Rural hospital CNO shares tips on retaining nurses during pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic created nursing staffing challenges for everyone, but small, rural hospitals found it especially hard to compete with lucrative travel nurse salaries and the large sign-on bonuses offered by their larger, urban counterparts. In Elma, Wash., Summit Pacific Chief Nursing Officer Tori Bernier used several strategies to retain and recruit experienced nurses. She limited sign-on bonuses to experienced nurses, was selective in recruiting travelers, and emphasized flexibility, attention to employee well-being and other benefits Summit Pacific could offer with potential hires. (HealthLeaders Media article, 3/8/21)