Unfortunately, many nurses have had enough. The stress of the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted nurses. A recent Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation poll noted that 3 of 10 health care workers have considered leaving the field.

Fortunately, at fidé, we’re helping solve this lack of nurses in hospitals and medical clinics with our traveling nurses program that’s a win/win, giving nurses the opportunity to travel and help out where they’re needed most and helping hospitals maintain their staff during this incredibly difficult time.

Chances are you’re facing a nursing shortage in your area. No need for concern; you just have to get creative when recruiting. Here are 5 tips.

Combine Digital and In-Person Approaches

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, so much of recruiting was done virtually – via email and phone, and this likely won’t change anytime soon. With the weather warming up throughout much of the country and more people getting vaccinated (thank you, nurses!), there’s a great opportunity to combine digital and in-person approaches. If both parties feel comfortable, consider meeting candidates for coffee or scheduling on-site recruiting events throughout the community. After spending so much of the past year in their houses, many people will be seeking any chance they can get to be out and about.

Showcase the Culture

Nursing is no different than any career in that, at a certain point, the daily duties remain unchanged. That’s why it’s important to emphasize what it is that makes your particular hospital or clinic culture unique – what would make them want to come to work every day. Prospective candidates will want to get a sense of the culture. When communicating with them, be sure to focus on your organization as well as the job itself.

Put a Face to the Place

Nurses don’t want to feel as though they are joining some faceless entity. So, consider ways you can leverage your nursing staff as ambassadors for your particular organization. If they’re amenable, have nurses shoot video testimonials (nothing fancy; a regular smartphone will suffice). Or see if they’d be willing to contribute blogs where they can share their experiences with patients. These videos and blogs can be posted to the organization’s website and shared via its social media channels.

Customize Your Approach

We’ve all received emails or phone calls where it’s clear the person sending or calling is using some type of template or script. It often feels insincere, forced, like the person and organization they represent doesn’t really care about us as a person. All the more reason to customize your approach when contacting potential candidates. Go to their LinkedIn profile and learn a bit about them – perhaps you have connections in common you can mention in your outreach. It might take a little more time but, in this instance, a little bit can go a long way.

Create a Referral Program

As we noted earlier, your own employees can often serve as the best ambassadors or advocates for your organization. Consider developing a referral program where employees get some type of reward for recruiting candidates. While financial rewards always are appreciated, consider other incentives like days off or gift cards to restaurants or other area businesses. Or, in the spirit of friendly competition among colleagues, create some type of challenge where the nurses who refer the most candidates win a series of prizes.

Or, you could let us handle it for you!

Recruiting is a lot of work, and it can take time before it's successful. At fidé, our team has developed deep relationships with healthcare staff members and facilities to help fulfill their needs. We are actively hiring registered nurses and connecting them with leading organizations, contact us, and let’s get to work.