Partnering With Schools of Nursing: An Effective Recruitment Strategy

Recruiting competent and passionate oncology nurses is a top priority for oncology nurse leaders. Recruitment is a challenge for many specialty areas (Buerhaus, Staiger, & Auerbach, 2000); however, it is particularly difficult in oncology, an area associated with high levels of stress, toxic agents, complex research protocols, and death and dying. The challenge of nurse recruitment in oncology was underscored by a recent survey that assessed perceptions about the oncology nursing workforce among a sample of oncology nurses and nurse executives pulled from the Oncology Nursing Society membership directory. In the survey, 79% of staff nurses reported an inability to retain experienced nurses in their work settings, and nurse executives reported that a lack of qualified applicants was the most common reason for unfilled positions (Buerhaus, Donelan, Des-Roches, Lamkin, & Mallory, 2001).