Friday, November 5, 2004

Sona Iyengar

Fletcher Allen Public Relations

802/847-9334

Fletcher Allen Health Care Surpasses Goal in Nursing Campaign;

101 Nurses Hired to Date

BURLINGTON, VT. - Fletcher Allen Health Care announced today that it has surpassed its goal of recruiting 100 nurses in 100 days. To date, 101 registered nurses have accepted jobs at Fletcher Allen through the campaign. The campaign officially ends on November 9th.

Of the 101 nurses, 55 are new to the organization; 36 are Fletcher Allen nurses who increased their hours; eight are former Fletcher Allen nurses who were re-hired; and two are travelers who converted to permanent status.

In the same time period, Fletcher Allen has seen 10 part-time or full-time nurses leave the organization. This reflects the current trend toward a lower level of turnover and attrition than in the past.

"This is wonderful news. We have exceeded our goal for this initiative and all signs point to our continuing ability to recruit and retain registered nurses at Fletcher Allen.  This represents a significant step in addressing our nursing shortage and will enhance our ability to continue providing high quality care for our patients." said Chief Nursing Officer Mary Botter, Ph.D., R.N.

"I'd like to acknowledge our dedicated nurse recruiters, the Human Resources Department, the nurse managers, and all current members of our nursing staff, as well as all Fletcher Allen employees, for making this happen," Botter said. "We could not have achieved our goal without a strong commitment at all levels of this organization to recruit and retain nurses at Fletcher Allen."

Fletcher Allen and the Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals launched the campaign on August 2nd in an effort to attract nurses to the academic health center and to retain the nurses who work there.

The campaign includes a direct mail and advertising campaign and a variety of financial incentives for:

• Current Fletcher Allen employees who refer nurses to Fletcher Allen
• Current "per diem" nurses who increase their commitment to either part-time or full-time
• Part-time nurses who increase to full-time
• Nurses who join the organization on a part-time or full-time basis.

All sign-on bonuses are offered in two payments - half at 90 days and the remaining half after one year, with a required employment commitment of two years. 

In the area of nurse retention, there are several ongoing efforts already underway to help foster a work environment that ensures nurse retention.  In addition, following a series of discussions with the Federation of Nursing and Health Professionals, Fletcher Allen agreed to take several actions to support retention, including reopening discussions with the union about wages for current nurses.

For detailed information on the campaign, and a complete list of financial incentives, visit www.FletcherAllen.org and click on the 100 Nurses in 100 Days symbol. To reach a nurse recruiter call: 802-847-4429 or 800-722-9922.