(AS PUBLISHED IN THE 2021 EDUCATION GUIDE TO NURSING) 
Opportunities in nursing are seemingly endless, but it’s rare one employer can offer as much to advance a nurse’s career as Hillcrest HealthCare System.
The opportunity to provide exceptional patient care in a progressive environment in multiple specialties across multiple campuses exists within Hillcrest.
Melissa Trujillo, director of talent acquisition, says nurses can find it all with Hillcrest HealthCare System.
“I feel like 90 percent of our movement is internal transfers,” Trujillo said. “I think it’s the progression of our facility makeup. We have facilities that have less than 50 beds and all the way up to more than 650 beds. They all have unique specialties and cases they can handle.
“It gives you a career track, basically.”
Serving communities throughout eastern Oklahoma, Hillcrest HealthCare System (HHS) includes Hillcrest Medical Center, Hillcrest Hospital South, Oklahoma Heart Institute, Bailey Medical Center, Hillcrest Hospital Claremore, Hillcrest Hospital Cushing, Hillcrest Hospital Henryetta, Hillcrest Hospital Pryor, Tulsa Spine & Specialty Hospital and Utica Park Clinic.
Across its hospitals and health care facilities, HHS offers 1,143 beds and employs a team of more than 6,500.
Eight facilities and two physician practice groups offer a multitude of opportunities for nurses.
“I think as an HR group we offer a tailor to your skillset and a tailor to your liking. We are a place that promotes transferring from within,” Trujillo said.
Not only are nurses able to transfer within facilities but being owned by Ardent Health Services allows nurses to transfer to other states.
Whether it be facilities in Texas or New Mexico or along the East coast the options are there.
“We really offer internal mobility,” Trujillo said. “If they were to transfer here to New Mexico they would keep their PTO and their years of service. I would say we pride ourselves on internal mobility because we would rather that RNs stays in our system.”
“We have lots of opportunities within the system for movement and exposure.”
Hillcrest Medical Center, 1120 S Utica Ave., employs nearly 2,500 in multiple units. Hillcrest Hospital South, 8801 S 101st E Ave., staffs nearly 1,000.
Hillcrest South offers a nursing residency program for those graduating in the spring.
“You enter the program, get exposure to multiple units and once you’re out of the program then you’re well-equipped to go into whatever unit you desire,” Trujillo said. “What we’re really hoping is they get exposure to units they may think they would not be interested in.”
Trujillo points to Hillcrest’s medical/surgical units that have an added specialty such as trauma or ortho.
“To me, you don’t know what you don’t know,” Trujillo said. “And since it’s temporary and a residency program you’re getting that exposure and moving on to the next one. You might have an experience that resonates with you and persuades you to go to the less popular unit just because you’re finding out what your niche is.”
Hillcrest also offers up to $2,500 per semester in tuition reimbursement for career advancement. Relocation and sign-on bonuses are also available for new grads.
“Not a lot of facilities in the area offer both of those things for a new grad,” Trujillo said.
The system is a large one but time and attention is spent on onboarding new hires and making sure they feel comfortable.
“We’ve put a lot of time and effort into it to make sure the new grad feels safe. It’s a lot of detail-oriented training,” Trujillo said. “I think we’ve narrowed down the reasons why nurses quit, leave or leave the profession all together is because they don’t feel adequately trained enough to do their job or they feel unsafe.
“I think a lot of our programs are focused around making that new grad feel safe but yet giving them the exposure and skills that they need to be successful on down the road as an RN.” For more information visit: https://hillcrestmedicalcenter.com/
