Hiring for nursing, entry-level jobs proves difficult

The low unemployment rate and steady supply of jobs in southwest Missouri is putting local hospitals and health care organizations to the test.

"Recruiting new hires with the unemployment rate being so low is probably the biggest issue everyone in southwest Missouri is facing," said Jack Burk, executive director of human resources for Oxford Health Care, a home health agency that serves 25 counties in southwest Missouri.

Margo Jarrell-Hankey, senior human resources manager for Cox Health Systems, agreed with that assessment.

"With the unemployment rate being what it is in Springfield and surrounding counties, we're having trouble finding qualified applicants for entry-level positions, such as housekeeping, food services and clerical positions," she said.

Hospitals experience the entry-level job crunch more acutely, Jarrell-Hankey said, because they must staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and they must compete with non-health care-related employers for employees.

But entry-level jobs aren't the only problem area for health care organizations, said Mike Peters, director of community relations for St. John's Health System. "We're also experiencing shortages in certain specialized areas," he said.

One consistent need is for registered nurses. "Nursing shortages are cyclical, but this one is unique because of low unemployment," Peters said. Both Peters and Jarrell-Hankey said that nursing is a particularly tough job category because southwest Missouri must compete with cities across the country for nurses.

Jarrell-Hankey said that Cox Health Systems attends nursing recruitment fairs in Little Rock, St. Louis and Kansas City to attract nurses to Springfield. And in addition to nurses, "Right now we are also seeing shortages in radiology-related areas," Jarrell-Hankey said.

Hospitals and other health care organizations are working harder to attract qualified applicants. "We attempt to be competitive salary-wise," Jarrell-Hankey said. "We also have an excellent benefits structure. We strive to be the best employer in Springfield."

Peters said that St. John's is advertising aggressively and is taking steps to make the application process as simple as possible.

"The St. John's Web site is updated three times a week, and applicants can download applications from the Web site and mail them in," he said. "We're downloading 1,000 applications a month. Our goal is to eventually offer electronic applications."

St. John's also holds a Career Day each spring for high school students from St. John's 32-county service area to generate interest in working for the hospital.

Burk said that Oxford is also working hard to attract applicants. "We're doing a lot of ads to get people in," he said. "We're also doing a lot of job fairs. Our wage structure and the way we treat our people are ways we attract employees. We consider our employees to be as important as our clients."

As for what lies ahead, "I think the demand is going to continue," Peters said. "Unless the economy goes sour, the job market will be a critical thing to watch."

Jarrell-Hankey said that the market won't get any easier, and Burk said it could get even tougher.

"It's going to get tighter," Burk said. "Being in the medical field, we're all competing for the same workers. It's going to get even more competitive over the next 12 months."

Regardless of how tight the labor market is, Burk said "It will not compromise care. Delivery of top quality care will remain our top priority."

Peters agreed, stating that St. John's will do "whatever it takes" to maintain a high standard of care, and Jarrell-Hankey added that Cox plans to do the same.

"We will never allow anything to compromise care," she said.