Bella_CO

Also here's an update: I've been working at a wonderful hospital that is almost always full staffed with RNs and PCTs!! ?? Most of the employees do their job and we try our best to work together and help each other! It's really night and day from my previous terrible experiences. I actually can't believe how naive I was to sign the contract, but you live and you learn. I definitely encourage anyone who works under similar conditions to speak up. I went to the highest chain of command about the working conditions, and he didn't even hear what I had to say, which is why I finally decided to leave HCA.

I was very fortunate, and I have not heard from HCA since. You may have a completely different experience than me and some of my fellow cohort.

Yes, I think the whole StaRN program was an ingenious financial idea because the first 7 weeks of the program we were taught by 1-2 nurses for 50 new graduate employees. That's very cost-effective orientation. In most of my coworkers opinions, we thought the first 7 weeks were mostly a waste of time and money. The simulation and EKG were the two most helpful things we did, which could've only required about 1 week to do.

It wouldn't have been so unsafe and unmanageable if we had CNA's on our unit. If the employers do not want to lose their employees they hire, they should invest in sufficient nursing staff. Having just one CNA would have made a significant difference. Hence is why we lost a ridiculous amount of nurses in my very short experience there. That was the #1 compliant. Where I'm from, it is unheard of to have a medical-surgical without CNA's. Sorry y'all, I still don't have an update. í ½í¹í ¼í¿»

The recruiter actually lied to us about the pay raise. It's not base pay after orientation--it's much less. Yes, the first 7 weeks of orientation is class work and hospital paperwork; the last 7 weeks is on the unit with a preceptor. The patient population wasn't low acuity, which is why our patient load wasn't safe without CNA's too. I'm also talking about day shift.

It was expected of me in my nursing program's clinical rotations (especially during capstone) required me doing 99% of our preceptor job.

They mostly work for large hospital corporations, but not HCA.

I've spoken to all of my friends and colleagues who are nurses at other hospitals, and they are shocked when I explain to them all of things that happened on my unit involving staffing and management. I've also worked in the nursing field for 8 years. Through that time, I've done work at nursing homes with approximately 30 total care residents (provided all basic needs). I know what I experienced as a new graduate nurse is NOT normal (as did my coworkers who were experienced nurses). We had such a high turnover rate on our unit that most days and nights we had more agency nurses than our own. Some of my preceptors were new graduates (graduated same time as me) hired a few months prior. We lost so many of our employees that the charge nurses had 12 months nursing experience (sweet for them).

The contract is broadly written to include both termination or resignation--I would still have to pay 10k. I don't want to ruin my life with this.

Unfortunately every nurse I spoke to wanted to quit but didn't because of the contract. They were afraid to sue because we know others who did sue and lost, ended up paying more money in the end.

Most places have CNAs though, which makes a huge difference! We didn't.

Yes, you're right. But I had no option.

I did not see these issues on a busy medical-surgical unit at any hospital that I was on during nursing school clinicals or my work history as a CNA for 8 years (At least not during day shift). We consistently did not have CNA's and 5-6 patients.

Yes, I thought about that but I'm unable to pay. I was barely making ends meet despite living frugally.

Hello, I need some help! I'm a new graduate nurse that started working on a very busy medical-surgical unit in April. In order for me to accept the job, I was required to sign a 2 year contract that states if I didn't stay with the company for 2 years, I'd have to pay them $10,000 in 60 days. I was never given any type of bonus pay--I was only offered the job. I've only been working for the company for 6 months, and I couldn't take it any more. They treated me like a slave and paid me like one too! Sometimes I would not be able to take a lunch break. Every shift I felt like I was risking my patient's lives and my nursing license because I didn't have enough time to provide all of their care! I never would have signed the contract if the manager told me the truth about the unit! She told me the nurse-patient ratio was 1:4. She didn't tell me we rarely have CNA's on our floor. Only after 7 weeks of orientation on my unit, I was consistently assigned 5 and sometimes 6 patients--with no CNA! I was told by my preceptor (who trains people on our unit) to omit critical nursing assessments/tasks because we don't have time (of course they all chart they did those things, but I refuse to follow their advise). Everyone else was too busy to help me too, even the charge nurses. There were many shifts that I was assigned 5-6 patients and all the other experienced nurses were assigned 3-4 patients! On those same days, I was also assigned the most challenging patients together. It was completely unfair for the patients and for me! Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that HCA organization truly values money $$ over patient safety and care! I don't know what to do. I'm waiting to hear back from a lawyer on some legal advise. I don't feel like it is fair for me to pay them $10,000 for their poor staffing issues and unfair treatment! Apparently the debt is going to collections. Do you have any ideas on what to do?!