FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2002
Providence St. Peter Hospital Takes New Approach to Recruit Nurses
Nursing Career Night to be Held May 8
OLYMPIA—Hospitals across the nation have vacancies for 126,000 nurses, according to a report from the American Hospital Association. The nursing shortage has hit locally, as well.
Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia currently has 35 job openings for registered nurses and five openings for licensed practical nurses.
"The situation is challenging, but we’ve developed some creative solutions to recruit and retain nurses," said Beth Banger-Meehan, employment manager for the Providence Southwest Washington region.
"We will be hosting a nursing career night at Providence St. Peter Hospital in May," said Banger-Meehan. "It’s an opportunity for people to learn about nursing jobs and education opportunities available in the local area."
The event will be held Wednesday, May 8 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the second floor of Providence St. Peter Hospital, 413 Lilly Road N.E. in Olympia.
Event Highlights
- Keynote speaker Terry Taylor, M.A., a nationally known career coach, will explain how to identify whether nursing is the right career match for you. Taylor has helped hundreds of people throughout the country make life-altering decisions. Her 30-minute presentation will be repeated at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Meet nurses and find out what it is like to work in specialty nursing areas, including surgery, emergency room, critical care, diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, pediatrics, labor and delivery, oncology and medical/surgical units. Tours will be available in some areas.
- Career counselors and human resources representatives will share information about current nursing job openings and educational requirements. Participants will include Providence St. Peter Hospital, Providence Centralia Hospital, Providence SoundHomeCare and Hospice, Providence Mother Joseph Care Center, South Puget Sound Community College, Centralia Community College and the University of Washington-Tacoma.
Providence St. Peter Hospital has developed several other programs designed to recruit and retain nurses. For example, the hospital offers nurse technician positions, so students can receive hands-on training while still attending nursing school. Graduate nurse positions and nurse residency programs are available in specialty nursing areas.
The hospital also offers an employee referral bonus for critical-to-fill positions. In addition, the hospital hosts job shadowing and career days for local high school students to learn more about jobs available in the health care field.
For more information about the nursing career night, call (360) 493-7882. Current job listings are posted at www.providence.org/swsa.
Providence St. Peter Hospital, founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1887, is a not-for profit 390-bed hospital serving the five-county South Sound region with comprehensive medical, surgical and mental health services.
# # #
|
