title: The organizational attraction of nursing graduates: using research to guide employer branding.
abstract: In the context of the global nursing shortage, only the most attractive employers are able to recruit a sufficient number of nurses to maintain high quality of care and ensure positive patient outcomes. It is important for health care organizations to align their practices and their employer marketing strategies with attraction factors important to nurses. This article presents the results of a survey of 666 nursing students graduating in the spring of 2009 in the Canadian province of Quebec. Hypotheses were tested using repeated-measures analysis of variance and post hoc tests. Consistent with hypotheses, the results showed that quality of care, type of work, compensation, and employer branding are organizational attraction factors that nursing graduates perceived as important, with quality of care being the most important one. These findings were later used by a Canadian university teaching hospital to optimize its employer branding and attraction strategy that resulted in an increase in the hiring of university-trained nurses. Further research is needed to examine organizational attractiveness for new nurses over time, across generations, and within various cultural contexts.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: Nursing Directorate, Douglas Mental Health University Institute and Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University (Ms Fréchette), Montreal, Canada; Department of Human Resources Management, HEC Montréal (Dr. Bourhis), Montreal, Canada; Nursing Directorate, Douglas Mental Health University Institute (Mr Statchura), Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fréchette
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bourhis
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stachura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002321:Career Choice; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010560:Personnel Selection; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D011792:Quebec; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires