Nursing wasn’t a lifelong ambition, but when Kay Shank decided to pursue a career after her youngest child entered school, she found a passion for nursing that’s lasted two decades. Currently a professional recruiter for OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, her medical career began with a career inventory assessment. “Both sales and nursing were my highest scores. As I reflected on personal experiences I had with nursing care in my life, it became an attractive career for me. Nurses had made a difference in my life and in the lives of my family,” Shank said.

She initially took classes at Illinois Central College and finished her nursing degree at Bradley University. “When I graduated in the mid-1980s, I had a choice of positions on two units and began my nursing career at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center on the Oncology unit. This unit is special to me even today. As a new graduate, I found I had much to learn about nursing from my peers, but the best teachers about the meaning of life were my cancer patients.”

Shank enrolled at Bradley again four years later and earned a master’s degree in Nursing Administration. The following year, a position for a nursing recruiter became available. “This was very attractive to me. When I was a sophomore nursing student, I attended my first nursing job fair. I was amazed there were so many institutions that wanted to hire nurses when they graduated. I remember walking up to the OSF booth and talking to the recruiter. I asked dozens of questions about her role and found out she was a nurse who actively recruited nurses to come and work at OSF. That day I told my friends someday I would like to do this,” she said.

As a nurse recruiter, Shank said she attracts the best and brightest nurses to OSF. “This includes student nurses, new graduate nurses, and experienced RNs. I also recruit for various allied health positions including physical and occupational therapists and assistants, speech pathologists, pharmacists, clinical dieticians, and varied management and administrative positions.”

She attracts and keeps professionals by appearing at career days, giving presentations about health care opportunities, and serving on many community boards and hospital-wide committees. “I’m always recruiting. I recruit at the Medical Center primarily, but I’m known to recruit while waiting in line at the grocery store, while riding to the top of the St. Louis Arch, in airports, in churches, and wherever anyone will listen to me describe the great opportunities available for someone who wants to enter the health care arena—especially in nursing.

Shank said working in human resources in any industry has its own unique challenges. “In health care, we face many budgetary restraints. I believe all HR departments have the universal goal to recruit and retain the best employees they can hire. What makes the OSF human resource department unique is we all adhere to the mission of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis: To serve with the greatest care and love. This is true for every employee, whether we’re giving direct or indirect patient care. This mission and culture guides us in our daily work and in the attainment of our goals.”

The shortage of nurses is well publicized, and Shank said this worldwide deficit affects her recruiting efforts. “As the baby boomers begin to age and demand quality health care, America’s nursing population is also aging, and more nurses are moving into other employment beyond the hospital setting. About half of today’s nursing workforce will reach retirement age in the next 15 years, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports jobs for RNs will grow 23 percent by 2008. That’s faster than the average for all other occupations. Today, 75 percent of all hospital personnel vacancies are for nurses, according to the American Hospital Association.”

To get a leg up on the competition, Shank said OSF is taking a proactive approach to recruiting. “Self scheduling and flexible work options are attractive incentives. We continue to develop innovative programs to attract nursing students for employment, including positions as bed and bath assistant, student nurse technician, and our highly successful Summer Student Nurse Extern program. New graduate scholarships, sign-on and referral bonuses for experienced nurses, student loan reimbursement, and our Best at the Bedside clinical ladders are various methods used to recognize the professional value and expertise of our nursing employees.”

Increasing the pool of available nursing talent is also a priority at OSF, Shank said. “We’re focusing on grade school, junior high, and high school recruitment into health care. We’ve presented informational sessions to school counselors about health care opportunities, and our Career Awareness Guide has been distributed to school libraries and counselors. We also have employees who volunteer to go into schools and talk about their everyday role in health care and how they make a difference in the lives they touch.”

Being a recruiter during a nursing shortage is one of the greatest challenges inherent to her position, Shank said. “The research indicates the next five to 10 years will be filled with their own set of challenges. I believe all nurses are recruiters for the profession, just as each OSF employee is a recruiter for the Medical Center. As we’re faced with an impending worsening nursing shortage, it’s critical for each nurse to personally share the rewarding experiences of his or her nursing career with others. I feel we must work together—legislators, educators, the media, and all nurses—to promote the benefits and rewards a nursing career can offer to all populations.”

She said another challenge is finding enough time in her day to accomplish all of her goals. “I guess that explains why I’m constantly recruiting wherever I go: restaurants, stores, schools, banks, etc. I feel there’s always someone out there who’s wondering how they can give back to others and trying to decide which career will enable them to touch the lives of others.”

Trying to pinpoint the best part of her career is a more difficult task. “There are so many. Seeing the freshness and enthusiastic spirit of nursing students and new graduate nurses is uplifting. I’m in awe of the professional critical thinking skills of experienced nurses, and I feel great pride when they’re recognized for their daily accomplishments of delivering OSF’s highest quality of patient care. My heart is truly warmed when I interview an applicant who has met the personal, and sometimes very difficult, everyday challenges of life and has continued on their journey to become a nurse,” she said.

Shank said she has immense job satisfaction as a nursing recruiter. “The variety of each day is stimulating and challenging. No two days are alike. Meeting new people, constantly learning new skills, and promoting nursing as a career is very rewarding. Nursing has been a gift in my life; I’m blessed I was given a ‘second’ chance to choose a profession I truly love.”

To celebrate her chosen career, every year she journeys to Haiti to volunteer for the Friends of the Children of Haiti two-week medical mission. “Traveling to Haiti gives me the opportunity to work as a nurse, treating thousands of people who don’t have access to health care in their country. Through this experience, I’ve learned: once a nurse, always a nurse. Nursing is always in my heart, and I’m blessed.” TPW