When Jane completed her training as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, she was eager to serve the community where she had grown up in an area just outside of Philadelphia. However, her first job was cut short when the COVID-19 shut down forced her employer to make cuts. She had no choice but to go where she could find an available job – which happened to be across the country in the state of Washington. The job itself was fine, but moving to a new city during a lockdown made it extremely difficult to get to know people and start a life. Jane missed her family and friends back in Philadelphia. Even as COVID restrictions eased and she settled into her life on the West coast, she dreamed of finding a job back home.
Jane wasn’t the only one. According to a Jackson Physician Search Whitepaper on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare jobs, physician recruiters have seen an increase in providers seeking jobs in their hometowns or areas that will bring them closer to family. For many, the strain of the pandemic has made them reprioritize what is most important. For Jane, family and friends were at the top of her list, and for the most part, they resided in Philadelphia.
Before long, Jane was spending her evenings searching online for Philadelphia Nurse Practitioner jobs, but after months of monitoring several advanced practice job boards, she hadn’t found anything that seemed like a fit. She kept seeing headlines about the mental health crisis and a shortage of mental healthcare providers, but this didn’t seem to be true in her hometown of Philadelphia. The Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner jobs simply weren’t there – at least, not that Jane could find.
Help Wanted: Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Jobs
Meanwhile, Jackson Physician Search Senior Director of Recruiting Sally Ann Patton had recently started working with two Philadelphia clients in need of Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners. No sooner had she posted the Nurse Practitioner jobs to Jackson Physician Search’s network of advanced practice job boards, than she had an email from Jane in her inbox. Sally Ann reached out to her right away.
When they spoke on the phone, Sally Ann was impressed. They discussed both clients’ NP job opportunities and discovered that Jane met the requirements for both. She not only had the required Pennsylvania license, but she also had experience working at a Federally Qualified Health Center, which was the setting for one of the available NP jobs. Jane’s family ties to Philadelphia would make her an especially attractive candidate as clients are always happy to find someone motivated to remain in the area.
Home for the Holidays…and Nurse Practitioner Job Interviews
Sally Ann presented Jane to her clients and let them know that she would soon be in Philadelphia visiting family for the holidays. Both clients were eager to schedule interviews while she was home. The interviews went predictably well. One even offered Jane the job the very same day. Soon, Jane had two Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner job offers to evaluate.
Ultimately, the FQHC Psychiatric NP job was the best fit for Jane. They were able to give her everything she wanted and more. Not only was the compensation more than she was earning in Washington, but she would have increased responsibility and leadership opportunities. She returned to Washington eager to serve out her notice and prepare for her homecoming.
Digital Magic of Matchmaking
Jane might chalk up her job search luck to a holiday miracle, but the truth is, Sally Ann had strategically targeted her job posting to find Jane. Through digital targeting via a vast network of physician and advanced practice job boards, Sally Ann could ensure her NP jobs would be seen by any relevant candidate actively looking for a job. Jane did her part by setting up job search alerts from applicable NP job boards. She was destined to see Sally Ann’s NP job posts.
That said, Sally Ann often knows about likely job openings across the country before they are officially posted online. Instead of waiting for a job posting that fit her needs, Jane might have reached out to Sally Ann much earlier and let her know that she was in the market for a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner job in the Philadelphia area. A well-connected, retained recruiter like Sally Ann has relationships with clients all over the region and might have helped Jane find her way home even sooner.
If you are an advanced practice provider or physician seeking a new job, don’t wait for the right job to find you. Take a proactive approach to your job search and contact the recruitment team at Jackson Physician Search today.
