Nursing Referrals
Duke Medicine is dedicated to providing Opportunities for a Lifetime for the most talented and passionate nursing professionals. We know one of the best sources of new talent for our system is the networks of our current staff. That's why we encourage our nurses to invite their friends and associates to join our team through our Nurse Referral Program. Learn more about the:
Referral Procedure
Duke Health System and Duke University employees may refer a nurse to Nurse Recruitment for a DUHS (acute care facility) position under the following guidelines:
- The referring employee must submit a completed Nurse Referral Request Form prior to the date that the position was offered to the applicant, i.e. the date on the applicant's hire letter.
- The referring employee must be on active payroll. Regular, as well as PRN staff, are eligible to participate.
- Referral incentive pay will NOT be paid to the referring employee if forms are received after the date of the applicant's hire letter.
Eligibility Requirements
In order to receive referral incentives under this program, the following eligibility requirements must be met:
- An applicant is defined as "a qualified individual NOT currently employed by, or on payroll of, the Duke University Health System or its subsidiaries in any capacity."
- The applicant must be hired into an approved full-time position (≥ 75 FTE). Travelers and per diem employees working through any vendor at any DUHS entity can NOT be referred.
- Employees who resign from Duke will NOT be eligible "referral applicants" for a period of one (1) year after termination from the payroll system.
- Participants of the DUHS Professional Nurse Assistant (PNA) Program can NOT be referred to work as an RN.
Referral Rewards
Referral rewards earned under this program are subject to the following guidelines:
- Eligible recipients (whose referral is hired) will receive incentive awards in two parts:
- 50% payable after the successful completion of the new employee's 90-day probationary period, and
- 50% payable after the completion of the new employee's 12 months of continuous employment
- Paperwork for payment will be processed only after each of these two timeframes has been met and verification of employment has been completed.
- Paperwork for payment will be processed by the new employee's home facility.
- This payment will be part of your regular paycheck. It is subject to all applicable state, federal and FICA taxes (which will be deducted), and will be reported as part of the employee's yearly earned income.
- In the case of a duplicate referral, the incentive bonus will be awarded on the basis of the date of the first completed form received in the Nurse Recruitment Office. If both forms are received in the same day, incentive pay will be split equally among those referring the candidate.
- In the event the recipient (or newly hired referral) terminates employment from DUHS prior to the referral's completion of the payment timeframes listed above, the recipient will forfeit remaining incentive pay.
Additional Program Notes
- The Refer-A-Nurse Program may be changed and/or discontinued at any time. Eligible positions and award amounts are subject to change according to urgent staffing needs.
- In the event the recipient or newly hired nurse goes on Personal Leave, the referring employee will not be eligible to receive any remaining payments made according to the Nurse Referral Program policy. This policy covers employees of Duke University Health System and/or any of its entities, including, but not limited to the Duke University Hospital, Durham Regional Hospital or Duke Health Raleigh.
- The receiving hospital where the referred nurse is hired will pay the referral bonus.
- Administrators, human resources staff, managers and supervisors directly and indirectly responsible for hiring the referred candidate(s) and union employees are NOT eligible to participate in this program.
- Instructors and/or guests of any classroom or recruiting event at any School of Nursing or nursing job fair/career day/conference/etc. are NOT eligible to participate in this program.
For additional information regarding Duke's Nurse Referral Program, click here.