UNC Hospitals RN Incentive Program

Incentives are applicable to UNC Medical Center, UNC Hillsborough Hospital, and Youth Behavioral Health Hospital.

Eligibility:

• RN Clinical Nurse II, III, IV; must have 12 months or more of RN experience;
• Full-time appointment that requires scheduled work 36 hours or more per week;
• Not currently permanently employed or employed within the previous 12 months at any UNC Health System-owned entity. UNC Hospitals per diem and traveler/contract staff are eligible if converting to full-time (36+ hrs/wk) status;
• The work commitment is to the department where initially hired;
• Employee must remain in good standing throughout their commitment period. If an employee receives a final written warning, the incentive will be discontinued;
• Teammate must be in active status at the time of their commitment work-through date; otherwise, the payment will be cancelled. Remaining installment payments may resume upon the teammate’s return to active status. Active is defined as a teammate who is actively working or receiving Paid Time Off;
• Relocation assistance is available for any experienced RN position.

Eligible Inpatient Units:

UNC Hospitals - Main Campus (Chapel Hill, NC):

• Acute Care: 1 Memorial, 3 West, 5 Bedtower, 5 East, 5 West, 6 Bedtower, 6 Memorial, 7 Neurosciences, 7 Bedtower (7 Bedtower effective for offers on or after 3.14.23)
• NC Surgical Hospital: Surgical Observation Unit (effective on or after 1.23.24), Surgical Trauma Critical Care, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Critical Care (effective for offers on or after 4.28.24)
• Stepdown: Medicine Progressive Care Unit, Cardiac Oncology Stepdown Unit (COSU effective for offers on or after 6.23.24) 
• ICU: Burn ICU, Neuroscience ICU, Pediatric ICU, Pediatric Cardiac ICU (PICU and PCICU effective for offers on or after 1.6.25)
• Emergency Department, Behavioral Health ED
• 5 Neurosciences
• Permanent Flex

UNC Hospitals - Hillsborough Hospital (Hillsborough, NC):

• Rehabilitation Unit (effective for offers on or after 5.5.23)

UNC Hospitals - Youth Behavioral Health Hospital:

• Dogwood (effective for offers on or after 6.26.23)
• Cardinal (effective for offers on or after 6.26.23)
• New Day (effective for offers on or after 3.31.24)
• Healing Journey (effective for offers on or after 3.31.24)

Eligible Procedural Departments (effective for offers on or after 7.9.21):

• Vascular Interventional Radiology- VIR (Procedure, Prep, and Recovery)
• Cath Lab, EP, Prep and Recovery
• Imaging Nursing
• GI Procedures
• Urology/Cysto Procedures
• Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation
• Dialysis
• Carolina Air Care - Peds/Adult Transport
• Therapeutic Infusion Centers 
• Transfusion/Apheresis (effective for offers on or after 3.7.23)

 Eligible Outpatient Oncology Units (effective for offers on or after 5.28.23):

• Oncology Outpatient Infusion Clinic
• Peds Oncology Hillsborough Clinic
• Hillsborough Hospital Infusion Center (effective for offers on or after 4.13.25)

Eligible Home Health & Hospice Positions:

• RN Clinical Nurse
• RN Nurse Educator - Home Health (effective for offers on or after 1.10.24): Commitment Incentive: Up to $15,000 may be offered. Payment is spread over a three (3) year period in six (6) installments.

**This list includes current participating units; participation may vary or change at any time.

Incentive Options:

• Tuition Loan Forgiveness* - Up to $25,000 may be offered to defray the cost of tuition to obtain an already earned pre-licensure nursing degree. The amount offered is based on proof of outstanding loan. Payment is spread over three (3) year period. Payment is made after each six (6) month period of work is completed. Inpatient: Effective for hires starting on or after 6/14/2021. Eligible units will periodically be re-evaluated to determine the discontinuation date. 

• Commitment Incentive* - $15,000 is paid over three (3) years and $20,000 is paid over four (4) years. Payment of $2,500 is made after each six (6) month period of work completed. Inpatient: Effective for hires starting on or after 6/14/2021. Eligible units will periodically be re-evaluated to determine the discontinuation date. 

• Relocation Assistance - Up to $10,000 may be offered (amount based on location). Questions regarding relocation should be directed to your recruiter.
• Employee Referrals - Current employees will receive $3,000 for referring a qualified hired RN candidate. Payment is made in two (2) equal installments. First payment at six (6) months after new hire start date and second at one (1) year completion. Learn more here!

*Commitment Incentive and Tuition Loan Forgiveness are not offered in combination.

**UNC Health employees are not eligible for recruitment incentives when going from one entity to another.