To retain and recruit nurses, the hospital is using cash bonuses, including sign-on bonuses, and tuition reimbursements. Hospitals fear that a drying pipeline of nurses could spell trouble for their ability to care for an increasingly aging population with serious health issues.
“It goes beyond just filling current positions,” says Laura Brown, a human resources manager for Baptist Health. “How do we fill that pipeline…with the folks that are going to be coming into those massive openings for healthcare workers?”