Recruitment Newsletter - Volume 1 Issue 3

Recruiter Monthly ROSE L. BROWN, MHA, BSN, RN; NURSE RECRUITER

NEWSLETTER Volume 1 Issue 3
September 2, 2018
INSIDE
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ISSUE Nurseslabs.com

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Launch Issue
Role of the Nurse
Recruiter

PG. 3-4

Applicants
Best Qualified Applicant

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Best Qualified Applicant
Hiring Process

PG. 6

Credentialing Phase

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Launch Issue of The Recruiter Monthly Newsletter

Recognizing the need for a practical means through which the Nurse Recruiter can
communicate relevant information to VAMHCS Nursing Leadership on the
recruitment, appointment, and credentialing of RNs, NPs, CRNAs, LPNs, and nursing
students; the Recruiter Monthly newsletter was created. It is designed to convey up to
date recruitment information, clarify technical recruitment processes, and to ensure
that readers are well informed on staffing acquisition procedures. Future editions will
accommodate questions and disseminate responses pertaining to the recruitment of
staff.

Role of the Nurse Recruiter

The Nurse Recruiter is responsible for the management and overall recruitment,
appointment, and credentialing of Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, CRNAs,
Licensed Practical Nurses, and Without Compensation (WOC) nurses for the VAMHCS.
Areas of responsibility include sites at Baltimore, Perry Point, Loch Raven, as well as
the Community Based Outpatient Clinics located throughout Maryland. The Nurse
Recruiter provides oversight, guidance, and direction to the Nurse Professional
Standards Board (NPSB) appointment process, including the initiation, follow-up, and
completion of all NPSB actions. The Nurse Recruiter works collaboratively with
VAMHCS Chief Nurses, Human Resources Management Service, and other services as
necessary to ensure the recruitment, appointment, credentialing, and retention of
VAMHCS nursing staff. The Nurse Recruiter recruits and processes nursing Students
for the VA Learning Opportunity Residency Program (VALOR) Program and Student
Nurse Technician (SNT) Program. Following successful completion of the VA Nursing
Education for Employee Program (VANEEP), the Nurse Recruiter processes the
employee for transition to LPN or RN. Maintains a record on all vacant positions and
tracks the recruitment process in filling these positions. Prepares and submits various
recruitment and retention reports. Plays a critical role in all VAMHCS activities
affecting the recruitment and retention of nurses, such as the Secretary's Award for
Excellence in Nursing and Nurses Recognition Week.

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PG.3

Applicants

Full-Time Positions

• Applicants apply for full-time vacancies through positions postings on USA Jobs; those who
meet identified preferred qualifications set by hiring officials are recommended for interview

• Inquiries/resumes sent to Nurse Recruitment for full-time employmnt are forwarded to HR
Nursing

Intermittent Positions

• Applicants apply for Intermittent positions posted on USA Jobs

• Applicants send their resumes to the Nurse Recruiter requesting Intermittent employment;
their resumes are forwarded to hiring officials and HR Nursing for review and possible
selection

Conversions

• Intermittent nurses may be selected by the hiring official for conversion to full-time vacant
positions

Transfers

• Full-time VA employees working at other VAMCs may transfer to a vacant VAMHCS position
for which they qualify

Best Qualified Applicant

• Selecting the best qualified applicant begins with identification, by the hiring official, of
preferred qualifications for job postings that are most connected to the practice, desired length
of experience, and academic level needed to meet the requirements of the position being
recruited for.

• After a posting has closed, HR compiles a list of those applicants meeting basic qualifications.
This list is then sent to the Nurse Recruiter to perform a Subject Matter Expert (SME) review,
which identifies applicants possessing the preferred qualifications identified by the hiring
official.

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PG.4

Choosing the correct preferred qualifications can lead to hiring of the best applicant(s). See below:
• Examples of effective preferred qualifications used as disqualifiers:

▪ requesting “recent” experience: eliminates applicants with remote experience
from consideration for the position. Unless “recent” experience is requested,
applicants with sought experience will be considered eligible, despite when it
occurred.

▪ requesting “years of experience”: eliminates the number of applicants who do
not have the desired years of experience requested for the position.

▪ requesting “education level”: identifies applicants with nursing degrees
appropriate for the position; eliminates lesser degrees.

• Examples of ineffective preferred qualifications used as disqualifiers:

▪ requesting “BLS”: unnecessary if the position is for clinical staff; BLS is
mandatory for those providing clinical care. If all other qualifications are met,
this can be discussed during the interview with the hiring official

▪ requesting “certifications”: should be used only if necessary in the execution
of the job (i.e. oncology)

▪ requesting “Joint Commission experience”: should be used only if
necessary in the execution of the job

All examples above of both effective and ineffective preferred qualifications are appropriate for listing
in postings because applicants need to know what is expected. However, not all should be used to
disqualify an applicant for consideration for interview by the hiring official.

DO NOT SCREEN OUT YOUR BEST QUALIFIED APPLICANT!

Hiring Process

• Applicant selection is made by the hiring official
• Applicant does pre-employment Processing with Nurse Recruiter
• Applicant begins the Credentialing process
• Applicant is Boarded by the Professional Standards Boards (NPSB, CRNA, LPNSB)
• Entrance on Duty (EOD) assigned by HR Nursing Team
• Orientation dates selected (New Employment/Nursing Service)
• Employee start work on Unit/Clinic

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PG.5

Currently In the Credentialing Phase

The information below represents applicants, per service, who are currently being credentialed.
After successful completion of credentialing, their files will be presented to their respective
Professional Standards Boards:

Nurse Professional Standards Board
CRNA Professional Standards Board
Licensed Practical Nurse Standards Board

AECCC

RN LPN SNT

1 BT PCC 1 BT PCC 1 Women's Health
1 BT ED 1 LR CBOC
1 Cambridge PCC Intermittent 1 Pocomoke CBOC
1 Ft Meade CBOC 1 Women's Health Intermittent

Geriatrics

RN LPN

1 PP EWound Care 4 LR CLC
2 LR GEC Intermittent 2 PP CLC
2 LR CLC Intermittent
RN
Medicine
5 3Med Surg/Telemetry
NP 2 MICU/CICU
1 Oncology Intermittent
1 Med/Inpatient Psych
1 Cardiology
1 PP MOD
1 Endocrine/Diabetes

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Currently In the Credentialing Phase

Surgery

NP RN SNT

1 5B Intermittent 1 5B
1 PACU Intermittent
1 SDS Intermittent
1 SDS/PACU Intermittent
2 SICU
3 SICU Intermittent

UM

RN

1 Utilization Mgmt

You Need to Know

1. RNs (Title 38) are “non-competitive” hire. If you have a vacant position and have a qualified
RN to fill that position, send your request to HR Nursing in lieu of generating a RMC.

2. If you want to hire an Intermittent nurse (resume sent by me or obtained on your own), send
the resume to HR Nursing first. HR will contact you after they review the resume.

3. Outside of military reserve duty, federal government employees cannot work at two different
federal government facilities concurrently (fulltime/fulltime or fulltime/part time). Contact
HR Nursing for more detailed information.

4. This Newsletter is intended to disseminate useful, real-time recruitment information to
Nursing leadership. It is not meant to address all recruitment issues, instead, will focus on the
most common inquiries received.

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