Nursing schools, or schools that train nurses, may be free-standing institutions, or they may be part of a larger system such as a four-year college, university or hospital. Students attend nursing school in order to complete the requirements for a degree in the field and prepare for state licensing exams. In order to recruit potential nurses, several methods may be employed. Recruiting new nurses is vital as the profession currently faces a huge staffing shortage and expected to face such shortages long-term.
Go Back to High School
Many high schools hold career days for their students, when they invite people from various industries and schools of higher education onto campus to talk about employment in their fields or attendance at a college, university or trade school. Adolescence is often a time when people make their first real decisions about careers. An eighteen year old may decide to attend community college, join the navy or enter the workforce directly. A recruiter can ask permission to come to the school in question and set up a space where he can talk about his profession. Nursing school administrators may want to take advantage of this opportunity. They can hand out materials about nursing schools, answer student questions about academic requirements and even talk to parents who may be attending the career fair with their child. They can also stress the benefits of nursing as a career such as widespread employment opportunities and competitive wages. Recruitment should focus both on those students who seem interested and on those who may not have considered a career in the health profession field.
Emphasize the Benefits of Nursing
Emphasize the benefits of nursing in publication advertisements and at campus recruitments and job fairs. Nurses can seek employment in a wide variety of settings including schools, hospitals and independent clinics. Nurses may choose to work a different shift each week. Nurses may also choose to specialize in caring for certain patient groups such as premature infants, nursing mothers or elderly people. As the population ages, nurses are expected to be in great demand in the foreseeable future. All of these possibilities may help someone decide to become a nurse.
Provide Financial Support For Students
Nursing can be a grueling major. Undergraduates often must pass difficult classes such as statistics and organic chemistry. Once nurses have completed their undergraduate requirements, they must complete at least a semester of full-time training at a hospital. Make it easier for student nurses to focus on class work with financial assistance. Offer grants that cover living expenses and loans that cover tuition. These benefits may help someone choose nursing school who has not previously considered it because of the need to work at least part time.
Offer Other Financial Incentives
Offer bonuses for nurses and other employees who recommend someone to participate in a nursing program. Offer additional bonuses for those who sign up and complete the requirements to become a nurse. Advertise financial support for nursing students in local and national newspapers. Advertise bonuses for former nurses who may have left the field to bear children or to seek alternative employment and wish to return. Advertise such bonuses in publications specializing in nursing such as The American Nurse and ADVANCE For Nursing as well as nursing alumni magazines.
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