Competing for nurses p1 - Military - Career Choices - Military Times EDGE

Even in a recession, registered nurses are in such high demand that hospitals are competing for them by offering sign-on bonuses, scholarships and career-advancement incentives in return for work commitments. Katie Wylie, whose husband is stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., said she was offered a $2,500 sign-on bonus and a $1,500 relocation allowance to work for the Cape Fear Valley Health System.

In addition to the six to eight weeks of training Wylie will receive on her unit, she’ll also be paid to attend a 12-week critical care school on the hospital’s campus. The training and education incentives have become a standard in the health care industry as skilled professionals become harder to find, said Phyllis Malone, recruitment manager at Cape Fear Valley.