OR Manager - September 2019 - 22

Human resources
Continued from page 21
for them, " says Aaron Wilson, MSN,
MBA, RN, CEN, NE-BC, clinical director
for perioperative services and sterile
processing.
Preston
Miller,
MAOM, SPHR,
SHRM-SCP
Speed is key in today's
society. " As we implement
new processes, or
alter some of our current
ones, we're looking
to make sure we really
focus on speed, and the
short attention span
that our world is moving
into, so that we get as
much as we can from
candidates in one moment, " Miller
says.
Targeting increases recruitment effectiveness.
Miller is working with a digital
marketing firm to find ways to attract
nurses nationwide by citing advantages
such as no state income tax, an academic
medical center setting, and a
mild winter climate-advertising in the
Northeast during winter, for example.
The organization also carefully identifies
whom to target. " Because of who
we are, our sweet spot is the mid-career
nurse who has 5 to 15 years of experience
and who wants to work in a
highly technical, highly innovative setting, "
Miller says. With more nurses
commuting longer distances, Houston
Methodist also may broaden the search
geographically (sidebar, p 23).
Denver Health also considers target
groups. Its website includes a specific
area with information about the new
graduate nurse residency program and
a list of units where new nurses are
being hired (https://www.denverhealth.
org/for-professionals/careers/nurserecruitment/nursing-residency).
" I
also put my phone number and
email so they can contact me with questions, "
says Kathy Casey, RN-BC, professional
development specialist and
nurse residency program coordinator.
Casey says the organization attracts
22
OR Manager | September 2019
many new graduates from out of state,
so she can let them know about opportunities
and provide suggestions for
writing a resume.
" It takes time, but I've found that
it's helpful for our organization to be in
touch with new nurses, " Casey says.
New nurses are required to sign a 2-year
agreement that includes participation
in the 1-year graduate nurse residency
program. If they leave before 2 years,
they pay back a prorated amount related
to the investment for the residency program.
Casey says she tells new nurses
that it takes a year to become comfortable
and confident in the professional
RN role, and that the organization wants
them to stay another year after that.
Connections
" The relationship between students and
nurses who mentor students is highly
underrated, " McLeod says. She recommends
leaders ask staff who they
would like to work with, and talk to
students about job opportunities. Students
may start in a sterile processing
or nursing assistant job before being
mentored for other roles.
Lorman, a training company in Eau
Claire, Wisconsin, suggests other ways
to make connections:
* Use an employee referral program
that provides an incentive. For example,
those who refer qualified nurses
could be entered into a drawing for a
free tablet.
* Contact successful former employees
who have left within the past 3
years. They may be dissatisfied and
ready to move on.
* Market internally and externally. The
perfect candidate may be working
down the hall.
Ease of recruitment can vary by geographic
area. One factor is the number
of schools nearby. " We have a nursing
school in town that does clinical rotations
in the hospital, and other schools
come here as well, " says Casey OrthNebitt,
BSN, RN, director of surgery at
Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in
Storm Lake, Iowa. Although Orth-Nebitt
rarely has the opportunity to hire nurses
with OR experience, she is willing to
take on those lacking that experience.
She adds that being a rural facility is
both positive and negative: " The good
part is that nurses want to stay here; the
bad part is that we don't have a large
pool to draw from. " Orth-Nebitt says recruiting
surgical technologists (STs) is
particularly difficult because the nearby
program only has seven slots, with most
students quickly recruited by organizations
out of state. " Not a lot of people
are going into the field, " she says.
Having fewer schools in the area increases
the importance of managers connecting
with students, but those connections
can pay off in any size market.
" You might lecture on conflict resolution
at a local nursing school and take the opportunity
to let students know about the
great things that are happening in your
organization, " says Wilson at IU Health.
Nikki Walke,
MBA, BSN
Nikki Walke, MBA, BSN,
administrative director
for perioperative services
and sterile processing at
IU Health, points out that
face-to-face recruiting
events still have a place
in recruiting, but require
a new spin. " We have
open houses in coffee shops or restaurants
to attract candidates instead of
having them come to us [at the hospital], "
she says. Informal environments
like restaurants allow nurses to sample
food and visit with leaders from different
practice settings as they circulate among
tables. HR markets the events through
social media.
Consider creative options
Student programs, residencies, and
other creative programs can help in recruiting
OR staff.
Student interns are paid less than
an RN wage, but the experience can
build interest in the OR and can shorten
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OR Manager - September 2019

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