Normally, patients at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital stay for a week and a half to two weeks, but in that time, an encompass health says, their entire life can change. That’s why who takes care of them can make a world of a difference.
“Our goal is to get them back to their maximum function of living, to be able to help them get back to the community and back to their home, but maybe they’ve been through an amputation and that’s going to change the way they live their life in the future,” Lori Brackett, HR Director at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital said. “So, we really need to have nurses and staff here who have empathy for that.”
Many nurses and healthcare workers have expressed the stresses of working on the frontlines during this pandemic, but one of Encompass Health’s registered nurses, Ana Lyn Inciong, who was only a couple years out of nursing school when she came to Encompass Health, said working there has been very fulfilling for her.
“You’re giving our patients here another chance,” Inciong said. “You’re giving them hope that they can still have a life outside of what happened to them and that they can be independent.”
If you feel called to this line of work too, eleven full-time openings are available for registered nurses at their Bakersfield facility. There’s a virtual hiring event coming up February 4th and 5th from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. to fill the positions.
“This is actually a really great place to start your career as a nurse, because it is like a med surg unit,” Brackett said. “It’s a place that they’ll hone in those RN skills.”
Nurses hired will work twelve hour shift, and patients are treated with therapy about three hours a day. Brackett added that they’ll learn how to start IVs, hang blood and other foundation skills to being an RN.
Another crucial element of training on-the-job is a course called cpr. “It stands for comfort, professionalism and respect,” Brackett said. “It’s a reminder of how we want people to be treated in the workplace and how to treat patients and families.”
How the hiring event will work: You’ll RSVP on Indeed. Once
you've signed on, the HR Director, Chief Nursing Officer and Associate Chief Nursing officer will interview candidates in half-hour time slots, separately through a video conference format. Brackett said applicants will receive a follow-up phone call from their regional recruiter manager to ensure they have the company has their correct information, the video link and have everything they need to go about the virtual hiring process.
Those that make it to the final round will get a link via email to Skill Survey for reference checks. Following reference reports they’ll make offers, which can take one to two weeks.
Benefits, Brackett said are available date-of-hire and there’s a $10,000 dollar sign on bonus. There’s even a relocation reimbursement for out-of-towners. After a year of working there, hires can take part in a student loan forgiveness program as well: Their company pays up to $250 per month for as long as they work at Encompass Health or have that debt, Bracket said. They also have a tuition reimbursement program if someone wants to go back to school for a higher nursing degree.
Resumes can be sent ahead of time to Sarah Thomas at sarah.thomas@encompasshealth.com.
