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At a time when the number of available nursing positions exceeds the number of available applicants, health care institutions across the country are forced to compete for the same talent. This means human resource departments and those responsible for nurse recruiting must constantly re-evaluate their recruitment strategies.
Many health care organizations including Excela Health, have found it necessary to develop a much more strategic approach in terms of planning, recruiting and hiring.
“Gone are the days when you wait for applicants to apply, interview, assess the pool of applicants, then make the offer,” said Maureen Brant, Westmoreland Regional Hospital’s employment manager. “If you don’t make an offer quickly, chances are, the applicant will accept a position somewhere else.”
Last summer, when the merger of Frick, Latrobe Area and Westmoreland Regional hospitals as Excela Health was still “fresh,” vested parties from all three hospitals began meeting to develop a yearlong strategic nurse-recruiting plan.
“These departments (nursing and human resources) have been among the first to truly combine, functioning together to address a highly sensitive employment market,” commented Jill Clements, vice president, human resources administration, Excela Health.
First on the agenda was stepping up recruiting efforts to attract nurses to the health system by offering bonuses of $1,000, which are given to any employee who refers a qualified RN to work at one of Excela Health’s sites. To further enhance efforts, a $2,000 sign-on bonus is available to new regular full-time and regular part-time registered nurses. The program applies to 24-hour units with some applicable restrictions. Nursing scholarships also are available through ongoing support of the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation. Current Excela Health employees also can benefit from a tuition reimbursement program.
Instead of waiting until February, the traditional recruitment time for new graduate nurses, efforts began in September as part of the strategic recruitment plan. The hospitals also began hosting recruiting job fairs collaboratively during Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks when most students would be more readily available to interview.
In January all three Excela Health hospitals participated in a health care recruiting fair sponsored by Pittsburgh Area Nurse and Health Care Recruiters, a local group that helps organizations advance their recruiting efforts.
Laurie Berg, Latrobe Area Hospital’s employment coordinator, is the current elected president. Maureen Brant was the past president, ending her term in 2002.
“We feel very strongly about engaging as an organization with other health care providers in our community. In this competitive environment, it is beneficial to have networking relationships with others who face the same challenges. Working collaboratively with those who share the same challenges is key,” explained Berg.
Excela Health is recruiting experienced nurses as well as graduate nurses.
“We’re the best kept secret in Westmoreland County. Experienced nurses don’t have to travel to Pittsburgh for advanced nursing jobs such as critical care, operating room nursing or specialty medical-surgical areas. “There is a plethora of opportunities for nurses to work in rewarding careers without leaving the community where they live,” explained Cindy Capenos, nurse resource manager at Westmoreland.
Capenos also pointed out that with the recent announcement that gas prices are projected to skyrocket to $3 per gallon, employment at Excela Health is an attractive option to many nurses.
Excela Health offers a range of nursing positions to meet varying lifestyles including a 72-hour program, where nurses work three 12-hour shifts; a per diem program; and weekend-only employment based on availability.
Frick Hospital human resources generalist Cindy Miller, explained, “In today’s climate, it is necessary to address both the personal and professional needs of candidates. Creativity in employment options and sensitivity to personal lifestyles has become a priority.”
Even with 60 new graduate nurses in the system, recruiting for nurses as well as other key positions such as respiratory therapists, imaging staff, pharmacists and physical therapists, remains a constant challenge.
At some Excela Health locations, the on-going staffing needs have spurred regular weekly meetings between human resources, the nurse recruiter and/or nursing administrators to assess immediate and long-term needs.
“We take the nursing shortage very seriously, therefore this meeting occurs without fail. Throughout the system, there are always openings, particularly for bedside nurses, and it can be challenging. We know we have to maintain our staffing to provide quality care for our patients,” added Capenos. “We’re all about patient care.”
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