Adjustments in recruiting and onboarding procedures have led to success in retention at Newman Regional Health.
Chief Executive Officer Bob Wright says the hospital has been stepping up its attendance at regional job fairs. It has also put more emphasis on mock interviews for nursing students at Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College, potentially turning that process into a real interview and a position at the hospital. And it has adjusted its onboarding process, with new nurses having a mentor for the first 90 days on the job.
The end result? The nursing turnover rate is below both the national and state averages while the vacancy rates have come down to less than five unfilled positions as of Thursday morning. This also cuts down on the need for contract staff, which has been a major concern for hospital administrators since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
On COVID-19 policy, Wright expects treatment will likely follow the general policies in place for the flu.
The hospital recently passed the three-year anniversary of admitting its first COVID patient. Wright says there are several lessons learned over the past three years, but the underlying lesson is simple: you can’t be prepared enough for a pandemic. He credited the hospital staff and administration for their work to keep residents as healthy as possible.
