YORK, Pa. -- As hospitals nationwide are having difficulty finding nurses, WellSpan's York Hospital is trying new things to attract nurses.
Some ideas include online recruiting events and social media, however there's one incentive that's not as high-tech but is helpful to many students.
York Hospital isn't immune to a nationwide shortage of registered nurses.
Registered nurse Ellie Hoet said "it definitely makes your job harder, just because we`re short a lot of the time, but you work around it."
This isn't the first time WellSpan's chief nurse executive Kris O'Shea has experienced a nursing shortage, but there is something different that's causing this one.
"The baby boomers. The baby boomer generation is a larger generation and so there seems to be a little bit more nurses that are retiring," O'Shea said.
However, a medical professions seminar at the York County School of Technology shows
there doesn't appear to be a shortage of high school students waiting to take their place.
York County School of Technology assistant administrative director Scott Rogers said "we had close to 900 applications for the incoming freshman class next year for the 26 programs, 450 students just received their acceptance letters, and there 450 approximately on a waiting list."
York County School of Technology practical nursing program adult nursing supervisor Frances Bietsch said "I have been told by some of the students that it`s a little bit difficult for them to finish school because of the personal things that are going on in their life, and sometimes also just the cost of going to school."
Some hospitals are trying to make it easier by offering paid tuition, and the promise of a job.
"We`re offering some sign on bonuses for certain positions at WellSpan as well as forgivable loan type situations with students," O'Shea said.
"That was a relief, because if you`re taking on all that debt, you definitely want to make sure you have a job I support that, but there`s a lot of my friends that struggled to get jobs and I really didn't have that struggle," Hoet said.
Those aren't the only things that matter to future RN, and York County School of Technology medical professions student, Courtney Kline.
"Because I also like patient contact. I like working with people, because I just like to make people happy or see that they are happy and healthy," Kline said.
York County School of Technology brought in 30 different employers to learn how to meet the current needs of the medical profession.
WellSpan will host it's online recruiting event in April.