Looking to cure nursing shortage

HAZLETON — The Greater Hazleton Health Alliance held a job fair in the main lobby of the Hazleton General Hospital on Sunday to attract area registered nurses to career opportunities within their organization.

“We currently have a number of open positions for RNs here at Hazleton General,” said Human Resources Director Lorrie Deffley. “And we're also making sure we have qualified candidates to fill positions that come open when one of our nurses retires.”

Deffley said that although candidates will be considered for positions in specialty services throughout the hospital, the main area of practice for newly hired nurses is the facility's medical-surgical unit, which provides for the greatest scope of one-on-one patient care and allows the nurse to garner expertise in a small-scale, community-based hospital.

“We're proud of our relationship with nursing schools throughout the area, such as Luzerne County Community College, Misericordia University and Bloomsburg University,” said Deffley. “We just hired a number of graduate nurses from Luzerne County Community College's 2012 class and we're not through hiring nurses. We love to hire and train graduate nurses here at Hazleton General Hospital.”

Deffley said the hospital offers a competitive wage and comprehensive benefits package in an intimate, employee-friendly setting. “We're taking care of neighbors, family and friends here,” Deffley said. “Many nurses are attracted to this type of atmosphere.”

Hospital Marketing Director Jane Danish said that the hospital is offering flexible “mommy/daddy” shifts to attract nurses who must plan a schedule around a growing family, as well as per-diem and full- and part-time positions.

The Hazleton General Hospital is one of the nation's top 100 hospitals for heart failure, stroke and coronary artery disease, as well as one of the top 5 percent of hospitals for patient safety.

The job fair will continue Wednesday from 2-5 p.m.