WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — The pandemic heightened a nationwide nursing shortage, highlighted by burnout and fatigue.

Now, United Regional is using an upcoming hiring event to make it easy and convenient for nurses to apply, interview and possibly get a job offer on the spot.

Nurses are often the first face a patient sees when admitted to the hospital.

“The LVNs, the RNs and the PCAs are a team and it’s how we give excellent care, is having our community nurses here,” United Regional Chief Nursing Officer, VP of Patient Care Services Anne D. Dabovich said.

Nurses are needed everywhere, including at United Regional.

The pandemic only made the shortage worse, with the hospital losing nurses to burnout, fatigue, early retirement and the opportunity to travel nurse.

“The amount that the travel nurses were starting to get paid was going up at an exuberant rate and a lot of nurses just couldn’t turn that down,” Dabovich said.

To get some RNs and LVNs through the doors, United Regional is holding a nurse hiring event, which Dabovich said will help ease the nursing shortage, especially in the emergency department, ICU and critical care.

“There will be managers and staff here that they’ll be working alongside that they’ll interview with,” Dabovich said. “Our benefits team will be here so they can discuss benefits and that type thing.”

Registering for the event on Saturday, Feb. 26, is simple.

Those interested will visit the hospital’s website, click on ‘choose your time,’ then fill out the blanks. Dabovich said they are looking for homegrown candidates.

“These nurses if they’re from our community, they’re invested in our community, they help take care of our community members as well as the outlying,” Dabovich said. “Cause we are the hub for about 10 counties.”

A way to ensure United Regional provides excellent care right here at home.

“Anybody with a great attitude and in the nursing profession, we’re anxious to have them come on board,” Dabovich said. “We’re ready to get these nurses who are invested in our community.”

A one-stop shop with on-site interviews to hire the next batch of healthcare heroes.
The hiring event is Saturday, Feb. 26 at the hospital’s main campus and candidates will come in at the chapel entrance.

They might even do on-the-spot job offers and all hires from this event will get what United Regional calls a generous sign-on bonus.

Click here for more Healthy You stories.