Colleagues in Caring site: South Carolina

Contact person and email address: Renatta Loquist: Renatta.loquist@sc.edu

URL for recruitment initiatives: www.sc.edu/nursing/cic/index.htm

Recruitment initiative:
Future Nurses Kids Club

Timeframe/Target population:
Ongoing/4th-8th grades in all schools

Partners/Funders:
SC School-to-Work Consortium; SC Chamber of Commerce

Message:
Nursing as a challenging career with much diversity

Evaluation of effectiveness:
Number of children enrolling has significantly increased national enrollment in club.
Number of invitations to present has significantly increased

Lessons learned:
Children begin to make career decisions early; by 6th grade, most have some idea of interest area

Resources available:
Website; coloring sheet, brochure

Recruitment initiative:
Coloring Sheet and activity sheets

Timeframe/Target population:
Ongoing/K-5

Partners/Funders:
SC School-to-work consortium; SC Healthcare Recruitment & Retention Center; Practicing nurses

Messages:
"What nurses do;" pique interest in nursing careers

Evaluation of effectiveness:
Very well received by students; highlights diversity of nursing careers.

Lessons learned:
Practicing nurses, organizations, students nurses all have volunteered to promote nursing careers; we have a statewide initiative developing

Resources available:
Coloring sheet, find-a-word, crosswords, games, all centered around nursing & healthcare topics

Recruitment initiative:
Public service announcement "Power to make a Difference" - adapted from NC CIC.

Timeframe/Target population:
Ongoing/Middle and high school students

Partners/Funders:
SC Healthcare Recruitment & Retention Center, public network TV stations; all major channels are running PSA.

Message:
"Choose Nursing"

Evaluation of effectiveness:
Calls to recruitment center averaging about 20/week; fact sheets and brochures being distributed

Lessons learned:
Great way to introduce a message; need good follow-up information

Recruitment initiative:
Career days Career Fair

Timeframe/Target population:
Ongoing/middle to high school students

Partners/Funders:
School-to-work consortium, HR & recruiters from healthcare facilities

Message:
Nursing career opportunities

Evaluation of effectiveness:
Number of requests for presentations significantly increasing; this is a popular event with HS counselors

Lessons learned:
Students need info to take home; can be expensive to produce fact sheets, handouts, etc., hospitals will often contribute small items as give-aways

Resources available:
Fact sheets, NSNA video & brochure

Recruitment initiative:
HS Counselor workshop

Timeframe/Target population:
Fall 2001/Counselors in middle & high school

Partners/Funders:
School-to-work consortium; SC Dept. of Education; SC AHEC

Message:
Educate Counselors on the various tracts in nursing education and requirements to be successful in winning nursing education programs

Evaluation of effectiveness:
Not yet implemented

Lessons learned:

Resources available:
Fact sheet, career directory

Recruitment initiative:
Considering Nursing

Timeframe/Target population:
Fall 2001/Adults who have lost jobs or are looking for different careers

Partners/Funders:
SC Employment Security Commission; SC Dept. of Labor; USC College of Nursing

Message:
Opportunities to retrain into nursing careers

Evaluation of effectiveness:
Not yet implemented; seeking grant funds

Lessons learned:

Resources available:
Seminars, career counseling, fact sheets