Nurses in high demand

More than just Cenla hospitals offer jobs By RT Morgan • rtmorgan@thetowntalk.com • August 10, 2008 A quick scan of a newspaper's classifieds tells the tale: Nurses are needed in Central Louisiana. And from hospitals down to home health agencies, all medical-related organizations are making their best pitches to entice and hire new and veteran nurses. "$10,000 SIGN ON BONUS," screamed the advertisement that Byrd Regional Hospital in Leesville placed in the Aug. 3 edition of The Town Talk. The hospital's ad called for registered nurses -- "new grads" or "experienced RNs" -- to join its staff. On the other side of the page, an advertisement placed by Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria made similar offers. "It's not a new issue," said Steve Skull, Rapides' vice president and chief staffing officer. While the hospital... [read full story]