Notes on Recruitment ~ Nursing World Cafe, January 9 & 15, 2008

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Recruitment (Sessions I & II) ~ Action Steps created to support the top two strategies voted on by members of first cafe:

Stragegy #1 - Community Fund for Nurses

• Develop broad-based strategy & program to raise and maintain awareness of problem with successes - addressing it.
• Fund (partially) via 3- year homeowner tax credits to create a pool of start-up funding.
• Mechanism to subsidize mortgage payments (Mat Epstein) ^
• Priortize the items which will e funded:  Example #1) scholarship money; #2) Loan Repayment; #3) Assistance with home loans.
• Expand to multi-resource for nursing including resources for nurses who want to change positions. Lois Bank ^
• Bring all current scholarship representatives together and create a fund that generates scholarships without touching the invested fund base (endowment).
• Create a team to oversee obatining and distribution of funds with community, not institution ties. (Marilyn Watkins)^
• Scholarships in exchange for committment to serve in the communtiy.
• Loan payback for qualified service in the high-need areas of the community
• Scholarships for work committments in the community - expand this to be a community facilitator, information disperser of community work and education opportunities (Nancy Gross ^)
• Utilize community fund to support advanced education reimbursement for nurses seeking Masters and PhDegrees. (No name)
• Utilize community funds to support Community Health Nursing (n/n)
• Minimize duplication of services at hospitals so that solicitation of donations could partly fund a "nursing recruitment/retention" fund. (Sue Martin)
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• Approach local philanthropy groups to get support & funds. (n/n)
• Allow the nurse options for use with funds - loan repayment, childcare, continuing education, in exchange for 3 years service in community. (N/N)
• Community fund: a) Utilize scholarships for nursing to work in community; b) develop relationship with local foundation(s) to build support for community fund. N/N
• Recruitment: 1) Support a home loan for relocation; 2) pay off the education dollars to keep the new graduate in the valley X's 3 years; 3) Loan for a new car; ) Have a fundraiser associated with healthcare to draw donations; ) A Resource Center for Nursing; 6) Community awareness; 7) Lobby the state governor.
• Community Fund for Nursing - "SOIC" - a) Large benefits (fundraisers) with silent auctions and with entertainers and who have been touched in personal ways by nursing; b) Donations from retirees; c) coupons at cash registers in our communities to donate to fund for nursing, maybe during "Nurse Awareness Week"; d) Homeowner tax credit for nurses (Martha Fitzgerald)
• Some type of incentive for community health nurses - Many nurses don't work in community health due to lower pay. (N/N)
• Create scholarships for nurses who choose to work in the community (SS)
• For those nurses already out of school create loan forgiveness programs for nurses who stay in the community (SS)
• Media compaigns to identify actual shortage to public nursing workforce (Staci Schenk ^)
• Recruitment: Scholarshps for nursing students or nursing continuing education in exchange for 2 years service in community (public health, hospital, etc.) - Willing to help: Kim Oberacker
• Helping nursing students find affordable housing - maybe community nursing student housing; 2) Help for nurses with life changing events - also so they can return back after event - like divorce, death, cancer, etc. - (Michelle Higging - higginsm@ohsu.edu
• Community Fund for nursing  - Money from Medicare, Medicaid, Since the decrese in nurses and the increase in patient to nurse ratio equals increase in (wstg??? cannot decipher this word) - so the government should help fix it! ^
• Since there is a large elderly population, maybe giving pre-nursing student and nursing students jobs caring for elderly in their homes - staying over so the student gets money , can do homework and the elderly get help and companionship (Michelle Higgins)

Strategy #2 - Systemic Change

• Careful selection of mentor to meet ideal characteristics of a mentor
• Education for mentors
• Recognition of mentors (monetary and non-monetary) - Lois Blank ^
• Invest our human resources in the community into successful integration of new hires - obtain support from retirees to help with living expenses and those relocating to the community
• "Help-Line" for SOU nurses
• Provide partners (nursing mentors) to new grads to give one-on-one support through the first one to two years of their careers
• Give new grads and new hires a voice in reshaping continually their practice as needs shift
• If Nurse Navigator role becomes an action item, I would like to participate in the development of this (Marilyn Watkins) ^

• Bus (RVTD) passes to work/school
• Internet access for RN/RN students (wireless?)
• Mt. Ashland Ski passes for employed RNs
• Resource center with referrals, job openings, education, etc.
• Website
• Flexible scheduling
• Weekend crew to allow Monday throught Friday schedule for others
• More weekend/night support/mentor for new hires
• Generous time off package to prevent burnout and improve retention & decrease turnover (No name ^)
• We need to train more nurses by: 1)  increasing the number of "slots" in the nursing programs and by 2) relooking at the admission criteria which is discouraging to many "would be good nurses" and 3) maybe create a part-time program for nursing students (No name ^)
• Support for new hires: increased orientation time; assigning a mentor; having an ombudsman for new hires to problem solve in a non-threatening atmosphere (sounding board); flexible hours, flexible moves between work areas (Nancy Gross ^)
• I would be interested in lobbying for changes to the existing regulations around re-entry to nursing workforce after an absence (No Name)
• Continue to provide agency as a resource for clinical rotation (n/n)
• I would be willing to encourage community groups to support nurturing of nures with a community fund (n/n)
• Support groups for new RNs facilitated by established RNs or non-working nurses who would like to participate and gain fulfillment from such a role - A "Buddy Program" couuld also be established
• Draw in retirees (of any profession) who would be interested in helping to provide child care (either all day or just after school).  There would be an established "Child care" resource of volunteers who would be willing to help with caregiving needs, maybe errands or meal preparation or groceries too. (Sue Martin)
• Utilize experiences of retired/seasoned nurses to serve as mentors for new nurses (n/n)
• Simplify re-entry process for RNs. (N/N)
• Development and implementation of orientation and on-going mentorship of new/returning nurses to workforce N/N
• Build on existing partnerships for development of orientation/mentoring programs for various nursing disciplines.N/N
• Working with legislatie support to increase local and state planning for change of system and requirements that make it difficult for nursres to return to work. N/N
• Recruitment: 1) Develop a mentoring program where the mentor receives education to be a mentor; 2) Provide the mentor with a reward for taking an extra step; 3) Since many RNs are part time, have mentors job share; 4) Have a website for new grads to communicate with each other. (N/N)
• Systemic Change for new hires - New grads Wholistic Support: 1) Community-based agency with resourceful nurse navigators to assist nurses of all levels into settings that will provide them most satisfaction; 2) Nurse mentoring of new grads, returnees and career shifts within nursing; 3) Shift in educational opportunities to assist mentors and mentorees, e.g.: per work hour, classroom/internet/discussion opportunities. (N/N)
• Employee training for supervisors and nurse managers on better relationships for floor nurses. (N/N)
• Systemic Change: Create long-term support (1-2 years) - more intensive for new grads - longer orientation (Staci Schenk)
• Create new grad/hire classes specific to units, i.e.: critical care class, labor & delivery to refresh & cover basics (SS)^
• Mentors for new grads/new hires (Kim Oberacker)
• New hires: 2-3 years mentoring and go-to person for new grads/hires with incentives for those mentors (Michelle Higgins)
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