Targetting out of the workforce nurses: a promising local recruitment strategy

A successful pilot program to attract and orient 'out of the workforce' nurses to a hospital outreach acute and post acute care service is described. Three new staff members attended a one-month education program prior to commencing supervised clinical activity. Survey and focus group methods were used to evaluate the initiative. Principal lessons learned were that preceptoring and preceptor support is central to a positive outcome for new and existing staff. We also learned that a tendency to underestimate the complexity of the post acute care nursing role in the initial advertising was unhelpful.