Nursefinders Turns to Internet to Deliver Expanded Opportunities and Support for Nation's Nurses (9/00)

Nursefinders, one of the nation's largest health care staffing providers, introduced a dynamic new Internet presence and announced a major corporate reorganization designed to fuel the company's drive to become the world's premier employer and career advocate for nurses.

With more than 35,000 highly qualified nurses and other healthcare professionals in more than 150 markets, Nursefinders is one of the largest resources for healthcare workers seeking career opportunities and for healthcare providers seeking qualified personnel. As a result of a $1.5 million overhaul of its web site, Nursefinders.com, Nursefinders now will be the online destination for career and lifestyle management. The online presence will expand job opportunities for nurses and other medical professionals across the nation who now will have access to a comprehensive range of online resources and job opportunities.

The Internet presence is one way that Nursefinders expects to take the lead in addressing a shortage of nurses nationwide that is reaching the critical stage. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nurses, nursing vacancies are approaching 10 to 12 percent in some parts of the U.S. and demand for RNs is expected to grow 23 percent by 2006.

"You hear a lot about the shortage of technology workers, but the nursing shortage is as serious, if not more serious, than the shortage of tech talent," said Nursefinders CEO Sherry Hagemeister. "The majority of America hasn't realized it."

In addition to expanded job opportunities, Nursefinders.com also will offer access to continuing education courses, free email, nursing references, community chat rooms, local information, easy banking/payroll support and many other services.

"Our goal is to create a sense of community among these important professionals that are often overlooked for the valuable contributions they make," said Hagemeister. "Nurses today want more control over their careers and their lives. They need real-time access to information that will keep them current about trends in nursing and medicine. They need up-to-the-minute information about their specific nursing specialties. They need the ability to survey the job market to search out new opportunities to enhance their lives and advance their careers. The bottom line is that we want to create a new way for nurses to look at their business and their profession. Our new Internet initiative is designed to help them do that."

In addition to the Internet strategy, Hagemeister announced a corporate reorganization that creates separate operating divisions with individual management structures for the company's medical staffing, home care and Internet services.

The Medical Staffing Division will be under the direction of Chief Operating Officer Rick Peranton. Pam Wendt, Vice President Clinical Services, will lead the Patient Care Division. The Internet team will be directed by Executive Vice President Deborah Lollar, Chief Technology Officer Roy Butler and Vice President Business Development Sherry Weier.

The reorganization is necessary for several reasons, according to Hagemeister. As the largest healthcare occupation, with more than 2.6 million jobs, nursing is the target of ever-changing government and industry regulation that has significantly impacted the complexity of operating individual specialties such as home care and medical staffing.

Demand for more specialization in the staffing business, for example, has increased over the past several years, requiring more nurses with greater qualifications and more support personnel. Home care business has changed even more dramatically as the higher activity levels of patients places new and greater demands on planning, care delivery, recruiting and documentation.

Ultimately, Hagemeister says, the new Internet program and the organizational changes are designed to help Nursefinders become the leading global resource for nurses.

"Our goal," she added, "Is to become the world's leading advocate for nurses. And because of our size and our resources, we believe we are in the best position to take on that role."

About Nursefinders

Based in Arlington, Texas, Nursefinders is one of the largest medical staffing and specialty home health care companies in the nation with 150 offices in 38 states generating more than $250 million in systemwide revenues. Established in 1974, Nursefinders supplies RNs, LPNs, therapists, nursing assistants, home health aides and other health care professionals for home care and supplemental staffing for hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities.