Role of a Nurse Recruiter
Industry specific recruiters are quickly becoming a necessity rather than an option. Nurse Recruiters are an integral part of operating a successful private or public health related business. Both job seekers and employers rely on the professional skills of a recruiter to fill vacancies with the best candidate in the shortest amount of time.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report for 2010 indicates there are more than 2.7 million nursing jobs in our country. Nurse recruiters’ primary duties are to seek out qualified candidates for job openings in hospitals, nursing homes, rehab centers and private practice settings.
Filling those positions is difficult today because most of the nurses in the nation’s pool are getting ready to retire and there is a shortage of trained personnel. The flip-flop from nurse-worker-patient to patient-retired-nurse is expected to exacerbate the current nursing shortage even more.
Job Duties of a Nurse Recruiter
Researching
Researching duties include staying informed about new technologies and learning environments in order to evaluate resumes and potential training opportunities for new employees.
Marketing
Marketing job openings involves attending professional conferences, identifying sources for reaching potential employees, designing and implementing successful media advertising campaigns, attending job fairs and developing relationships with colleges and student work advisors.
Screening
Screening duties include telephone interviews with potential candidates to evaluate communication skills, reviewing resumes for educational and job history requirements and first interview sessions.
Collaborating
Working as a liaison between agency departments to ensure job vacancies are identified quickly and filled efficiently is a major duty for nurse recruiters.
Interviewing
This job duty involves interviewing in-house managers to develop a better understanding of personnel needs, interviewing potential candidates prior to human resource contact and interview colleges about graduation rates in the nursing field.
Evaluating
Evaluating skills are required to ensure a clear picture is developed from resumes regarding past work history and industry proficiencies.
Supporting and Coordinating
A nurse recruiter is responsible for supporting managers and upper level management through reports and services as needed.
Job Settings for Nurse Recruiters
Nurse Recruiter positions are available in larger medical institutions like nursing homes and hospitals for part-time and full-time workers. There are also opportunities to work as a freelance recruiter.
Experience and Education
Most employers and contract customers prefer working with a nurse recruiter that comes from a nursing background. Experience working for several years as a nurse, along with a master’s degree or advanced nursing degree opens the door for more career opportunities.
Pay and Job Openings
Recent job opening listings show that there is an extremely broad range of salaries for nurse recruiters. Geographical location, work environment, size of employer and educational background all influence the annual salary.
According to an October 2012 job listing from the Veteran’s Administration, nurse recruiters’ salaries range from $48,696.00 to $83,411.00 annually, plus benefits. Job security is expected to be strong as our nation struggles to fill vacancies with nurse shortages from coast to coast and border to border.
Planning for a career working as a nurse recruiter would be a good fit for individuals who enjoy working with people and have a strong interest in the medical industry. Successful recruiters are willing to attend conferences and seminars to keep them up to date on the latest advancements in the nursing world and the technology world as it relates to medicine.
Students pursuing a degree in nursing with a concentration in business and development should consider exploring this quickly developing career.
