Aside from BWH-specific efforts, the Partners Chief Nurse Council is developing a plan to alter the image of nursing as a career in the minds of young people and those contemplating switching careers.
The Chief Nurse Council is currently laying the groundwork for a Partners-wide image campaign to not only boost nursing recruitment and retention for the Partners’ hospitals, but to increase the number of individuals who choose nursing as a career. The long range goal is to get more young people and those individuals considering switching careers to choose nursing. The short term goal of this endeavor is to make Partners hospitals the first choice for employment.
“In preliminary research involving focus groups, we found that young people have a misconstrued, trivial perception of nursing—one that is based on their limited exposure to the profession. Their view of nursing is based on interactions with their school nurse, the nurse at their physician’s office, or the media’s falsified image of nurses. Rarely are young people exposed to the reality of nursing and the full range of opportunities available in the nursing profession,” said Lee Chelminiak, communications manager for Partners Community Benefit Programs.
Based on information gathered from focus groups and a survey of young people and potential career switchers, the proposed nursing image campaign aims to provide a realistic view of a career in nursing. “Young people tell us they are looking for a career which is intellectually stimulating, where they can make a difference, be needed, have flexibility and earn a good salary -- the very elements of what a career in nursing has to offer” said Chelminiak.
The Partners Chief Nurse Council is developing a plan to fortify its relationship with youth organizations and schools and work with science teachers to promote the positive aspects of nursing careers. In addition, the Council hopes to bring more young people into hospitals, including BWH, for a first-hand experience, in order to raise awareness and interest in nursing. The Chief Nurse Council is proposing to develop an internet site and radio advertising to support these efforts. The internet and radio are two of the most popular media among pre-teens and teens, who are beginning to formulate a vision of their careers.