Meeting With Health Commissioner Allows VIDE to Put Together Recruitment Strategies

A think-tank of representatives from the Virgin Islands Board of Nurse Licensure, V.I. Department of Education and Health met early Monday morning to put together an action plan for recruiting critically needed school nurses for the upcoming year.

The nursing shortage hit its peak in both districts during the 2012-2013 school year, with several employees opting to either take advantage of the government’s early retirement initiative, or make the move from the Department to local hospitals and clinics or facilities abroad. Seeking to fill those gaps, Acting Education Commissioner Donna Frett-Gregory, along with VIDE’s Human Resources Director Zenzile Hodge and Health Commissioner Darice Plaskett looked Monday at ways of recruiting new applicants, but also targeting retired nurses who are able to “hit the ground running” when school starts up again in the fall.

A comprehensive recruitment campaign –featuring radio and print advertisements in both districts along with various public service announcements and job postings on social media and employment websites – has been spearheaded by VIDE over the past few months, and Hodge said Monday that the next step would be organizing an informational session at the Department within the next two weeks for potential applicants.

The Department has also partnered with the Board of Nurse Licensure, whose members agreed Monday to help recruit from within their own pool of retired professionals and licensure applicants.

“We will also work with the nursing board in the coming months to develop a ‘school nurse model’ that supports the needs within our schools,” Frett-Gregory added after the meeting. “The nursing shortage we’re experiencing has been a major challenge since last school year, and the Department is poised to take the necessary steps to make sure our students’ health issues are taken care of.”