Jane Cassidy is director of nursing at Community General Hospital. The institution recently completed an expansion that included, among other additions, a new 36- bed medical/ unit/ Until recently, Jane had worked in conjunction with HR employment manager Carrie Smith and had fared reasonably well in keeping her nursing staff up to required levels in spite of general shortage of nurses in the local area. The opening of the unit, however, has strained the nursing department's area resources to the extent of leaving the department short several registerednurses.

Community General's nursing shortage is particularly evident on the evening shift (3:00 pm to 11:30pm). There are more than enough people willing to work days, and Jane has been fortunate is having a thoroughly stable crew of nurses who prefers to work nights.

Employment recruiter Carrie has regularly gone out of her way to do everything possible to locate candidates for nursing position. Being extra cautious about the possibility of scaring good candidates off before they can be interviewed, Carrie has been deliberately vague with candidates off before they can be interviewed, Carrie has specifically asked, she has not mentioned to anyone that new graduates being hired are expected to work day- evening or day- night rotations.

In response to the long-running recruiting efforts of Jane and Carrie, a well-qualified registered nurse applies for employment. Both are impressed with this nurse. She seems energetic and personable and is immediately available. She is quite willing to take a position on evening shift.

Unfortunately, although this candidate is willing to work 3pm to 11;30pm, she stated during her initial screening interview with Carrie that she cannot work weekends. She will say only that weekend work causes serve inconvenience in her family life, and she repeats her willingness to work evenings, straight evenings, but only Monday Jane see if she can talk her into rotating weekends. The applicant has yet to learn that scheduling practices in Community General's nursing department requires everyone below the level of day, evening, or night supervisor to work every other weekend, although Carrie has become aware of a few situations that might constitute quiet exception to the scheduling policy.

Considering the critical need for nursing help on evening as well as weekends, what can Carrie and Jane tell this applicant" If Jane has to adhere rigidly to her scheduling policy and the candidate refuse to accept the job, what problems might Jane face: if Jane alters the scheduling policy and offers the applicant a Monday through Friday position without requiring weekends, a position that she accepts, what problems might Jane face?

How can Carrie, as HR professional, provide further help to Jane, a supervisor in nursing services, as she attempts to recruit sufficient staff for the nursing department?