I am currently in nursing school in OK and would like information on hospitals offering contracts with total reimbursement for nursing school to work after school. My date of graduation is set for May 2009. I would like to search every possibility in the country. Then I can narow the search down, and my wife and I will likely move to a hospital that would offer to pay back all nursing school expenses and still be an encouraging place to work.
Thanks and I look forward to what you can help me find!
I work for Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, AR.
My employer will pay back up to $20,000 of student loans for new graduate nurses. This is disbursed over a period of 5 years, with a set amount given in each paycheck, which means there is no contract involved.
It is a WONDERFUL hospital with cutting edge technology. Once again, it has been named by US New and World Reports as one of the top Pediatric facilities in North America this year (and has been for several years running).
I work for Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, AR.
My employer will pay back up to $20,000 of student loans for new graduate nurses. This is disbursed over a period of 5 years, with a set amount given in each paycheck, which means there is no contract involved.
It is a WONDERFUL hospital with cutting edge technology. Once again, it has been named by US New and World Reports as one of the top Pediatric facilities in North America this year (and has been for several years running).
Wow that sounds like a sweet deal. I always wonder what the hourly rate is like though. I figure its sort of like trading in your used car for a new one. They seem to have a way of wiggling the numbers around so that the bottom line is the same.
Little Rock has great cost of living though. Even if the hourly rate was a bit less the house you pay 300k for on the East Coast is 150k there. It does sound great and it is nice ot hear someone be so positive about their employer!
In regard to the IHS/NHSC comment about not being able to do it if you have commitments/family. It's simply a choice. It's likely that most of us would be ABLE to do it, if we chose to do so. We would have to make serious compromises in some areas of our life, but it's doable. It's all relative. Now, having said that; if they ask me to be a solo site NP with the only way in or out being a dog sled, I don't think my family of 5 would be able to handle that. :wink2:
"Right now, if you join the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corp. as an officer, they are paying a $25,000 sign on bonus PLUS they will pay back some of your student loans. "
I also read on the PHS/Commissioned Corp web site there are a couple externship opportunities, in addition to this signing bonus. One you would receive a monthly stiped, and you need to sign on for atleast the same amount of time that you received money.
I would be interested in this, but I wil likely be too old (over 44) by the time I finish. Plus, I wonder if they are deployed internationally in conflict areas? I definitely would not want to do that with my young family. Although, obviously some do- a choice.
You must work at certain hospitals, usually not-for-profits. They repay your loans at a rate of $4,000 per year, all the while you much be making payments yourself. They pay the lender and not you personally. I'm using this program for a repayment of loans I took to get my ADN to BSN degree. I was lucky enough to already be working for one of the hospitals. :)
You're going to be hard pressed to find someone that is going to hire you and immediately pay off 100% of your loans, although I'm sure such a place exists.
You might also be looking around for those places with sign-on bonuses and use that money to pay off your loan.
All employers that give away large sums of money have conditions and stipulations. Although, I personally get a little wary of places that pay large sums of money and wonder to myself "hmmm....they must be a bad place to work if they have such a shortage they have to offer a lot of money", although I understand in some areas the competition for nurses is acute.
Wow that sounds like a sweet deal. I always wonder what the hourly rate is like though. I figure its sort of like trading in your used car for a new one. They seem to have a way of wiggling the numbers around so that the bottom line is the same.
Actually, they pay more than most other hospitals in this area for new grads. New grads typically start out around 19-20/hr, which is very decent for the cost of living in our state. Other hospitals around here start out around 17/hr for new grads. Also, they offer incentive pay during high census times, and overtime is paid at a premium rate, not just time + 1/2.
It's just really a great place to work, no strings attached. I've been there a little over 2 years and honestly can't imagine working anywhere else. The ratios are great, the benefits are wonderful, and it is one of the top ped facilities in the country.
Look them up. Like I said they are a Fortune 100 company, and ranked in US News and World reports as a top facility. These awards aren't just handed out, you earn them.
For me it's a sweet deal. Right now my loan is over 10 years and $105.00 per month. So with this deal I'll have it paid off in two years with the money from the state from the State on top of what I paid per month. Not bad. It comes out of a fund from the BON that we pay when we renew our license. It's nice to know that when they raised the cost of our license from $25.00 per two years to $70 that the money is going somewhere decent.
RazorbackRN, BSN, RN
394 Posts
I work for Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, AR.
My employer will pay back up to $20,000 of student loans for new graduate nurses. This is disbursed over a period of 5 years, with a set amount given in each paycheck, which means there is no contract involved.
It is a WONDERFUL hospital with cutting edge technology. Once again, it has been named by US New and World Reports as one of the top Pediatric facilities in North America this year (and has been for several years running).
We are also a Fortune 100 Company!
Did I mention how wonderful my employer is???
Check us out at http://www.archildrens.org