What do you think of this?

[All_Smiles_RN]

I've worked on my floor close to a year now. I was approached recently by management saying that nurses on our floor need to attend the critical care course. I'm not in ICU mind you, but I love continuing education, so no problem. Well to take the class you have to sign a 2 yr / $4k contract. The class is two weeks long and a computer application, not a lecture-style course. Would you be willing to do this?

I'm not willing to a sign a contract for taking some computer class. Not just that, I'm not the type of person to be tied down by a contract. I work on my unit because I choose to. I think this is just a ploy to aid in "retention". Staffing is short, but if push comes to shove, I think I'd rather move on to a new unit/facility.

What do you think about all this?

[deeDawntee, RN]

That bites. I would have to tell them no thanks and find a facility that would treat me (and everyone else) fairly. Administration can be such idiots, it truly astounds me. That policy is so wrong on so many levels, I can't even believe it.

I'm sorry you have to deal with that crap. :icon_hug::icon_hug:

[time4meRN]

I think it's weird, There are cirtifications for floor nursing as well. Critical care is a specialty just as working on the floor is. One is not better than the oher. The trick is , learning to catch and treat various pt conditions according to your working environment. When I work ICU it's different ER. I have worked critical care, ER for 25 years. It's like I always say, if your a good floor nurse.....your one of the best nurses out there ! My take on your situation is that if they are going to give you a cirtification to your name, they pay for everything and it is applicable to your job and you get a pay increase then you should be given the option to do so. But , never forced. I would have a lot of demands to them is they forced such a course on me. Sounds like the staff needs to confront the powers to be on the issue. If you are given the option and you take it, then I could see how they can ask these things of you. BUT!!!! the education should be based on your job not, some one elses.

[azor]

I like what time4meRN said.she has said it all.

[All_Smiles_RN]

No certification, no pay increase. That's not my issue at all though. I'm more than willing to take the course just to have more knowledge. My issue is the ridiculus contract.

[RNisme]

Well, I am still a student, but it seems to me, if they say you "have" to have it, they cannot make you sign a contract to stay in their employment. There is no certification, it's not like you can go to anothewr job with an additional certification. Possibly you do not have to have it, maybe they just want you to have it, and are trying to retain you in a sneaky way.

I would not be willing to do this. It is not like when a hospital pays for the RN to BSN and yo agree to work for them for x amt of years, this is a 2 week class. I would pass.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Avoid that contract like the plague!

You'll probably be forced to transfer to another unit, but it is one hundred times better than being trapped into an inflexible contract with monetary consequences to follow, if you or the facility do something to break thw written agreement. Good luck to you, and I hope that everything works out for the very best.

[fultzymom]

I do not see how they can make you sign a contract since you already work there. I do see how they could try to get new employees to sign the contract though. I would not sign a contract promising to work anywhere for any amound of time. What if things got really bad and you wanted out? I would tell them no way.

[RNDude]

I was willing to sign a contract as a new grad for an extensive six month training program. For a two week computer course, though? No way! If you already work there and they are requiring the course, they need to provide it. Not even my cellular carrier requires me to renew my contract just to continue status-quo.

This is so unusual, I wonder if it's even legal. I think it's worth asking the labor board or a labor attorney.

[leslie :-D]

if you are considering signing the contract, read it very carefully.

then add the terms you do not agree to, w/your initials afterward.

it 'sounds' like they'll use this training as an opportunity to float you to icu.

what happens if you don't go along with this?

leslie

[All_Smiles_RN]

When they approached me with this, I told them I was not willing to sign the contract and that if they want to keep me, we'll have to work something else out. My asst mgr said she would talk to the higher-ups to see what we can do. No one has approached me since. Granted, staffing is short right now on my floor. Several people have transferred out or moved on in a short amount of time. They're not in a postion to back me into a corner on this one. And if they do, I'm jumping ship ;-)

[deeDawntee, RN]

Good for you!! Way to go!!!

:yeah::yelclap::yelclap: