New Grad RN program $15/hr

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I recently passed my NCLEX and was given information about a new grad RN program that my hospital system has. It starts you out paying $15/hr (only $0.25 more an hour than I was making as a CNA at the same hospital system) and requires travel to a large metropolitan area to take these classes and do sim lab just like I did during nursing school. They won't cover the costs of mileage to and from the metropolitan hospital (it's 2 hours away from me). After completing the couple weeks of travel 2 hours one way I get placed in Med-surg, PCU, or Tele, or IMCU and have to sign a 2 year contract. If I leave before 2 years I owe them $10,000.00.

Right now this is the only job I'm being offered by this hospital system. Is this standard as to what is being offered new grads? I might have a position offered at another hospital, I need to contact them first though. I just don't see how this new grad RN program is at all beneficial to me or frankly anybody else! Has anybody done a program like this before? What were your experiences?

Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

I was offered the job today, spoke with the recruiter and she told me that I had to sign ASAP so that they could do background checks. I'm not interested in signing a 2 year contract ASAP. It's freaking me out. The start date for the new grad program is June 16th, I figure I at least have until the end of the week to make a decision.

I called my director at my current hospital and essentially begged her for a job. She told me to call her after she has an HR meeting later in the week.

This is bitter sweet. I'm offered a job that I worked really hard for, but there's so much undesirable about it (for me anyways).

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I understand your concern about the 2yr contract for new grads but unfortunately this is becoming the norm in many urban hospitals, hopefully you get the job offer from your current hospital.

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Will they at least give you a copy of the contract to look over to help you decide?

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Specializes in ER, Med-surg.
Will they at least give you a copy of the contract to look over to help you decide?

They sent it to me online, I did look it over. They'll pro rate it each month, but my 2 years doesn't start until after my training.

I'm seing that the 2 years is increasingly popular, and I think I could do 2 years there, but I don't know if I could commute 2 hours one way for 4 days a week for 6 weeks. I asked if they provided hosing and they don't and there's no way for me to telecommute.

I know that the recruiter wants me to sign right now, but I'm giving myself until Friday.

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For a bit of perspective:

I graduated from nursing school in 2009 and the glut had already manifested... through word of mouth I'd found a job over 200 miles from home - home, where my full-time-working wife and school-age kid were - at a tiny hospital that barely qualified as an acute-care facility... working med-surg (which, other than a SNF, was the least desirable specialty for me)... and getting paid about half of what the RNs by my home get paid... with scant benefits... with no formalized training at all... nothing close to state-of-the-art (didn't even have wall suction or wall O2)... and needing to buy a new car in order to have something which could make it through the winter snowstorms...

Pretty much nothing about this was anything near what I'd hoped for nor expected when I launched into nursing... and yet... it was *a* job... getting paid infinitely more than nothing... and, limited though the experience would be, was at least in a hospital (of sorts)... it felt like the Devil's choice... which sucks worse... crappy job in a crappy hospital or no job at all... limited experience or no experience...

So I took it... hoping to be a competitive candidate after "one year of experience." Turns out that after one year, nobody was interested... after two years... nobody... at about 2-1/2, I finally got a nibble... at a slightly better hospital for somewhat better pay... only 80 miles from home... but only part-time with no bennies at all... and only because someone with whom I'd worked at the first place was now working at the second place... 3 years in and *finally*, I'd crossed the magic line and started getting some hits on my applications... ended up with competing FT offers, local to my home and family... and took my present job at a nationally ranked facility... with state-of-the-art equipment... super-duper sick and injured patients... great training... very good pay... great bennies...

My point being, you *need* a job... any job... though of course you *want* the best one you can possibly get, as well you should... your career needs you to get your oars in the water and starting to pull...

Yeah, $15/hr sucks... but it's a training wage...

Yeah, driving and/or staying over for training sucks... but it *is* training...

Yeah, signing a contract sucks... but (a) it's only 2 years which is probably what it would take to really be competitive for your next job, (b) part of that time is consumed by training and orientation, and © it's *only* $10,000... which, for a good job, is not too big a penalty to pay if something awesome comes along.

If you can get the better job, great. But seriously... don't shoot yourself in the foot by forgoing "barely acceptable" in the hopes of "good" or "great"

New grads are getting worked by the system, no argument... but you're still in a solid position by comparison to many, many others...

For a bit more perspective... a number of my classmates ended up in unpaid "internships" after being licensed... essentially, they paid the local nursing school to continue as "students" and a local med-surg floor "let" them come "intern"... which basically meant, "provide free, licensed nursing care on a med-surg floor under the guise of being a student."

I hope things work out to your liking.

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There will probably be other people going through the class at the same time. You might try to find out if any are willing to carpool or go in together for a hotel. The hospital might not pay for housing but nearby hotels might have a discount rate for hospital employees.

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Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

I rejected the position with the new grad program at the sister hospital. I just couldn't make the trek out 2 hours one way 4 days a week during rainy season. It was an optional program and they do hire new grads right to the floor. I asked the recruiter to ask the floor manager if she would consider me for one of their other positions. She hasn't heard anything back yet. I'll take that as a "no".

I was able to talk to my supervisor at my current hospital and she was able to find a PRN position for me which I'll interview for next week. I believe the interview is just a formality though, they've done this with other internal candidates who later get the job.

Thank you guys for all of the advice and help! This was certainly a very difficult decision to make.

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That's a tough decision to have to make; I hope your choice works out well for you.

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I rejected the position with the new grad program at the sister hospital. I just couldn't make the trek out 2 hours one way 4 days a week during rainy season. It was an optional program and they do hire new grads right to the floor. I asked the recruiter to ask the floor manager if she would consider me for one of their other positions. She hasn't heard anything back yet. I'll take that as a "no".

I was able to talk to my supervisor at my current hospital and she was able to find a PRN position for me which I'll interview for next week. I believe the interview is just a formality though, they've done this with other internal candidates who later get the job.

Thank you guys for all of the advice and help! This was certainly a very difficult decision to make.

Could i private message you?

im also from south florida.

would like to ask a few questions about the new grad program you talked about.

because it seems like the one i went to last week, just to get info, and the vibe i got was not nice from simply talking to the recruiter.

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Specializes in Assistant Professor, Nephrology, Internal Medicine.

WOW 15?? I started at 30 for my new grad residency program.

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Specializes in Public Health, Women's Health.

I'd say thanks but no thanks for $15. I worked as a new grad at the health department (low stress, good hours, learned so much) making $19 and some amount of change. No thank you. The nearby hospital was offering new grad residency for a dollar more- wasn't worth it to me. No contract and it was in a rural area in which cost of living was low. However, if it truly goes up to $22 like I think I read after a couple of months I would go for it, if it is in line with your long term goals. Let us know what you decide and good luck to you!

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