Southern Florida Hospitals Offers Big Incentives to Nurses

The nurse shortage is affecting everyone, and industry experts say that it will only get worse–Unless you are a nurse.

An article from MiamiHerald.com titled: “Where are the nurses?” describes how hospitals in southern Florida are offering BIG incentives in order to recruit and retain nurses during this shortage:

Baptist Health South Florida has been aggressively recruiting nurses from the Philippines, sponsors 10 students by partnering with the International University of Nursing in St. Kitts, and has paid out $11 million in nursing scholarships since 2002. They also offer housing at below market prices to lure out-of-state nurses to come work at their facilities.

Mercy Hospital started offering nurses who are first-time homebuyers help with their down payments, providing employees between $5000-10,000 in assistance. In addition, Mercy subsidizes a whopping 80 percent of a Metro or Tri-Rail pass for its employees.

Memorial Hospital in the South Broward Hospital District offers a concierge services. Employees can use the services to set up car washes, oil changes and repairs, dry cleaning, gift wrap, travel reservations, purchase gift cards or send someone to their house to wait for a repair man.

Tenet’sWest Boca Medical Center offers sign-on bonuses which start at $2,000 and retention bonuses from $3,000 to $10,000 as well as bonus incentive programs.

Click here to read more about what southern Florida hospitals are offering their nurses.

Q: Does your nurse staffing agency offer any incentives for the nurse to stay with you rather than to work at the facility directly?