Amid a nationwide nursing shortage exacerbated by the pandemic, Columbus, Miss.-based Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle is now offering a $5,000 signing bonus during the hiring process, local CBS affiliate WCBI reported Dec. 30.
"That $5,000 is for our ER nurses, our critical care nurses, the medical surgical workers that work with the COVID-19 patients," Johnny Judson, RN, the hospital's nurse recruiter, told the station.
The signing bonus incentive is in addition to Baptist Memorial's existing student loan payback program. To qualify for the bonus, nurses applying to the hospital must have two years of experience.
"We do have certain hiring criteria that has not changed at all," Mr. Judson said. "We put incentives in place to attract more people, but we don't lower our standards."
To read the full report, click here.
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