How were you recruited?

babydoll99_99 · Apr 29, 2007

I don 't know how much this will help, but I went to a job fair at the hospital I work in and was really impressed that they let me talk to the floor manager and interviewed me on the spot. All my questions were answered and my recruiter worked really hard to let me know what was available in the hospital.

Hope this helps.

Ohmygosh · Apr 29, 2007

This is my last semester in Nursing school --I graduate may 10th. Anyway...our instructor set up "recruiting luncheons" for us. In this semester we had two classes on Wednesdays--there was about 1.5 hours between classes -- so the instructor invited the HR departments from about 7 or 8 hospitals to come during that 1.5 hours --they all brought lunch and goodies for us, and while we were eating lunch they told us about the positions they had to offer, their benefit packages, etc. Then we were allowed a question and answer session with the HR staff. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to get information about many of the hosptials in the area. Every student in my class has accepted an offer at one of the hospitals that participated in the "recruiting luncheons"

kukukajoo, LPN · Apr 29, 2007

What state is this in? Most Departments of Employment Security have great programs to help companies to help recruit people and that may be a good start and a place to look for infornation and resources.

Also check to see if you can buy the registry list and send out some postcards or make calls to RN's.

Getting a list of the colleges and schools in your area that graduate Nurses and posting on their jobs board or going into the classes may be an option as well.

Job fairs- held internally and externally help. Joining the local Chamber of COmmerce helps with networking as does other civic groups.

Best wishes!

bubbly · Apr 29, 2007

I will be graduating nursing school in a couple of weeks, but I already have had a lot of experience with nurse recruiters. It is always important to be nice and friendly. I really liked that the hospital I will soon be working for had a career fair. At the career fair, I was given a tour of the unit and was able to talk directly to one of the clinical managers who answered all of my questions. It is also important to quickly reply back to people (both in e-mail and through phone calls). I disliked the fact that one recruiter never seemed to be at her desk no matter what time of the day that I called.

As for new grads, the best way to reach them is by going to the nursing schools in the area. My school had recruiters come between my two hour lunch break to talk with us about their hospitals. But don't forget to bring food and drinks, or else there won't be anyone attending! Timing is important too. For the spring semester, late February and early March seem to be the prime time for recruiting new grads. Otherwise, you might be talking to a lot of new grads who already have jobs.

Also, does your hospital have externships for nursing students or is a clinical site for a local nursing school? I know a lot of new grads who will be working at hospitals where they worked and/or did clinicals during nursing school.

I hope this helps and good luck recruiting nurses! :)

Pheebz777, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2007

What attracted me most to my current job are the following:

1. Signing bonus of $25,000 for 3 year contract,

2. Moving allowance of up to $3,000

3. Salary

4. Point system based on different working conditions

(ex. Working on a different area = 30 points.

Working on Holidays = 50 points. 1 point = $1.00)

5. Health Benefits

6. 401K and 403b plans.

Get to know what other facilities have to offer and explain to your potential recruits what you have that other places don't.

Reno1978, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2007

I'm in nursing school now...and here's how I've been recruited so far:

Lunches at my school. Local hospitals and sometimes ones from afar come visit. Two hospitals in town regularly show up to my nursing school, provide lunch, and distribute information on new grad positions and apprentice nurse positions (nursing students in their senior year who are hired and paired up with an RN to perform limited nursing functions). Usually nurse recruiters show up, but sometimes they bring nurse managers from various units to answer specific questions about the work environment.

One hospital in town is actually building a housing development to offer cheaper housing to employees since one of the major reasons they are not able to retain nurses who relocate here is the price of a home.

As a student, I went to the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) convention this spring and received so much information from so many places of employment. I'm seriously considering relocating sometime in my future to the bay area in CA due to competive pay and benefits which includes relocation and a hefty tuition reduction at the college I'd love to continue my education at.

Even as a student going into some debt, when I hear about sign on bonuses, I think "There must be some God-awful reason they need to offer that much to get people to work there." I don't think these are very effective. But, if I hear they offer $$ to help alleviate student loans, I think "Now, that's what I need!"

Over all this, I think one of the best things you can do as a nurse recruiter is to do what you can to make sure student nurses who have clinical rotations at your hospital have a positive experience. I've had clinicals at 3 hospitals in my area and I've already pretty much decided which unit at which hospital I want to work in based upon my clinical experience as a student. I think this mostly has to do with the fact that the nurses there seem to understand that we are who is going to be there to alleviate the shortage and they want us to succeed.

texas2007, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2007

Please respond to people's phone calls and emails. Nothing is more rude and frustrating than attempting to get in touch multiple times with no response.

feisty_lpn, LPN · Apr 29, 2007

Ditto to the above poster. If you accept online and faxed resumes, an acknowledgement that it was received and being reviewed would be very nice. 90% of the time I fax/email a resume, I never get a reply. Even if they put it directly into the trash, a response would've been nice.

I was recruited from my online resume. I put it up there, never expecting a response... I got 3.

peds4now, RN · Apr 29, 2007

I'm also a graduating student. Here's what I think works, from my perspective and the recruiter's:

Online applications: allow me to know I'm in your system and and you to prescreen me. Makes me see you as organized

Recruiter needs easy access to unit managers' calendars. Some recruiters could schedule me the first time I called. Others had to go back and forth and play phone tag. You lose applicants this way.

Have a real new grad education program (nuf said)

Create high morale in the hospital-it shows

Open houses, career fairs with unit managers there to do quick interviews: this is good. I got an offer this way. BUT it makes the hospital seem needy. I think you need to stress how you are GROWING

Pay a decent salary and have a 401K/403b with matching up to 3-6% of gross annual salary-retirement plans retain employees (OH, and explain pay rates in clear terms. Don't try to hide your lousy shift differential in strange percentage formulas and stuff. The smart RNs will go home and do the math and write you off for being sneaky)

Start a campaign that everyone in the hospital should greet each other and be friendly-that reflects well too

Mommy TeleRN, RN · Apr 29, 2007

Loan repayment, offer hurst review, offer various options like full time without benefits, offer discounted hotels if you have outlying rural areas you can recruit nurses to travel locally from. ie if you live > 50 miles we will provide lodging if you work 2 days in a row. Or maybe a sleeping/shower area in the hospital.

As far as current nurses, I would think open houses. Some people just wanna check out what other hospitals have to offer (and I know most nurses are always looking out for something bigger/better it seems) without a big committment (ie having to fill out an app, set up an interview and all that just to get some info)

Also - what do you have to offer working nurses? What is the pt:nurse ratio? You can have the best bennies in the world but if nurses are going to be worked to death forget it! what do you offer to nurses to simplify their job? Do you keep ancillary positions well staffed? Do you have things like dynamaps and pulse ox machines readily available? Prefilled flushes? Easy charting? What can you do to make MY life easier so I can spend more time giving good pt care?

Oh also what about PRN to let nurses check out your facilities before becoming full time staff?

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Apr 29, 2007

hi,

I am going to be a new grad and already accepted a job. Here are some things that made me choose this particular hospital.

1) nurse recruiter was very friendly and easy to talk to. She went out of her way to convince the nurse manager of a unit to interview me since this unit usually will not even look at new grads. (emergency department). The recruiter was very very busy with lots of new grad apps, but was receptive to me seeing her in person before my clinical to set an interview up.

2) I did clinicals at this hospital and the nurses and other staff were all willing to teach us as students, they were not catty towards us or other staff, and they were just plain appreciative of having to do less work because we were there and they showed it.

3) they have a set new grad program with both classroom and time on the floor with a preceptor and they are willing to lenghthen or shorten that preceptor time according to the new grads needs.

4) They are open about new grads starting in specialty areas like maternity/L&D and ICU etc and in my case the E.D. And more importantly they do not look at the grad as BSN or ADN as some hospitals do. I am currently a parameidc and have been dealing with emergency type care for 11 years and they were willing to go beyond just look at a person as a new grad, they take into concideration work experience too.

5) The pay is not to shabby, but honestly I wound't take a job for the sole purpose of money or bonuses.

6) This hospital lacks a summer extern program, but may be adding one since that is a really good way to recruit new nurses!!

7) Another thing you made want to offer in order to recruit new grads is an NCLEX reveiw class if it is in the budget.

I applied at some other places too or did not apply and here are some turnoffs:

1) I applied at on hospital for a NICU possition. Got letters of recomendation, copies of my transcripts and everthing else.... This hospital couldn't bother to write in the job description that new grads hired in NICU are required to be BSN. So all that owrk for nothing and I will never again apply to that facility. They obvioulsy didnt read my transcripts, resume, or application since they all indicated that I was an ADN program. very frustrating! I would not want to work at this hospital, ever!

2) The nurses and staff at one facilty I did clinicals at were so catty to eachother and to us that I think I could count on one hand the number of people in my class that applied their and my class consists of 80+. It is very imporant that you as a nurse recruiter take into concideration students experiences at your facility as that is often when we get a first and lasting impression of the work culture.

3) Nurse recruiters/NM that are almost impossible to get a hold of even via email. or who do not answer their email.

4) having only one choice for a shift. The ICU job I was looking at in the same hospital I got the E.D. job wanted a year commitment on nights. no thanks I cannot commit to that as life can change in a year, and they also wanted a two year commitment that i would not leave the job. How can I honestly commit to a job as a new grad who has never worked in an ICU before I even start?

5) not having a set new grad program that includes preceptorship and some classroom time to meet with peers and educators. Or if they say that the new grad will have multiple preceptors.

6) crappy benifits or pay

7) old and outdated facilities. Obviouly you will not have that problem because you said your going to be in a new hospital.

8) Preferences for BSN grads for all of the critical care/specialty areas.

9) Not offering any CE or tuition reimbursment for those that are like me wanting to continue my education.

well hope this helps

Sweetooth