Nurses have found their skills transfer to work in insurance companies and health management companies, Thompson said. Nurses wanting to work in hospitals have gone to temporary staffing agencies that supply pool nurses or travel nurses to hospitals, Thompson said. Retaining and recruiting For Midlands hospitals, recruiting nurses has become a full-time job. Most of the hospitals have full-time recruiters to find nurses. Providence Hospital also has a recruitment and retention committee, said Julie Hill, a registered nurse and nurse recruiter.
Hospitals offer a number of incentives and benefits to recruit and retain nurses.
The hospitals cultivate relationships with schools such as USC and Midlands Tech to encourage nursing interns to apply for jobs after graduation. Experienced nurses can receive sign-on bonuses, and nurses moving from outside the area can get relocation assistance. Hospitals have mentor programs pairing new nurses with experienced nurses. They also have scholarships and tuition assistance for nurses wishing to further their education. Hospitals also are starting their recruiting efforts earlier.