Page 19 - Healthcare News May/June 2022

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SALUTE TO NURSES CONT’D
Kelly Chevalier says many nurses were pushed into retirement by COVID, while others went into other professions or became travel nurses.
travel nurses, individuals willing, as that name suggests, to travel (sometimes long distances) to take nursing positions at different kinds of facilities.
In the wake of COVID, but in some cases before it arrived, hospitals have been taking steps to more effectively attract and retain nurses and create work environ- ments that help them confront the stress and strain of everyday work. Such initia- tives range from signing bonuses and generous wages to ‘appreciation meals’ and so-called ‘quiet rooms.’
Spiros Hatiras, president and CEO of Holyoke Medical Center (HMC), said his institution has put in place generous sign-on bonuses and other initiatives, steps that were in place long before COVID, to not only bring nurses to HMC but draw people into the nursing profession.
“From day one, I’ve implemented, one of, if not the most generous education benefits in the valley, to help people go back to school and advance their degrees,” he explained. “The last element is reaching out to new grads, but we need to make
“From day one, I’ve implemented, one of, if not the most generous education benefits in the valley, to help people go back to school and advance their degrees.”
SPIROS HATIRAS
it so we offer something they can’t say ‘no’ to. We’ve decided to offer each new grad nurse $50,000 when they sign on with us, check in hand, as long as they sign to work with us for four years.”
Not only do new nurses get a bonus, but already employed nurses can receive an additional $20,000 to their annual income if they agree to work with Holyoke Medical Center for another five years.
For this issue and its focus on healthcare, BusinessWest looks at the current land- scape in nursing and how area hospitals are working to address the many ongoing challenges they, and their nurses, are facing.
Supply and Demand
The challenge of securing adequate numbers of nurses is nothing new for area hospitals. With the aging of the Baby Boom generation, matching the number of retirements with new hires has been a difficult assignment.