RN new grad UNPAID residency program

U.S.A. California

Published

Hi-

I'm wondering about opinions on an unpaid RN residency. My community college has just started a post-licensure 3 month training program in the local hospitals. There is no stipend and no guarantee of a job at the end- just supervised experience and the possibility of convincing people to hire you at the end. As a result, the local participating hospitals have created a moratorium on hiring new grads who have not gone through their program. The managers get to interview the candidates before selecting them for their unit. The students are responsible for paying for the hospitals background check.

Does this sound legal? Ethical? It sounds to me like the hospitals have the opportunity to get new nurses trained to their units without having to pay for it. For people who can't move out of the area, it's the only option.

Thanks

Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

It's legal for ONE reason: It's part of your school.

They are calling it a nurse residency program, but technically, it will count as a perceptorship, which is clinical hours required by your state.

The hospitals, can set whatever hiring criteria that they want.

They can charge you for the background check for the same reason...it's part of your school...ours did the same thing.

100% legal.

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I thought clinical hours and preceptorships were for student and graduate nurses?

It's legal for ONE reason: It's part of your school.

They are calling it a nurse residency program, but technically, it will count as a perceptorship, which is clinical hours required by your state.

The hospitals, can set whatever hiring criteria that they want.

They can charge you for the background check for the same reason...it's part of your school...ours did the same thing.

100% legal.

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Would someone explain to me, WHAT OTHER HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL, GRADUATES FROM THEIR PROGRAM, AND THEN IS EXPECTED TO WORK FOR FREE??

Physicians are required to do an internship before starting to practice independantly, PTs, OTs, SP, PHARMACISTS, ALL DO INTERNSHIPS BEORE THEY START INDEPENDANT PRACTICE!!And they are ALL PAID FOR THEIR INTERNSHIPS!!

Why are nurses expected to work for free after graduation? I do believe that ALL NEW GRADS, need to have an internship before they are let go to practice independantly. BUT, that does not mean that they should work for free.

I agree- take it to the Labor Board. JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

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It's legal for ONE reason: It's part of your school.

They are calling it a nurse residency program, but technically, it will count as a perceptorship, which is clinical hours required by your state.

The hospitals, can set whatever hiring criteria that they want.

They can charge you for the background check for the same reason...it's part of your school...ours did the same thing.

100% legal.

How can it be "part of your school" if it occurs after you graduate, after you're licensed, and it's not required of all students? Yes, we all have to complete clinical hours, but that's a condition of graduation -- something the OP has already met.

In this case, the institutions are not establishing "hiring criteria," only establishing under what circumstances it will allow a licensed RN to work without pay. Federal law is clear: An institution cannot use unpaid labor to displace paid employees. If a new grad is used to cover someone's vacation or leave of absence and is not paid, that's illegal. If someone else is denied overtime because free labor is used, that's illegal.

Don't get me wrong: I'm all for hospitals offering extended training programs for new grads. But unless the new grad is closely supervised and does not work independently, the institution benefits from a free labor pool. The med school interns at my hospital start at $45 k. They're not expected to work for free.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
How can it be "part of your school" if it occurs after you graduate, after you're licensed, and it's not required of all students? Yes, we all have to complete clinical hours, but that's a condition of graduation -- something the OP has already met.

In this case, the institutions are not establishing "hiring criteria," only establishing under what circumstances it will allow a licensed RN to work without pay. Federal law is clear: An institution cannot use unpaid labor to displace paid employees. If a new grad is used to cover someone's vacation or leave of absence and is not paid, that's illegal. If someone else is denied overtime because free labor is used, that's illegal.

Don't get me wrong: I'm all for hospitals offering extended training programs for new grads. But unless the new grad is closely supervised and does not work independently, the institution benefits from a free labor pool. The med school interns at my hospital start at $45 k. They're not expected to work for free.

I misread the post...I got caught up on the part where it's taught through the community college and not through the hospital.

However, it's STILL LEGAL.

The students appear to sign up for the 3 month course at the community college post-graduation....it doesn't appear to be through the hospital.

The hospital appears to have made the decision not to hire new grad nurses unless you have had this "course"....hospitals can do this if they wish.

However, laws in every state require the student to be oriented to the hospital (or any job for that matter) and PAID for that orientation. They cannot legally bypass that requirement as it has to be documented.

The only thing that a hospital will "save" is that the orientation/perceptorship period should be shorter, thereby saving in non-productive hours.

It doesn't appear that during this period of time she is listed as an employee of the hospital, but instead, as a student taking a course through the CC.

If that is the case, then yes, the hospital can do that, as long as they are not an employee on the hospital system's payroll and listed as working without pay...THAT is how they are legally getting around it.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

Just a sign of the 'new grad glut' that will only get worse in the next couple years IMHO. I read that California has increased their nsg school capacity statewide by over 60%. It all comes down to 'supply and demand.'

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Wow what a crock. A win-win for both the schools and the hospitals. I can't believe Kaiser nurses, who are unionized would go for this. And what about student loans starting up 6 months after graduation? Are those payments able to be delayed? What is nursing coming to?

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
Wow what a crock. A win-win for both the schools and the hospitals. I can't believe Kaiser nurses, who are unionized would go for this. And what about student loans starting up 6 months after graduation? Are those payments able to be delayed? What is nursing coming to?

I sure as heck don't agree with the practice.

I think it's a horrible message to send to the new nurses in the community: We don't think you are worth investing in....so we want you to invest in your training on your own time.

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Specializes in CTICU.

Well, if nurses go ahead and take it, the hospital will continue to do it. I agree that this is a terrible precedent to set - are they going to lower the new grad wages next since you're willing to work for free.

This is an example of nursing needing to stick up for itself and nurses valuing themselves and their education enough to say "hell no!" and refusing to work for free. If everyone refuses, they'll have to hire paid staff!!

As well as DOL, I'd call the union if there is one and ask if they are aware of this practice.

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We don't think you are worth investing in....so we want you to invest in your training on your own time.

Isn't most education, be it law school, medical school, beauty school, all about "investing in your training in your own time"? If an RN wants to go into advanced practice, they might be able to get an employer to invest in their education for them, but many are willing to invest their own time and money in that training.

One would hope that all nursing school graduates WOULD be able to successfully transition to an entry-level bedside RN position. But the reality today is that many nursing programs do NOT graduate students who are already "floor-ready."

If an RN, whether a new grad or a re-entry nurse or someone changing specialties, isn't prepared to succeed in an entry-level floor nursing position, they currently have no way to get the kind of experience that would help them be better prepared for entry-level floor nursing.

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Isn't most education, be it law school, medical school, beauty school, all about "investing in your training in your own time"? If an RN wants to go into advanced practice, they might be able to get an employer to invest in their education for them, but many are willing to invest their own time and money in that training.

One would hope that all nursing school graduates WOULD be able to successfully transition to an entry-level bedside RN position. But the reality today is that many nursing programs do NOT graduate students who are already "floor-ready."

If an RN, whether a new grad or a re-entry nurse or someone changing specialties, isn't prepared to succeed in an entry-level floor nursing position, they currently have no way to get the kind of experience that would help them be better prepared for entry-level floor nursing.

I beg to differ with the above opinion. For starters, why should nurses feel that they need to be able to "hit the ground running", the day after they graduate. Do physicians, "hit the groundg running", the day after they graduate from medical school? Physicians, OTs, PTs, Dieticians, Pharmacists, ALL DO INTERNSHIPS AFTER THEY GRADUATE. And they get paid for them, to boot. And furthermore, why should experienced nurses who have been out of the workplace for a number of years, have to start at the bottom of the salary scale?

Why on earth should a new grad nurse have to work fo free for six months, or more, to start a career in nursing.

I agree- this will set a bad precedent that will be jumped on by greedy hospital administrators etc. Just say NO!! JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

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If a new nurse can't handle a full load within 6-12 weeks, many facilities will consider that nurse "not progessing quickly enough" and let them go. Not all new grads or returning RNs have the kind of experience, skills, and confidence needed to succeed within that timeframe. This type of program may have been developed to meet the needs of those nurses who otherwise might give up on making it in bedside nursing.

I agree there are worrisome issues that this type of program brings up... such as hospitals requiring participation in such a program in order to be hired and/or exploiting the "free" labor.

But it does offer a way for "underprepared" RNs to build up their experience, skills and confidence so that they can succeed in the 6-12 week time frame usually alotted to newbies.

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