When thinking about how to move away from outdated hiring practices, CNOs should consider a more relationship-driven hiring process.
As CNOs discuss recruitment, it's important to remember the stakes and why the conversation matters.
According to the Healthcare Workforce Projections report from the Health Resources and Services Administration, in 2026, the projected nursing shortage percentage for RNs is about 8%, which leaves approximately 263,870 positions unoccupied. Additionally, the average cost of turnover for a bedside RN is $61,110, which can become costly when looking at high turnover rates, especially among new nurses.
Because of these numbers, CNOs must go beyond traditional hiring practices to build resilient, high-performing nursing teams.
The Winning Edge for Recruiting the Best Nurse Team webinar included four experts on the subject: Michelle Watson, MSN, RN, CENP, chief nurse executive and senior vice president, clinical operations at Lifepoint Health; Jeff Alvarez, chief nursing officer, vice president of patient care services at UPMC Washington and UPMC Greene; Heather Ambrose, chief nursing officer at Allegheny General Hospital; and Vi-Anne Antrum, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-NC, CENP, FACHE, systemwide chief nursing officer and SVP at Cone Health.
The panel included three key points about why nurse recruiting is best when it is relationship focused.
Switching gears
When thinking about how to move away from outdated hiring practices, the panelists recommended moving towards a more relationship-driven hiring process. Instead of waiting for candidates to approach a health system, CNOs should focus on building pipelines that welcome in fresh talent. This includes developing partnerships with educational institutions all the way down to the middle school level to provide career opportunities to students who might be interested in the nursing field.
CNOs should also provide internship and residency opportunities to familiarize new nurses with their health systems and the departments that they can potentially work in. That way, when it comes time to recruit nurses from those in-house programs, the candidates are already familiar with the health system and what to expect from working there.
Being flexible and transparent
Another key aspect of recruiting sustainably is being flexible towards the needs of the workforce. The panelists emphasized the importance of having multiple pathways into the workforce for incoming nurses. If a certain unit isn't a great fit for a specific nurse, CNOs need to be transparent and open to looking at other options in the organization where they can thrive and use their skills to the best of their ability.
Additionally, CNOs should be creative about their job positions and consider the different needs of different nurses. There are currently five generations of nurses in the workforce, all with varying lifestyles and expectations from employment. Not all nurses are seeking to work full time, and so having flexible positions that allow them to work within their schedules is essential to be successful in recruiting in 2026.
Involving frontline nurse leaders
Lastly, it is critical to involve frontline nurse leaders in the recruitment and onboarding process. According to the panelists, nobody can promote a position better than the nurses who are already working on a unit. CNOs should encourage nurse leaders to think about what skills they might be missing in their units, and to go after candidates that can complement their teams and help move them forward. Peer interviews and feedback are also essential.
CNOs should also focus on the role that preceptors play in the recruitment and retention process. A strong preceptor has a massive amount of influence on new nurses since they are developing those individual relationships with nurses. Preceptors also set social standards for culture on their units, and they have the ability to challenge new nurses and help them grow into their roles.
G Hatfield is the CNO editor for HealthLeaders.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Instead of waiting for candidates to approach a health system, CNOs should focus on building pipelines that welcome in fresh talent.
Not all nurses are seeking to work full time, and so having flexible positions that allow them to work within their schedules is essential to be successful in recruiting in 2026.
CNOs should encourage nurse leaders to think about what skills they might be missing in their units, and to go after candidates that can complement their teams and help move them forward.