Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow Helps Successful Recruiting Program at Boise State University

Using the Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow advertising campaign, Boise State University's department of nursing in Boise, Idaho, saw a 300 percent increase in the number of applications to its program for the 2002-2003 school year.

Boise State's nurse recruiter Margaret Kemp, who was hired to help the department introduce its new curriculum and enroll more students, said the Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow campaign was the cornerstone of the successful recruiting effort.

"We were not expecting 764 applicants for the 250 openings," Kemp said. "This high-quality marketing campaign was absolutely tailored to the audience we are trying to attract to our nursing program."

Working with a limited recruiting budget becasue of statewide budget cuts, Kemp used Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow's public service announcements extensively, adding the Boise State department of nursing tagline to the 30-second television public service announcement.

PSA directors at the five Boise-area television stations were eager to use the coalition's PSA becasue the nursing shortage had been a hot topic in the local media. Some stations even ran the PSA at prime time.

"We couldn't have asked for better coverage," Kemp said. "I think it's just another example of the way our community is pulling together to address the nursing shortage."

Kemp also used the Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow print advertisements in her presentations to high school students and the community.

"The profiles of successful nurses send a strong message about the changing image of nurses today," she said. "Discussing each profile, students were amazed to realize the variety of nursing positions there are and just how successful a nurse can be. I think students realize a career in nursing can be personally fulfilling, as so many of them say they choose nursing because they 'want to help people' or 'make a difference'. But I don't think they realized just how professionally satisfying a career in nursing could be."

According to Kemp, many students have a narrow view of what nurses do. "I think this campaign blows the lid off that stereotype and lets them know that the career potential is without limits, offering variety, success and excitement," she said.

The Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow print ads were enlarged into posters and distributed to high school career centers. They also adorn the Boise State nursing advising center, where students are encouraged to log onto the Internet to access more information about nursing. The Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow Web site, www.nursesource.org, is among the list of favorites.