Marquette University’s College of Nursing chose three providers in the United States to help work on the three-year grant project known as SOAR-RN (Supporting Onboarding and Retention of Rural Nurses).  This grant will come up with a pipeline to take in enough students to meet the future demand for the need in rural areas.

There are two major challenges that rural nursing professionals face that SOAR-RN has taken into account:

1. They must be generalists and know about a variety of medical conditions they may encounter on a day-to-day basis.

2.  They are required to treat patients with fewer resources. Rural nurses are forced to get creative with the limited resources they have, or must stretch resources, while still being focused on four-star care.

SOAR-RN will encourage experienced nursing professionals to mentor up-and-coming nurses and give them the skills they need to thrive in a rural setting.

Are you a nurse working in a rural area, or do you know one? Please comment with the challenges you are facing at your facility.

To learn more of my nurse recruitment and nurse retention strategies and/or to have me speak at your facility to improve morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that healthcare and social assistance, along with professional and businesses services, will generate 8.2 million jobs by 2018, more than half the increase in total employment.

The healthcare industry is stable, it’s growing, and it’s not going away. This is an important fact to share with your nursing professionals. Your nurse retention strategy needs to include sharing positive news about the healthcare industry. Nursing professionals need to be reassured that their hard work will pay-off in the long-term.

To learn more of my nurse recruitment and nurse retention strategies and/or to have me speak at our facility to improve morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

A boom in nursing care, as record numbers hit retirement age, and a clinical emphasis on preventive care, help spawn thousands of jobs within the nursing profession – including nurse specialists and therapists.

Healthcare jobs projected to increase most in coming years include many in the nursing profession: registered nurses (RNs), nursing aides, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, reports The Bureau of Labor.

The outlook for healthcare jobs is positive according to Labor. Healthcare jobs continue to outpace employment sectors manufacturing and construction and are expected to number 344,000 by year’s end, a level of growth not seen in four years.

There is much hope for nursing professionals seeking jobs.

To learn more of my nurse recruitment and nurse retention strategies and/or to have me speak at your facility to improve morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported an increase in nursing school enrollment throughout the past decade, yet qualified nursing school applicants continue to be turned away from colleges and universities.

AACN reports that in 2009, nursing schools rejected nearly 55,000 qualified applicants. Faculty shortages, budget constraints, and increasing job competition from clinical sites all contributed to the limited number of graduates.

Who do you know who would make a great nurse educator? How can your hospital work with area colleges to help educate and train nurses?

To learn more of my nurse recruitment and retention strategies and/or to have me speak at our facility to increase morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

“It looks like healthcare is back in business,” Bacurin said. “The demand for ambulatory nurse jobs has skyrocketed and almost half of all jobs created in September went to healthcare.”

Bureau of Labor numbers confirm what Bacurin says. Hospital job growth in the first nine months of 2011 is four times what it was in all of 2010. Moreover, 42 percent of new jobs last month were healthcare jobs.

There is much hope for nurses looking for jobs as nurse recruitment increases.
To learn more of my nurse recruitment and retention strategies and/or to have me speak at your facility to increase morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

Nearly half of employers offer such programs, almost double from 2005. In companies with 500 or more employees, the number increases to about 75 percent.

Wellness programs not only improve the health of the staff, but they also increase productivity while saving the company money.

Studies have shown that for every $1 a company puts into corporate wellness programs, $3 is saved through decreased sick days, increased worker productivity and employee retention, according to the National Business Group on Health inWashington,D.C.

To learn more of my nurse recruitment and retention strategies and/or to have me speak at your facility to increase morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

Every nurse wants to work in an organization that has a healthy work environment, where team members work collaboratively and make decisions about the way nursing care is delivered and measured for ongoing improvement.

Ensuring such an environment is best if organizations adopt a formal shared governance structure that empowers nurses and all other healthcare workers to have a voice. This not only ensures better patient care, but aids nurse retention.

To learn more of my nurse recruitment and retention strategies and/or to have me speak at our facility to increase morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

121,000 new job ads for Registered Nurses were posted by employers and staffing agencies in May, up 46% from May last year, according to Wanted Analytics. About 10% were ads placed for positions at hospitals, where turnover rates for RNs average 14%. Last April the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that “the health care industry added 428,000 jobs throughout the 18-month recession from December 2007 until June 2009, and has continued to grow at a steady rate since the end of the recession.” As the largest of the healthcare workforce, RNs were recruited to fill many of these new positions.

• Sometimes in these challenging times, when it is hard to believe that the recession is “over,” it’s hard to acknowledge the positive information regarding nurse recruitment. But things are getting better. Hospitals are hiring. There is hope.Spread the word.

To learn more of my nurse recruitment and retention strategies and/or to have me speak at our facility to increase morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

Despite significant job losses in nearly all major industries, in April, 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the healthcare sector of the economy is continuing to grow. Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and ambulatory care settings added 37,000 new jobs in March, the biggest monthly increase recorded by any employment sector. RNs, the largest  of the healthcare workforce, will likely be recruited to fill many of these positions. The BLS confirmed that 283,000 jobs have been added in the healthcare sector within the last year.

• It’s time to begin the positive chatter about the increased hirings in the healthcare field. We nurses can spread these messages of hope…and soon the rest of the world may catch on!

• To learn more of my nurse recruitment and retention strategies and/or to have me speak at our facility to increase morale, retention and recruitment, contact me.

So why can’t I find a job? some ask.  Many of today’s nursing positions are calling for higher education and knowledge of technology. The nursing shortage is projected to continue for many years to come.   With more candidates in the marketplace and employers requiring specific skills, it can be difficult to get a job today, especially for new grads, eager to be recruited.

Adding business courses, technology, informatics, or even an advanced  degree can make you more marketable.

With the right combination of nursing education/background and professionalism, coupled with good communication and interviewing skills, many will find a job in today’s economy.

To learn more about how I can help recruit the nurses you need and retain the nurses you have, and to have me speak for your organization, contact me.