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Can a hospital force you to sign a year contract when you become a registered nurse (even though you don't want the bonus money/ when you already owe them a contract for 6 months? Also once you become a nurse can you opt to stay and work as a PCT to finish out the 6 month contract? very concerned

Pacific:(

Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

Depends, did they in anyway help pay for your schooling?

Specializes in ICU/ER.

I dont think in america anyone can "force" you to sign a contract....I know in our region many contracts are offered to RN in trade of time committed...ex we give you 5k. you stay for 1 year, leave us before a year and you owe us either all of the 5k or a pro-rated amount. The Rns do not HAVE to sign the contract or take the money, they can continue working as long as they want and when they are ready can leave with a proper 2 week notice no questions asked.

I signed a contract when I was in school they paid for X amount of my schooling and upon passing my boards I was then commited to them for each semester of school they paid for I owed them 6months of employment. Does not matter if I work full or part time, but I have to be on thier payroll for those 6 months per semester. They paid for 2 full years or 4 semesters, I will work for them for 2 full years. Good deal for me since I live about 5 min away and was going to work for them anyways.

Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.
Also once you become a nurse can you opt to stay and work as a PCT to finish out the 6 month contract? very concerned

Pacific:(

You may want to contact your board of nursing about this question. I think that working as a PCT while you have a RN license might be a real problem.

whelp, I used to work for a very large company.. and they used to ask people to sign contracts for paying for schooling or a sign on bonus or whatever.. and what I was told was, it cost them more money to go after someone and sue them for breaking the contract then the money they lost having the contract broke.

that was my assumption..

Specializes in nursing student.
You may want to contact your board of nursing about this question. I think that working as a PCT while you have a RN license might be a real problem.

According to the Missouri Board of Nursing you can not work in any capacity other than RN once you are licensed as RN. We had an RN who had Illinois Licensure but not Missouri Licensure, she could not legally practice in Missouri and could not practice as a PCT either. Other states may be different though.

Most employers required you to work for them for a certain period of time if they have invested money in your education. For example if I leave my employer before a year after they pay my tuition I have to pay back everything.

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