I have an offer to enter into a Critical Care Nurse Residency Program that will give me seven months of training for critical care. However, I will need to sign a contract to stay at this particular place of employment for three years. And if I decide to leave before the three years I will have to pay a penalty of $8,000.00 for early termination of contract.
So, I would like to know other nurses opinions about this before I make the decision because I do not see it as being a very good deal.
Remember that the $8,000.00 is NOT for a signing bonus!
Penalty? Penalty?! H*ll no! this kind of negative-reinforcement behaviour should not be rewarded.
I think those that offer these programs have had their own share of "negative-reinforcement" when they spend time and money on new grads to train them to be ICU nurses and they walk out on them with their newly marketable skills.
I'm not a nurse yet, but I'd say no way! I live in California, and out here they pay you to stay on board with no such thing as a contract that forces you to work a certain amount of time.....especially with a monetary penalty as the consequence of leaving early. I would endure the former, especially if I were in the armed forces....but the later (monetary penalty), heck no. I can't believe that. Conspiracy theory... what if part of the plan was to take in new nurses with the intention of finding a reason for letting them go before their three years came around? Something fishy with whoever in their hiring/retention department is thinking. You have TONS of opportunities. Definitely keep looking.
Hmmm, looks like location plays a crucial role in what you can expect from your employer as far as "benefits". All situations are dynamic. I hope the right factors play in your favor.
I'm not a nurse yet, but I'd say no way! I live in California, and out here they pay you to stay on board with no such thing as a contract that forces you to work a certain amount of time.....especially with a monetary penalty as the consequence of leaving early. I would endure the former, especially if I were in the armed forces....but the later (monetary penalty), heck no. I can't believe that. Conspiracy theory... what if part of the plan was to take in new nurses with the intention of finding a reason for letting them go before their three years came around? Something fishy with whoever in their hiring/retention department is thinking. You have TONS of opportunities. Definitely keep looking.
I live in California also. I also live in one of those "rural" areas that the original poster was probably talking about. There is only ONE hospital within reasonable driving distance that is offering a New Grad ICU program. The next nearest one is 100 miles away. They also told me that they expect me to sign on for a number of years with them if I get accepted into the program. The amount of opportunity is relative. If I was single and mobile, the abundance is probably true. But I'm not. There are only eight positions being offered for this program and the number of openings between the hospitals in our area are a lot less than the number of nurses that just graduated.
First off, if you can find a job elsewhere then do so. Granted it might not be in an ICU. I understand your reservations of living in small town and what if you don't like it. Again, how far away is this town from your home area? How far away is another town you would like better and how much do you enjoy driving.
I would tend to look at the fact signing a 3 year contract to me is more like a guarantee that for 3 years I would have job security that I would not be laid off. If a lay off were to occur and your job went . The contract would be null and void and it would be through no fault of your own that you lost your job. Same is you were fired, I suspect you would not have to pay this fee. The employer is simply trying to ensure that they will not invest a lot of time and money into someone who will not take the training and run. I understand this. Think of it as free education , with the ability to then hone your skills.
You have a choice, you can either sign on or not. There are nurses, especially those who are still out there trying to find their first job who would kill for the chance you have.
The decision is up to you. If you are uncomfortable , don't do it. I see it as a wonderful opportunity for you.
It wouldn't be something I wouldn't be willing to do, however when you consider how much training is involved and the cost....the hospital wants to make sure the dollars invested, and the investment property (you) are worth their money. According to our educators, full 20-22 week orientation to the ER with accompanying classes costs between 40k-50k. If I am the manager I want someone to stay. If I invest that heavily in your training. Why should another hospital benefit from my creation? Namely, your new skill set.
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Well, at least they are telling you upfront. One of the things I would be curious about is their retention rate. I doesn't sound very desireable, either, but it sounds to me that they may have trouble keeping people there. Continue to explore other options before throwing in the towel for this one.
Everyone has some very valid points. There is the good and the bad when it comes to a situation like this.
BAD-
what kind of retention rate does this hospital have that it needs to have such a high penalty if you leave before three years?
Will your hourly pay suffer because you're hired on at a new grad rate, only to stay at a new grad rate for three years?? (minus the tiny little raises you get once a year wht is that , like 2 to 3 %??)
This is a sneaky thing to do, get you into the interview and THEN tell you about the 8 grand.
8 grand is a lot of money. I might be less pessimistic about it if it was $5k.
GOOD--
After the three years is up, you'll have AWESOME experience and won't need to prove yourself when applying for another ICU job.
After three years your pay will go up considerably (mine doubled when I left my first ICU job after 2 years, literally)
If you can find another hospital that will train you without these constraints, then go for it. But when I was a new grad and got into ICU, I felt like I was one lucky cookie. I had the opportunity of a lifetime, but it took me having friends in high places just to get that job. Soooo,, if you do find a job in another ICU that will train you, imagine how many other new graduates will be competing for it.
I would think long and hard before agreeing or disagreeing to this contract. It does have it's drawbacks, but also it will give you a very nice experience if you decide to take it.
If you are from Wisconsin and this program is in the center of state, I believe I work at the hospital you are considering. If so, please consider this.
We are a level 2 trauma center and get patients from all over the state and the country.
We have a lot of technology that other hospitals in the area don't have.
Our Heart Care program is one of the best in the state and we do a lot of off-pump procedures.
We have recently been designated as in the top 1% of hospitals in the nation.
We are consistently in the top 100 cardiovascular hospitals in the nation.
We have an ICU/SICU, CCU, NICU and PICU, so you may have a choice if one doesn't suit you.
I haven't noticed a problem with keeping or getting nurses here due to the quality of the hospital or care we give, it's mainly due to the extreme weather that we experience. I know that most of the nurses in the area I work in have over 10 years of experience here in the hospital and one of them has been here for 25 years. this is as a nurse, he was here for over 15 years before that as an orderly and an OT tech.
If you want to ask further questions, feel free to contact me.
Well, at least they are telling you upfront. One of the things I would be curious about is their retention rate. I doesn't sound very desireable, either, but it sounds to me that they may have trouble keeping people there. Continue to explore other options before throwing in the towel for this one.
They may be sick and tired of trianing people only to have them leave after they get some experience under their belt. I don't think retention is a factor because of poor morale, poor staffing or the manager is up your butt every second of your life! It is probably because of that one clause in most everyone's hiring credo, "must have at least one year of experience"! They'll do that one year and move on to greener pastures.
Now that I see it's s small town, I can tell you precisely what the problem is, from bitter personal experience.
I moved to a very small town from NYC. Became a nurse. Went into a unit - LTC - on which everyone, from aides to the DON, is related to one another. EVeryone in the facility is related to one another. And they were very mean to me, who was perceived as a big old snob city outsider.
They can't keep people because they are tormented right off of the unit.
I'm back in that facility, but not on the floor, and am doing fine. But my boss has advanced degrees and LIKES that I'm going on for the MSN, and doesn't think that I want her job because I am interested in learning.
This is only my experience, but if you are moving to a small town you will have a terrible time making friends - yeah, it's safe and friendly, but you will be the outsider, you will have a hard time creating a social life, and you will have a hard time fitting in on the unit, which will be full of unspoken local traditions to which you are not privy.
This is only my experience, but if you are moving to a small town you will have a terrible time making friends - yeah, it's safe and friendly, but you will be the outsider, you will have a hard time creating a social life, and you will have a hard time fitting in on the unit, which will be full of unspoken local traditions to which you are not privy.
YMMV.
Thanks for the slam on small towns. I used to live in a big city. I GUESS NOTHING LIKE THAT EVER HAPPENS IN THE BIG CITY CAUSE THEY'RE MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN US SMALL TOWN FOLKS.
Thanks for the slam on small towns. I used to live in a big city. I GUESS NOTHING LIKE THAT EVER HAPPENS IN THE BIG CITY CAUSE THEY'RE MORE SOPHISTICATED THAN US SMALL TOWN FOLKS.
Besides you, who said anything about city people being more sophisticated? She was just sharing her experience moving from a large city to a small one... Take some deep breaths!
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fragino
155 Posts
I think those that offer these programs have had their own share of "negative-reinforcement" when they spend time and money on new grads to train them to be ICU nurses and they walk out on them with their newly marketable skills.