes from the fact that it's not my decision to leave, but I'm going to be punished for it. My husband's job determines where we live and how long we live there. I've worked for this hospital for almost 3 years in a couple different positions all within the same department. Sometimes I feel like it really wasn't all that beneficial to stay here while my husband is in school 300 miles away.

[mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP]

My old facility just started a policy regarding this. You are required to stay 6 months post certification or pay it back to them.

My current facility does not pay for TNCC or ENPC because they are not required despite the fact we take some traumas because we have ortho (even though 99% of the time our ortho is on call).

I had already obtained ENCP and TNCC from my previous employer but I'll have to pay to keep them up to date if I stay with my current employer.

[wayunderpaid]

Regarding the comment that hospitals are spending so much money to orient people, and they are asking them to pay back if they leave?? That is ridiculous and outrageous.

The reason hospitals are revolving doors is because they are not interested in retaining the nurses they have. Can you imagine what would happen if a unit spent a little more money on nurses who already worked there, instead of having to train so many. My unit has 4 people on orientation now and 4 coming on in march. 10 nurses have left since november. If I was a NM I would be questioning why people are leaving, some to take different jobs in the same system.

To the OP, did you sign an agreement about getting education money in exchange for a service commitment? That is what is sounds like from your post. If that is the case, I feel that your employer may be right, regardless of your husband's transfer. Just think about the Coast Guard. Your husband got an education in exchange for time commitment (or else, a sign on bonus). Just because your company is not part of the armed forces, it does not mean that the expectation of service shouldn't be similar.

A bit of advice for next time. Find out how far in advance notice is required for your place of employment, and fulfill such obligation. If you are supposed to give a 30 day notice, keep your mouth shut until 4:59 pm exactly one month before you leave. That is what I did on my previous job and it paid off!! (I told my employer I was leaving after an all expenses paid educational trip to Europe. I worked for them for 5 years and I deserved it just as much as anyone else, but I KNOW they would have not let me go if they had known)

wayunderpaid

[coastiewifern]

I have not agreed to any service commitment with this hospital in exchange for education. I paid my own way through school, and have started in on the required continuing education for my department (which is what they are refusing). My manager never did come back with the policy about having to repay the cost. She is notorious for intimidating and passive aggressively pushing people to do what she wants, not what her employees want.