A (2002). Improving nursing recruitment and retention in a sub-acute health service. Australian Health Review 25 (1) 95-99, Australian Healthcare Association

The current worldwide shortage of nurses is well-documented. This paper describes one organisation's "back to basics" approach to nursing recruitment and the results of a vigorous recruitment program in 2001. Within 12 months, this organisation employed more than 200 new nursing staff, opened 67 beds, reduced agency use by 69 % and reduced vacancies by 80%. Based on agency premium costs, there were minimum savings in the order of $800,000 per annum. The problems of nurse staffing Caulfield General Medical Centre (CGMC) is a 363-bed sub-acute service in Caulfield, Victoria. It is part of Bayside Health and provides a range of aged care medical, aged psychiatry, rehabilitation (general and specialist), residential care and community services. In January 2001, there was a vacancy rate of 70 equivalent fulltime staff (EFT), an average attrition rate of 4.5 EFT per month, agency use between 40 and 45 EFT per week and a number of beds closed in rehabilitation and residential care services. There was a perception among many nursing staff that nothing could change, that there had always been a poor response rate to newspaper advertisements and that no-one wanted to work in sub-acute services. In addition, discussions were under way with regard to opening an additional 30 residential care beds in July 2001, as part of the Victorian Government's Winter Bed Management Strategy