The US has been dealing with a nursing deficit for more than a decade. The shortage is attributed to limited capacity of most nursing schools, an aging population, an aging nursing population, and the increasing risks of chronic diseases ( Grant, 2016) . Nurses are the primary workforce in the healthcare industry. There are approximately three million nurses in the US and it is the fastest growing occupation in the US ( Grant, 2016) . Regardless of the positive growth, the supply is inadequate to address the increasing demand for registered nurses. The Bureau of Labor Statics estimates that the US requires approximately 1.2 million registered nurses to address the nursing shortage between 2014 and 2022 ( Grant, 2016) . If the shortfall is not addressed by 2025, it will be the biggest shortage in the country’s history since Medicare and Medicaid was introduced in the 1960s ( Grant, 2016) . in addition to signing bonuses, higher salaries, and retention bonuses, hospitals also provide perks such as free housing, career mentoring, student loan repayment, and they rely more on travel, temporary, or foreign nurses to address the shortage ( Grant, 2016) . It is essential the nurse recruitment process.
Hospitals have a direct role in nurse recruitment. Some hospitals have already paid billions when recruiting and retaining rather than closing down some department and risk patient safety ( Mincer, 2017) . The vacant positions were posted by the HR department through the organization website. Additionally, the HR department evaluates the resumes and sends the potential candidates' resumes to the hiring manager who requests the HR team to set up interviews. However, the main challenge is dependent on a hospital’s ability to attract and keep experienced nurses. Even after hospitals recruit nurses, they have to provide extra perks to retain nurses who are more likely to be offered better bonuses by large hospitals in major metropolitan areas ( Mincer, 2017) .
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However, the nurse recruitment and selection process is ineffective due to halo/horn effect and premature selection. The performance evaluation is influenced by halo and horn effect. In the halo effect, there is a positive first impression, and the company tends to ignore the candidate's negative characteristics. On the other hand, horn effect occurs when an organization tends to have a negative first impression and affects their performance evaluation. Due to the nurses' shortage in the country, the organization engages in premature selection. The primary goal of recruitment and selection processes is hiring candidates who are the best possible fit or match for the organization’s culture and job duties ( Flynn et al., 2015) . Developing and using effective screening tools affects the short and long-term success of the organization. Only effective interview questions, tools, and criteria will allow the organization to employ and retain talented employees.
Notably, the HR department lacks urgency in sorting the issues facing the organization. The lack of urgency has caused high turnover and low employee morale and disrupted various activities in the organization. There is a general perception among some employees that the HR is unable to address challenges facing the organization. Also, there is poor communication in the HR department that has caused limited employee engagement and a culture of mistrust. Poor communication limits the organization’s productivity ( De Brún & McAuliffe, 2018) . The hiring manager is unable to make the best decisions because of poor communication. Additionally, poor communication affects customer satisfaction. Poor communication in the HR departments is likely to influence how employees interact with patients, and it has limited the organization's ability to develop a loyal customer base.
As a nursing manager, the first step would be hiring an HR professional. The HR professional will assist the HR department to align its internal goals with the overall organization strategy. Furthermore, the HR professional will instill a sense of urgency in addressing the challenges facing the organization. HR professionals play a key role in managing workplace culture, manage people, and work environment ( Anyim, Ekwoaba, & Anthony, 2012) . If the role is effective, it contributes to aligning individual employee goals with the overall company organization strategy while achieving goals and improving productivity. Also, addressing the HR challenges will improve job satisfaction and retention while reducing turnover. All in all, it will enhance the entire recruitment, selection, training, and development processes.
The organization should use behavioral interviewing to evaluate whether a candidate's skills and behavior match their needs. Rather than conventional interviews where interviews focus on a candidate's skills, behavior interview evaluates a candidate's past behavior and how they reacted to a situation in their career ( McKay, 2018) . Behavioral interviews often use the STAR technique: Situation, Task, Action, and Result ( McKay, 2018) . Situation evaluates the context of the story and a particular essential skill valuable to the organization. Task analyzes the role of the candidate in the situation. Action evaluates the candidate’s action in the situation while Result analyzes the outcome of the candidate’s action. While preparing for the interview, the hiring manager and selection panel should analyze the job description and list the primary qualifications and skills for the position ( Keep & James, 2010) . The selection team should come up with interview questions that will demonstrate the candidate’s ability in each area.
Conclusion
The research paper has evaluated the organization’s nurse recruitment and selection process. It has described the selection process, challenges facing the selection process, and proposed solutions. Moreover, it has highlighted the significance of behavior interviews. HR is a function within all organization that focuses on directing, recruiting, and managing employees. Since the organization has a nurse shortage, it needs new employees while strategically utilizing all employees and evaluating their impact in all healthcare activities. The main challenges facing the company are premature selection, poor communication, and halo/horn effect. Hiring an HR professional will establish effective systems and models that focus on employee development, career succession planning, and performance development. Additionally, the HR professional will assist in developing an organizational climate and culture that enhance employee concern, commitment, and competency when serving customers. All in all, the organization needs to develop effective selection tools.
References
Anyim, F. C., Ekwoaba, J. O., & Anthony, I. D. (2012). The role of human resource planning in recruitment and selection process. British Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences , 6 (2), 68-78.
De Brún, A., & McAuliffe, E. (2018). Recruitment of Healthcare Staff to Social Network Studies: A Case Study Exploring Experiences, Challenges, and Considerations. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 15 (12), 2778.
Flynn, W. J., Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H., & Valentine, S. R. (2015). Healthcare human resource management . Nelson Education.
Grant, R. (2016). The U.S. Is Running Out of Nurses. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/02/nursing-shortage/459741/
Keep, E., & James, S. (2010). Recruitment and selection-the great neglected topic.
McKay, D. (2018). Do You Know What to Expect in a Behavioral Interview? Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/behavioral-interviews-525761
Mincer, J. (2017). Hospitals Are Paying Billions To Recruit Nurses In The Face Of Looming Shortage. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/hospitals-are-paying-billions-to-recruit-nurses-in-the-face-of-looming-shortage_n_59ea3aede4b0958c4681dc52
