T
he American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports that of the roughly 4 million nurses at work in the U.S. to- day, about 25 percent, are age 50 and
over. This fact is expected to accelerate retirements over the next 15 years, creating nearly 176,000 nursing vacancies annually per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And that doesn’t even take into consideration the additional demand created by the aging Baby Boomer population and younger nurses changing careers after burning out during COVID. In such a job market, smaller hospitals are often at a distinct disadvantage in attracting and retain- ing the nursing talent that’s required to serve pa- tients. But Ozarks Healthcare has leveled that play- ing field with a robust slate of nursing programs designed to land and keep nursing talent today and well into the future.
“I think that across the nation, everyone could use more staff,” said Karlee Marvin, nurse education
supervisor. “At Ozarks Healthcare, we feel like we are in a much better place than we were even a cou- ple of years ago, especially with our residency and our externship programs.” Ozarks Healthcare's success story begins with
extensive recruitment and has been aided of late with the opening of outstanding facilities, such as its medical office building. Marvin said the oppor- tunity to work in a new, state-of-the-art facility is a strong draw for many prospective nurses. “We continue to grow because of all of the spe-
cialty providers that we offer and the procedures that we perform here. I think that is definitely a draw,” she said. “The physical improvements we have made over the last few years make the hospital that much more enticing. The new office building is beautiful on the outside and even more beautiful on the inside. We have a gym now that is available and free to coworkers, we have Grill 59, and a coffee shop serving Starbucks coffee.
Previous Spread: New nurses get hands-on training in a group environment.
Above: Pairing beginners with mentors helps good start.
26 | OZARKS HEALTHCARE | FALL/WINTER 2022
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