EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NURSE EXTERN PROGRAM AS A RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION STRATEGY.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 179
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: On an annual basis, hospitals continue to spend millions of dollars to recruit registered nurses. Nurse extern programs offer a built in solution to the recruitment dilemma. The purpose of this study was to compare the individual, personal importance of recruiting factors in populations of new nurses in relation to their experience as a nurse extern versus those new nurses who were not nurse externs.

This study identified the nurse externs who chose to remain at the same hospital of the externship and the influential factors that contributed to the nurse externs' decision regarding first employment after graduation. The design for the study was a quantitative descriptive questionnaire which divided the new graduates into three groups: (1) the BSN extern; (2) the BSN non extern; and (3) the Non BSN graduate. The subjects included Registered Nurses who had graduated from 1988 to 1992 and at the time of the study were employed in two New York City metropolitan hospitals. Data were collected in person in each of the two hospitals utilizing the Giove - Nurse Extern Recruitment Survey.

An analysis of the G-NERS data indicated that a substantial number of nurse externs sought employment at the same hospital as the externship after graduation. Based on the statistics, the positive work experience as a nurse extern maybe the explanation for successful recruitment from nurse extern programs.

The valuable gain in clinical competence cannot be overlooked as a direct result of the extern experience. In addition, the relationship between extern programs and recruitment must be considered as crucial element for the strategic planning for hospital recruitment and retention.

This study's findings suggested that nursing leaders in service administration continue to support nurse extern programs for its built in recruitment strategies and for the positive outcomes inherent in these types of programs.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-04, Section: B, page: 1889.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1993.

School code: 0055.