Recruitment Campaign

Prepared by Students at the

University of Oklahoma

Dont let small town life make your life small

-Chris Colfer

Mary Baker | Rachel Borgsmiller | Carly ODonnell

Sheon Paige | Katie Smith

Table of Contents

01

Executive Summary

43

Tactics Report

03

Analyzing the Situation

50

News Media Materials

10

Analyzing the Organization

54

32

Analyzing the Publics

62

35

Goals and Objectives

74

38
40

Action and Response

Strategies
Developing the Message
Strategy

Organizational Media
Materials
Advertising and
Promotional Tactics
Materials
Interpersonal Tactics
Materials

80

Bios

82

References

Executive Summary


The purpose of this campaign is to recruit student nurses about to graduate from nursing programs in the Oklahoma City area. Young nurses who are interested, and able to move are more likely
to pick a career at the Medical Center of SE Oklahoma (MCSO) due to its rural location. Students
who have previously lived in a small town are more likely to move back to an area that are used to.
Flexible living arrangements and salaries cater to a young demographic of nurses who are looking for
a long lasting and good quality career. Most of these students will be eager to transition into the job
force and start their career at a location where they feel valued and have the opportunity to grow
professionally.

The goals of this campaign are to strengthen the MCSOs reputation among the future nurses
from Oklahoma City and increase recruitment to the program and hospital. Our awareness objectives focus on releasing information about the hospitals benefits to nurses. These objectives identify
exactly what information a public should be exposed to, understand and remember.
Strategies:
- Audience Participation
- Alliances and Coalitions
- Publicity
- Transparent Communications
Why?
- Highlight the perks of the hospital.
- Benefits of small town lifestyle, family-oriented
work place and competitive pay.
How we will do it:
- Interpersonal media
- News Media
- Advertising and promotional tactics
MCSO is a 148 bed facility, owned and operated by Community Health Systems and serving Bryan,
Choctaw, Atoka, Johnston and Marshall Counties. MCSO offers a variety of medical services and procedures to patients in the region. One of the central standards at MSCO is the commitment to the
local community. They uphold this commitment as an organization and individually in their personal
contributions.

Analyzing the Situation

To understand the situation on a deeper level, we analyzed
articles from different newspapers, governmental agencies, and
academic works. The articles that we have presented to the Medical
Center of Southeastern Oklahoma are, what we feel, the most
important to our campaign. Listed below are the articles and the
highlights which are most beneficial to our situation.

1.
Increasing Access to Health Workers in Remote and Rural Areas Through Improved Retention
World Health Organization
Overview:
Half of the worlds population live in rural areas, but they do not have nearly enough health care
workers that are needed in these areas because they prefer to work in more urban
areas. This has become a problem in all areas of the world, and all governments in every
country struggle to get health care workers into rural areas. Political commitment to this issue is
critical in order to get people in more rural areas the help and healthcare they need.
Recommendations:

Select and target students from rural areas and those who are willing to work in rural hospitals.
Will likely increase retention.
Training students in a rural area will help them to understand the field better.
This will also allow students to get acquainted with the rural communities.
Make resources readily available for workers to help further education.
Provide scholarships
Make it financially appealing to work in rural locations.

2.
Rural Nurse Job Satisfaction
Molinari, DL and Monserud, MA

Overview:
The article, Rural Nurse job Satisfaction, aimed to show what factors play a part in job satisfaction
and retention. A study was conducted using 103 nurses from rural hospital from the Northwest
region of the United States. One of the key points of this articles was that rural nurse recruitment
tends to be more challenging during an unprecedented shortage of qualified nurses due to rural
sites having trouble recruiting for lower waged and less resources. The authors suggest that during
times of nurse shortage, the importance of job satisfaction becomes critical
Research and Recommendations:
The research conducted consisted of a cross-sectional design to identify the individual, work and
geographic factors impacting on nursing job satisfaction.
The results are as follows:
Responses to the open-ended responses indicate most satisfied with interactions with staff and
patients, work schedule hours, autonomy, skills, small facility, work variety, the amount of
responsibility with the job and positive feelings about their jobs.
Nurses were satisfied with staff interaction, work schedule, amount of responsibility, salary, and
benefits
Some suggestions in the article to help with recruitment and retention were concepts such as
time off, rural lifestyle, recreation opportunities, climate and social actives [are] necessary for
retention.

3.
Work Setting, Community Attachment and Satisfaction Among Rural and
Remote Nurses
Judith King, Norma Stewart, Kelly Penz, Dorothy Forbes, Debra Morgan and Paige Emerson
Overview:
The article is aimed to describe community satisfaction and attachment among rural and remote
registered nurses in Canada. In this article the main focus was to provide information about
community attachment and satisfaction and the links to work satisfaction among a sample of rural and
remote RNs. The authors suggested, understanding the dynamics that influence community health and
home care nurses decisions to seek employment and remain in rural communities is essential to this
research.

Research Results:
The study in this article used a cross-sectional survey for its purposes. The RNs surveyed completed a
mailed questionnaire, which included the content areas of demographics, work environment
characteristics, nursing practice roles, the context of their practice and the issues related to nursing work
life.
Results are as follows:
Primary care RNs had significantly lower satisfaction with their home community than the RNs who
worked in acute care, long-term care, community health and home care

Home care RNs were significantly more satisfied with their work community than the RNs who
worked in the other areas surveyed.
RNs in this study who were raised in rural communities had greater levels of satisfaction with their
community than RNs who grew up in larger communities
Recommendations:
One solution may be for rural communities to be more closely involved in helping to ensure that RNs
experience a sense of belonging in order to develop attachment to the community.
If community attachment and satisfaction are related to individual well-being, then health regions should
to be connected about these factors when they recruit RNs

4.

Factors in Recruiting and Retaining Health Professionals for Rural Practice

Zina M. Daniels, PT, MOMT, MA; Betsy J. VanLeit, PhD, OTR/L; Betty J. Skipper, PhD;
Margaret L. Sanders, PhD; and Robert L. Rhyne, MD
Overview:
This article shows the condition of rural health care systems and the problems that rural communities face when trying to recruit and retain health professional graduates. A study was created
to identify factors associated with recruitment and retention to rural areas of health professional
graduates from a public university in the southwest United States.
Key Points:
Most rural communities have less adequate health care professionals, limited insurance coverage and
high rates of chronic conditions.
A survey was done to help address the problems these rural communities were having
recruiting and retaining health professionals.
Being able to compare graduates who began practice in rural locations with those who began in urban
areas and with those who changed practice location over time is an important factor in this study.
Research Results:
Mid-level Practitioners had the greatest likelihood of beginning practice in a rural area.
When comparing those who remained in a rural location to those who began rurally but
moved, only size of community and return to hometown remained as significant factors.

5.
Recruitment and Retention of a Quality Health Workforce in Rural Areas: A series
of policy papers on The Rural Health Careers Pipeline Number 2: Nursing
National Rural Health Association
Overview:
This article is about the issues surrounding recruitment and retention of nurses in a rural
environment. There are many issues and recommendations listed that were most likely taken
from other scholarly articles.
Key Points:
Nursing shortages in rural areas are worsened by the task of recruiting nurses and competing with
urban employers in terms of wages, bonuses and benefits.
Nurses in rural environments must be familiar with the expert generalist role.
Health professionals in rural communities must know how to interface hospital services with
community-based services and programs.
Recommendations:
Nursing education institutions should recruit nurse faculty with experience in rural health delivery.
Rural health facilities should actively collaborate with available community and institutional programs
recruiting rural youth to nursing careers, including making job shadowing opportunities available to
participants in those programs.
States should recruit residents of their State by offering scholarships or tuition reimbursement in return
for a commitment to practice in their rural community.

6.
For Public Service or Money: Understanding Geographical Imbalances in the
Health Workforce
Pieter Serneels, Magnus Lindelow, Jose G Montalvo and Abigail Barr
Overview:
This article is an analysis of a study to
determine the willingness of final year
nursing and medical students in Ethiopia
to work in a rural area. After analyzing
the data, they found that household
consumption and the students
motivation to help the poor are the
main determinants of willingness to
work in a rural area.

Conclusion & Recommendations:

Two-thirds of nursing students and 90% of medical students want to work in an urban area in the long
run. Access to more training, access to education for children and promotion opportunities seem to be
the main factors in their choice of work environment.
The main message of this simulation is that it should be affordable to get graduating health workers to
take up a rural post, even when increasing the health workforce substantially.
It also suggests an alternative approach to the current job lottery, where health workers are not able
to choose

Analyzing the Organization

For this campaign, we analyzed the Medical Center of
Southeastern Oklahomas top competitors websites. We critiqued
these websites based on their Careers Page and the overall
content. The information and the critiques presented are, what we
feel, would be most beneficial and important to our campaign.

10

Community Health Systems

www.chs.com
Improving the lives of Southeaster Oklahomans
Website:
The home page of this website offers the viewers a sleek, easy to understand website that highlights the
companys overview, investor relations, careers and community initiatives. The website is clear to navigate
with clearly marked tabs, attractive and entertaining due to the photographs and easy to read text.
Careers Page:
An indepth page is dedicated to educating viewers about the career opportunities for this
organization and its associated hospitals
This page displays career information, professional development, the application process, and job oppor
tunities organized into different specializations.
The benefits associated with working for this organization is listed, and includes: competitive
compensation, health insurance, vacation time and 401k programs.
Along with well displayed information, the page is layed out well and continues the clean lines and bright
color scheme, that is inline with the entire website.
Critiques:
The website has great information for both, physicians and nurses, but the physicians information is advertised
more. To certain people, it could look like the hospital cares more about physicians than nurses.

Keeping healthcare close to home in cities and towns across the

nation.

Hillcrest Hospital Claremore

www.hillcrestclaremore.com

Website:
Hillcrest Hospital, Claremore offers viewers a simple designed and simple information on their website.
With no mission statement it leaves the viewer without a defined understanding of what the hospitals
goal is for themselves and their involvement with their patients. The direction tabs include Find a Physician, Events, and Services,just to name a few. Services include: ER, Orthopedic, Labor and Delivery and
Womens Health, just to name a few.
There are six Hillcrest locations, but only one in the Claremore area. All of the services and specialties
listed above are at that hospital.
Careers Page:
Located at the very top of the page in a smaller font than the rest of the website.
It is slow to load and is not interactive.
When presented with the webpage, you are prompted to type in what job you are seeking. Once
typed, the page will present all available options and openings. If there is no job position, then it says so
without giving you an option to still submit your application.
A great 60 second video is located at this stage of the website
Critiques:

Make the events a calendar, instead of having to search for events.

The blog adds a great humanizing touch and lets the audience know the website it is up to date.
The video that showcases the nurses, physicians and hospital, should be highlighted on the homepage of
the website. It is a waste to have great video on the website when it is hidden.

Recovering health, rediscovering life

Eastar Health System

www.eastarhealth.com
EASTAR Health Systems team of experts places patients at the center of their own care and compassionately delivers
healing, hope and strength to people in Eastern Oklahoma.

Website:
Eastar Health System offers viewers an interactive and busy website that is packed-full of information.
The homepage offers all of the information a viewer could want right on the homepage. This includes
career options and job search to services and community initiatives. Services offer include: ICU, Sleep
Center, Senior Care and more. Current news and new developments in the organization is located underneath an ever-changing monitor that highlights new programs and benefits of this organization.
Careers Page:
The Careers Page loads quickly and is easy to navigate.
With a nurses tab, potential hires can use this as a central source of information.
Information for Students, Benefits and Education Services tabs allows potential hires to find and get a
further understanding of what the hospital can do for that the applicant. The listed classes is a great touch
to the careers page.
While there is a benefits title, no benefits are immediately listed. Instead, there is a link that directs you
to a new page where the benefits are clearly explained. Some of the benefits include: Child life insurance,
dental and vision care, short and long term disability and health savings accounts (just to name a few).
Critiques:

Quotes from current nurses and videos is a great way to get people more excited about applying for a
job.
The lack of photos and color makes the page lack consistency with the rest of the website.
Current Job Postings, took a few seconds to load, but offered the viewer the ability to make a profile for
easier application. That is a great touch.
The website has a page called Community Benefit Report on the Community drop down menu. Al
though the report is from 2012, it does list the organizations and causes that the hospital supported
that year. There is also a volunteer page on the Community menu.
Although benefits are explained eventually, it would be better if the benefits were listed on the main
page, for easier access and visibility.

Bringing health to life through people caring for people.

North Texas Medical Center

www.mtmconline.com
It is the mission of North Texas Medical Center (NTMC) to provide high-quality health care that is accessible,
personalized and affordable, in a fashion that will assure continued availability to the residents of North Texas.

Website:
North Texas Medical Center offers viewers an easy interface and well designed website. The homepage
allows people to access most information straight from that one page. This includes one touch access to
Events, Health News, Health Interactives and main directional tabs. Events are clearly accessed and labeled
and include events like Step Up and Scale Down or Do Well, be well with Diabetes.All of the directional tabs offer drop down menus for easy access and directions. Services of the hospital include: Cardiac,
outpatient, surgery and womens centers, just to name a few.
North Texas Medical Center- Gainesville, TX is the main location, but they offer services in Cook County
(that includes family medicine and pediatric care) Medical Care Center of Gainesville and NTMC
Specialty Clinic.
Careers Page:
The careers page is easily accessed
There is no clear argument on the Career Page.
Legal information, Drug Testing and Openings are highlighted.
There is no information about benefits.
Critiques:

The North Texas Medical Center website does a good job inviting people into their facility and
educating them on what is going on with the hospital, but it does not do a good job convincing people
to work at this facility.
The has professional quality photos combined with a documentary expelling what NTMC is and the
work they do for their community, but the Careers Page does not reflect the rest of the website.
The up-to-date job postings are the best part of this page, because it makes the viewer aware that the
organizations information is relevant and maintained.

We provide high-quality health care that is accessible, personalized

and affordable, in a fashion that will assure continued availability to
the residents of North Texas.

Red River Regional Hospital

www.redriverregional.com
To provide great health care to great folks in Fannin County

Website:
With a red, white and blue theme, the Red River Regional Hospital is keeping theme of Texas spirit and
giving their viewers an interactive website. Photos are displayed of families and the facility. The viewer is
able to pick the size font they want, which a great touch for anyone who has trouble seeing. The tabs are
easy to view and navigate, and they showcase Services, About the Facility, Careers and Information for Patients and Visitors. Some of the services listed include: sleep center, ICU, family practice and surgical suite.
The Senior Program, known as Young at Heart Senior Program is designed for citizens 50+ years of age
and interested in staying active, both mentally and physically. This program offers monthly games and social
events. The events associated with this one program are all the events the website had to offer.
Careers Page:
There is no clear argument when viewing the careers page of the website.
The main focal point of the page is the opportunities the hospital is offering. A list of available positions
is the first option a visitor sees when on the page.
Benefits are not included in the Career tab on the website.
Critiques:

The first view of the website is a giant block of text. Breaking that up, with give viewers the ability.
In general the website could use some updating, specifically the Career Page.
Throughout the website there are few images of professional quality, and no video presence at all.
Adding real nurses with photos, names, job titles and testimonials will increase visibility of nurses and
add an interactive feel to the website.
There is no argument to entice employees to work at this hospital, and few details about what a
day-in-the life would be like.
Besides the Careers Page, The website needs to be more interactive with video of the facilities and
photos of the employees. There is the opportunity to connect to social media via the website, but it is
not highlighted or emphasized.

Our relationship with all those we serve is identified through the

trust we build.

McAlester Regional Health Center

www.mrhcok.com
Improving the lives of Southeastern Oklahomans

Website:
McAlester Regional Health Center offers their website visitors an easy to use and well designed website.
At first glance the viewer can see that the website has been executed with quality by the photos used
on the site, and the way information if incorporated into the photos. Directional Tabs include: About,
While You Are Here, Careers, Services, Physicians and Clinics and Residency Program. The hospital does
a great job offering people ideas on what to do while staying at the hospital and support systems after
the patient leaves. Medical Services listed include Cardiology, Inpatient Services and Womens Health, just
to name a few. The hospital has multiple events and programs, and does a great job advertising when the
events will take place. Events and programs vary from clinics and shelters to marathons and blood drives.
Careers Page:
The careers section of the website is very easy to find and provides great information for nurses and
physicians.
Benefits are important for a potential hire, and are listed clearly. These include: Medical, dental and vision
packages, disability insurance, paid vacation and tuition assistance, just to name a few.
In the Just for Nurse tab, it is clear the information is tailored to potential nurses and has
information a potential hire would want. Apart from benefits, the webpage gives nurses a more in-

depth meaning to working for this hospital. Small enough to feel like family, large enough to challenge
your nursing skills.
Critiques:

The website has great information for both, physicians and nurses, but the physicians information is
advertised more. To certain people, it could look like the hospital cares more about physicians than
nurses.

Medical Excellence. Close to home. Your hospital

Mercy
El Reno & Ada

As the Sisters of Mercy before us, we bring to life the healing ministry of Jesus through our compassionate care and
exceptional service.

Website:
Mercy , El Reno and Ada, offers its viewers a simple website interface. There is not much interaction at
first glance and little information. Tabs labeled, I want To, Find, Careers, Make a Donation and MyMercy,
direct viewers to further information tabs. The website does offer viewers an up-to-date and interactive
way to keep up with the organizations news media, career opportunities and ways to connect via social
media platforms. There is an entire page that is dedicated to the medical services as well as classes and
programs of the hospital with graphics and a description of each of the services. These vary from Cancer
Care and Convenient Care to Robotic surgery and Mother and Baby Care. There is a wide variety of
services offered with clearly defined descriptions.
Careers Page:
There is an entire page dedicated to the careers, and it is easy to find on the website. On the menu
there are three different sections that the user can go to Careers at Mercy, Find a Career and Career
Education.
Benefits are listed, and include: Paid vacation, retirement program and tuition reimbursement, just to
name a few.
One thing the organization doe is use quotes from current employees who are currently at Mercy and
give testimonies to how they have positive experiences working at Mercy. At first its a job. Then it
becomes a career. And now, its my lifework.
Critiques:

The mission of all the Mercy hospitals is difficult to find, because its not the first thing stated on the
website and the audience has to be very observant to find the About Us page to find mission and
vision.
The locations page is difficult to navigate. They have search boxes to find information, but they dont
always highlight the most valuable information first. With so much information, it is hard to find the
services offered in the area.

As the Sisters of Mercy before us, we bring to life the healing

ministry of Jesus through our compassionate care and
exceptional service.

Medical Center of McKinney

www.medicalcenterofmckinney.com

Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life. In recognition of this commitment, we
strive to deliver high quality, cost effective healthcare in the communities we serve.

Website:
The Medical Center of McKinney offers their viewers a website filled with easy to find information and
photos to entertain. The homepage displays a variety of good quality photos that display the newborn, the
elderly and families. The directional tabs are clearly marked on the top of the page and have drop down
menus for further insight. The website does not have a clear tab for events and programs, but it does have
an events box on the bottom of the home page.
Careers Page:
The website argues that potential nurses should work at this hospital because they help multiple
communities, and it is close to Dallas.
They emphasized that McKinney is close to Dallas and mentioned that it is a rapidly growing city. The
website mentions the natural beauty of the city by emphasizing the lush trees, downtown history and
opportunities of housing.
The benefits section of the website is clearly marked underneath the careers sections. When on the
page, it is easy to see what benefits the hospital/website is offering. The Health and Welfare Benefits
plan includes: Medical, dental, vision, wellness, health reimbursement account, etc.
Along with benefits and available positions, the website highlights the hospitals education and training
opportunities. This includes: Nursing programs, nursing externships and internships and amplitude of
other programs.
Critiques:

The homepage of the website states its excellence by describing the hospitals growth and Joint
Commission Accredited Primary Stroke Center. This excellence is supported by the Honors and
Certificates tab, clearly listing the hospitals recognized accomplishments.
The current page displays the careers, job application process, benefits, training and development
opportunities and the volunteer options.

We help those who are in need of our care, understanding,

assistance, kind words and actions

Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma

Working together to continuously exceed the expectations of all those we serve.

Website:
The Medical Center of SE Oklahoma gives its viewers an interactive and entertaining website that lists of
the hospitals services, programs, events and career and education opportunities. The website is interactive with the live ER waiting timer and photos of physicians and families. The services page highlights the
variety of services the hospital offers. This includes: Cancer Center, Emergency, Cardiology, Orthopedic,
Robotic Surgery and Womens Health Center. Events and programs are designated to one page and highlight the hospitals current happenings. These include: Childbirth education programs, community lunch and
learn, special events and various support groups.
Careers Page:
The careers page is located on the very top of the page in a smaller font than the rest of the website.
Once located, the page offers viewers information on the benefits of working at the hospital along with
physician, hospital and residency programs.
With five different tabs available to choose from, it helps viewers find the information they are trying
to find. Within each event or program that they offer there is a description and dates for any upcoming
events.
With benefits from the community and then the professional benefits, this is the perfect example for
drawing workers in to work at their medical center
Critiques:

The Mission statement and Vision statement is an example of how complicated the website can be.
Although it is listed under About it is joined by three other lists of information, which becomes
complicated for the viewer.
The careers page is located at the very top of the page, but should be highlighted along side the other
information tabs underneath it. The page should represent the hospital, just like the rest of the website,
and have photos and videos.
There are many links to many different pages that could become overwhelming to the audience.
Make a nurse specific careers subpage. This will make potential nurse hires feel just as valued as
physicians.

Working together to continuously exceed the expectations of all

those we serve

What this information could

mean for you
Good recruitment is based on the techniques and tactics used to get quality
people. An organizations website is, arguably, one of the most important means
of gathering information for a potential hire, and therefore it must be

exceptional.

After reviewing and critiquing other organizations websites, this is what we

recommend for you:
Move

the Careers tab down to where the other main directional tabs are located.

Include

a nurses subtab on the careers page.

Create

more interaction by including photos and a video about the hospital.

SWOT Analysis
In order to define the hospitals strengths, weaknesses and opportunities, a
SWOT Analysis was performed. This allows the organization to see where
they have room for growth and opportunities for change.

30

trengths

Competitive wages for workers

Website is easy to navigate
Offers continued education
classes for employees
Family-oriented atmosphere
Offers many different programs for
patients

pportunities

Recruit nurses from OKC area

Grow recruitment outreach to
larger cities
Increase brand recognition within
nursing schools in the OKC and
surrounding areas.

eaknesses

Location - students are reluctant to

move to smaller city.
Hospital is smaller than many of the
surrounding hospitals
Experienced nurses tend to leave
small towns for larger

hreats

Surrounding hospitals in rural areas

offering better pay and benfits
Urban cities with larger industry
options

Analyzing the Publics

To gather ample amounts of information on our target public we
conducted several interviews with student nurses
and registered nurses.

32

Interview 1
One of our student nurses we interviewed was Shelby Baker. She is in her first
semester as a nursing student, so her perspective on the situation is unique. The
main point that Ms. Campbell wants to emphasize is that she would be more
willing to work in a rural hospital if their benefits were superior to those of urban hospitals. She believes that urban hospital have more resources and would
likely offer substantial benefits. She also points out that when looking for a job,
her two main factors are location and her potential co-workers.

Location is very important to her and she wants to work close

good medical facilities, said Campbell.

to a big city and

I asked her why she would work in an urban area versus a rural area and

Campbell said, urban

areas have good resources and rural areas dont have

as many resources.

Yes, if the rural hospital could offer better benefits.

Making a connection
with different nursing schools could be a method of recruitment for the
Medical Center of Southeast Oklahoma.

Interview 2
We also interviewed a first year RN to better understand a different perspective on
our nursing publics. Ms. Baker works at OU Medical Center in the ICU. She deals with
many different medical emergencies on a daily basis. Ms. Baker originally lived in
Arkansas, so when her job search began she was basing a lot of it on her fiance.
However, she said that the culture of the hospital and her employees that she would
eventually be working with was what won her over to work at OU Med Center. Another big reason why she chose to work in OKC was because the OU Med Center
offered her benefits that she felt that she would not attain anywhere else. She mentioned that a hospital that could offer her educational classes to further her success
made OU Med Center a top contender for a career. She also believes that once she
gets older, it will be harder to move to a new location.

Alex wants to work in a place where she would

feel free to ask questions, and not feel afraid of the current staff.
She explained that

the time to move is when

you are young, flexible

and dont has as many restrictions like children

She explained that she has heard about the increased salary compared to
urban areas, and the compensation programs to pay off student loans.

Goals & Objectives

Goals and Objectives are the foundation for a good campaign. Clearly
defined goals and objectives were created for the Medical Center for
Southeastern Oklahoma to connect with their target audience.

35

Target Audience
Student nurses from Oklahoma City

Type of Goal
Recruitment
The objectives for the The Durant Medical Center of Southeastern
Oklahoma is to increase the recruitment and retainment rate. This will be achieved through new social
media techniques and community involvement. Recruitment of student nurses, about to graduate
college, will be maximized through our tactics.

Goals
To strengthen The Durant Medical Center of
Southeastern Oklahomas reputation among the
future nurses of Oklahoma City and increase
recruitment to the program/hospital.

Objectives
An awareness objectives is focused on information. These objectives identify exactly what information
a public should be exposed to and know, then to understand and remember. It is the first level of
objectives.

Our objective is to increase the awareness

of student nurses in Oklahoma City.

1. Awareness Objective
Free required educational programs to nurses who work at the hospital.
The free educational programs are a great incentive that competitive hospitals do not offer. This
objective will help the Medical Center of SE OK recruit student nurses who will become invested in
the hospital long-term.

2. Awareness Objective
Competitive salary
The MCSO is competitive with nurses salaries. This an important objective because nurses salaries
vary alot throughout Oklahoma nurses. Recent graduates are flexible with job locations due to their
young age and lack of family obligations.
Coming out of college, your first salary sets your standards. Receiving a salary that is competitive with
other hospitals, will increase the appreciation of the nurses, and give the hospital a competitive edge in
recruiting.

3. Awareness Objective
Benefits of the small town
This awareness objective will help recruit students that are from small towns, as stated in previous
research, nurses from small towns are more likely to go back home and work in a small town.
Showcasing the benefits of a small town lifestyle, such as strong community support, close-knit
relationships with co-workers and giving back to the community, will increase recruitment and
longevity.

Action & Response

Strategies Report
The goals of this campaign are to strengthen the MCSOs reputation among
the future nurses from Oklahoma City and increase recruitment to the
program and hospital. Our awareness objectives focus on
releasing information about the hospitals benefits to nurses. These
objectives identify exactly what information a public should be exposed to,
understand and remember.

38

1. Audience participation
Durant is a small community, making it a huge indicator on how successful the hospital will be. Getting the
community involved will increase patients, public support, employment and economic prosperity.

2. Alliances and Coalitions

Aligning a hospital with different organizations in the community, will increase support for both
organizations. The hospital has the opportunity to align itself with schools, churches and local businesses
to educate the community on health and personal well being.

3. Publicity
Positive publicity will increase the visibility and credibility of the hospital. Through outreach programs and
quality work, the hospital will gain the communities attention and support.

4. Transparent Communication
The more transparent an organization can be, the more a community will trust them and make the
hospital more accountable for their actions. It will not only improve the hospitals image, but it will also
keep the employees of the hospital accountable for their quality of work.

Developing the Message

Strategy
A message strategy is simply the ideas behind a campaigns primary
message. In other words, we used a communication model to come
up with the best strategy to develop a message for the
Medical Center of Southeasterns campaign.

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Who will be used

We will use Robin Baldridge as a spokesperson.
She moved moved from Dallas to Durant, and has enjoyed her job transition.
She would appeal to nurses who are not sure if they want to move to a rural area.

Message Appeal
What is the key message that forms the basis of this public relations campaign?
Recruiting student nurses from Oklahoma
Small town lifestyle
Family oriented work place
Competitive pay and great benefits
Community involvement
Values the opinions of first year nurses

How does your message make a rational appeal?

Competitive pay and benefits
Values the opinions of first year nurses

Which of the following provide arguments for your claims:

Comparison
Examples
Testimony
Physical Evidence
How does your message make an emotional appeal?
Quality of life
Personal life
Community Life
Does the message feature an appeal to positive emotions or negative emotions? What is the emotion?
Love appeal
Love for the community
Love for the job position
Love for the hospitals support and culture

Non-verbal and Verbal Communication

How does your message use verbal communication?

We will use a two-sided argument because we want to achieve a greater attitude change that will
remain positive when the audience hears the opposing argument from another source (other health
profession careers in the target area).
How does your message use nonverbal communication?
We will create a logo that encompasses the value the hospital puts on community involvement and
family-like atmosphere.
Does your message present one point of view or more than one point of view?
Our message will present one point of view to our target audience
Does your message present a conclusion?
At the Medical Center of SE Oklahoma, you will receive a small community atmosphere with a variety
of educational opportunities to further your personal goals and professional career.
Does your message reiterate its main idea?
Yes, our main idea of obtaining student nurses who are looking for a close knit family-like atmosphere
with strong community involvement.
Will your publics find your message clear, simple and understandable?
Yes, because we will use a two-sided argument and it is targeted for them.
What is the educational level of your target public?
Bachelor degree or higher in the nursing field

Tactics Report

For this campaign we came up with the best tactics or actions we believe
will help the Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma
establish a connection with the target audience
for awareness and recruitment purposes.

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Interpersonal Tactics
Organizational site involvement: Potluck Dinner
The First Annual Potluck Dinner event will give employees and their families the opportunity to celebrate
the holidays with fellow co-workers. The event will take place December 12 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the
conference room. This event will also allow new employees to get to know their new co-workers. Three
to six volunteers will be needed to get the conference room in the holiday mood, help people hang their
coats and set their food item down. Cost associated with this event will be a dependent on the chosen
decorations. A budget can be estimated of $200.

Workshop Series: Annual Nursing Leadership Conference

Oklahoma City University- Kramer School of Nursing
The workshop series will cost money for promotional items that the staff members will have to hand
out to generate interest. Those will cost around $100-$150. Additionally, the time it will take for the staff
member to plan, travel and go to the workshop series will be around 10 hours.
The staff members who take part in this needs to have good communication skills and needs to be able
to talk and recruit people.

Organizational Media Tactics

Fact Sheet
A Fact Sheet will help the hospital interact with visitors that want more information about the
hospital, and also potential employees at events. The hospital will be able to pass these out as a
recruiting technique.
This tactic will have a high level of impact. A fact sheet gives people the opportunity to look at what
the hospital has to offer and how the hospital is different from its competitor.
Fact sheets give a high level of awareness. Having a tangible object for people to take after an the
initial meeting, will encourage people to look further into the hospital for future employment.
The advantage of this tactic, is to give people the opportunity to see the hospitals strengths.This tactic
offers the hospital a medium to brag about their strengths in an appropriate context.
The only disadvantage to this tactic will be the cost of printing the document, and updating it annually.
This will not cost anything, especially if we use it as an addition to our email list, or post the fact sheet
items on social media.

If we decide to print these sheets, for 500 fact sheets, it would cost $50
This tactic should not take too much time because it can do done annually. It could be estimated that it
would take 1-2 hours to collect the information, and then print as seen fit. All of the equipment and
materials should be available in the hospital.

Social Media
FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn
This tactic will help us interact with our target audience by allowing us to interact with them through
different social media platforms
Nurses with 3-5 years of experience, are millennials. Millennials are notorious for being active on social
media. Using this tactic will allow the hospital to interact with their target audience on a medium that
they are comfortable with.
This tactic will make a high impact on the target audience. Social media maximizes awareness on all
levels.
Bring awareness to community events on social media.
Other tactics require printing costs, and possibly outsourcing public relations and advertising initiatives.
This is a free medium that can be easily learned.
The main advantage of this tactic is the freedom it gives the hospital to reach a wide range of people
and be creative in their content creation. Social media is a cheap way to be heard, if done properly.
The disadvantage of this tactic is that proper and effective social media interaction has to be learned.
The reason many organizations dont have good responses from their social media efforts is because
they dont know how to initiate conversations and awareness well. Social media also takes quite a bit
of time to create social media content.

Social media is a free tactic that will only occupy an employees time. The resources and equipment will be
present at the hospital, but there may be a potential learning curve for the employee in charge of posting
social media content. This tactic is more time consuming than expensive. In order to do a quality job, an
employee would need to give 1-2 hours a day posting on social media.

News Media Tactics

News release
This tactic will allow us to reach our target audience by releasing newsworthy information about the
hospital. This will allow our audience to become more knowledgeable on what is going on inside the
hospital. This tactic will have a high impact on the target audience because on the content that the news
releases will contain.
The advantage of this tactic is that news release are able to feed inside information to our target
audience that they wouldnt know about the hospital. This tactic offers in-depth and inside
newsworthy information.
The disadvantage is going to be putting out newsworthy information on a regular biases.

News releases will cost nothing to implement, but will take up 1-2 hours of a staff members time to write
and create. The staff member that will be assigned to carry out this tactic will need to have knowledge in
journalism style writing to create professional, high quality news releases.

Feature release
Feature releases can be tailored to the target audience, and will help support the culture and the brand
of the hospital. This tactic gives the hospital the opportunity to interview nurses and hospital representatives to share their stories and experiences with other people outside the hospital.
The advantage of this tactic, is that feature releases are able to elaborate and be descriptive on
aspects of the hospital.
The disadvantage of this tactic is that an employee will have to dedicate time to writing it.

A feature release will not cost anything but will take up 2-3 hours. Whoever is writing the feature release
will have to conduct interviews, write and disseminate the information properly. The staff member writing
this feature release will have to have knowledge in journalism style writing to create a professional, high
quality feature release.

Advertising & Promotional Tactics

House ads
This tactic will help promote events and information to current staff.
The main advantage to creating house ads is promoting and spreading information from within the
organization. This tactic offers the advantage of promoting from within the organization and spreading
the information externally.
The main disadvantage of this tactic is dedicating an employees time to creating quality and relevant
ads

Other cost associated with this tactic will come from posters and flyers, which will cost $60. For
infographics, the cost will be $300 for year subcribtion to piktochart.com and $60 for a pack of 500

sheets of paper. The staff member(s) who creates the house ads will spend around 2-3 hours, depending
on their experience with designing, creating material to be used.

Program Ads
This tactic will help promote events and job opportunities at the hospital to groups of nurses at job fairs
and other events. This tactic will help advance the campaign by advertising the hospital and social
media platforms at external events.
The main advantage of this tactic is that having a program ad at job fairs and other events reaches our
target audience of nurses looking for jobs.
The main disadvantage to this tactic is the need to continuously pay for ad space.

Program ads can cost anywhere from $10-20 depending on where the ad is placed. The time associated
with this tactic would be contacting the event coordinator and planning the ad placement.
There are programs online that cost anywhere from $20-$30 a month that will format and generate ads.
Once an general ad for the hospital is created, it can be reused.

News Media Materials

New media materials provide opportunities for the credible

representation of organizational messages to large audiences.
The two kinds of news media tactics suggested are direct news and
interactive news. Direct news material is information that is presented to
the media more or less ready to use. Interactive news opportunities are
communication opportunities in which public relations practitioners and
journalists interact with each other.

50

###

Organizational Media
Materials
Organizational and social media materials are published or produced by
the organization, which controls the message content, as well as its timing,
packaging, and audience access. Organizational media tactics offer the benefits of a middle ground between high-impact, small audience interpersonal
tactics, and lower-impact, large audience advertising tactics. The following
organizational media tactics are suggested to further the Medical Center of
Southeastern Oklahomas campaign objectives.

54

Fact Sheet

Sample Social Media Content

Sample 1
The Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma is looking for young nurses to join our team.
Upcoming graduates from The University of Oklahoma Medical center are welcome to meet us at one of
our many workshops. Like our page to stay updated on events, workshops and job opportunities.

Sample 2
MCSO was ranked in the top 100 hospitals list, six times.

Sample 3
At MCSO each employee gets hands-on experience with its five OBGYNs with more than 1,000 births.

Sample 4
The Medical Center of SE Oklahoma offers classes, both required and suggested, for nurses to further
their ability to care for their patients, and further their career.
With a strong economy, newly graduated nurses are able to pay of any student loans with a cheaper cost
of living.

Sample 5
Nurses are the backbone of hospitals. Being so, nurses are exposed to all different types of patients and
diseases. The recent Ebola disease is an example of how nurses need to be educated properly and up to
date with the latest safety protocols. At The Medical Center of SE Oklahoma, we are dedicated to having
healthy patients and employees.

Sample Facebook Page

Sample 1
The best of both worlds. Strong economy, local businesses, close to Dallas and Ft.Worth. Go to http://
www.mymcso.com/about/benefits for more information.

Sample 2
Let us pay for that! We will cover your BLS, ACLS certification and more. Go to our website for more
information.

Sample 3
Why do nurses need to be educated and prepared? At @MCofSEO, we are dedicated to having healthy
patients & employees. http://bit.ly/1t70yic

Sample Twitter Page

Sample 1
The Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma is looking for young nurses to join our team. Upcoming
graduates from The University of Oklahoma Medical Center are welcome to meet us at one of our many
workshops.

Sample 2
This is a great articles that describes the opportunities and the difficulties associated with being a new
nurse looking for a job. It is worth the read. http://bit.ly/1xQseOM

Sample 3
Nurses are the backbone of hospitals. Being so,
nurses are exposed to all different types of
patients and diseases. The recent Ebola disease is
an example of how nurses need to be educated
properly and up to date with the latest safety
protocols. At The Medical Center of SE Oklahoma,
we are dedicated to having healthy patients
and employees.

Sample LinkedIn Page

Advertising &
Promotional Tactics
Materials
Advertising and promotional tactics are controlled media, either internal
or external to the organization, which can offer access to large audiences.
These materials can reach a large amount of people,
but with less of an impact.

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Brochure

Program Ad / Booklet

House Ads

House Ads

House Ads

House Ads

Interpersonal Tactics
Materials
Interpersonal tactics materials offer face-to-face opportunities for
personal involvement and interaction. Although interpersonal tactics may
reach a smaller amount of people, they have a stronger impact on their
audience than any other form of communication.

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Potluck Dinner Event

GENERAL INFORMATION

What: Potluck Dinner

Date: December 12
Time: 5 p.m.
Location:
Purpose: Build company positive attitude and appreciation for hospital
Goals: Get employees together for a night of fun and team building
Theme(s): Employee Potluck Dinner

ATTENDEES

All current employees and their families are welcome to join.

ELEMENT OF SURPRISE (feature of event that will surprise and delight guests)

One of the employees will volunteer to dress up like Santa. All employees children will be able take
photos with santa.

LOGISTICS

General/Physical
Tables: Four tables, with tablecloths, will be needed to set up food and drinks brought to event.
Area Set-Up: 3-6 Volunteers will be needed to plan and set up on the day of the event.

CATERING

Each attendee will bring a sweet or savory meal item

Menu includes: Anything people bring
Beverages: Pop, coffee and Water

PRINTED PIECES

Invitations: No invitations needed, it will be advertised through a company email, hospital advertising, on
the company intranet and social media.

DECORATIONS / GIVEAWAY ITEMS

Decorations: Decorations will need to be purchased with a budget of $200.

Scheme and theme: The theme is Christmas. Anything with tinsel, green and red will be permitted.

ENTERTAINMENT / ACTIVITES
DJ or band: A designated employees will be chosen to be the DJ. The music will consist of Christmas and Holiday music.
Emcee: no Emcee needed
Other activities or entertainment: A slideshow will be playing, previewing photos of employees
and their families.
AGENDA

Set up: The 3-6 employees will set up the event 3 hours prior to the event.
Guests arrive: Guest arrive at 5 pm
Entertainment: The hospital video will be on repeat.
Event ends: Ends at 9 pm
Clean up: 9-10 pm
EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES TO BRING
- Decorations
- Slideshow

Sample Potluck Flyer

Event Plan Samples

Workshop Series
GENERAL INFORMATION

What: 2nd Annual Nursing Leadership Conference

Date: February 24, 2015
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Oklahoma City University Kramer School of Nursing
Purpose: To reach out to students and help them learn about the Medical Center of Southeast Oklahoma
Goals: Attract students to apply with the Medical Center of Southeast Oklahoma
Theme(s): Education for nurses

ATTENDEES

Approximately 150 guests, including faculty and staff from Medical Center of Southeast Oklahoma

LOGISTICS

General/ Physical
Parking: Parking will be located in front of the venue at the university. Special parking permits will be given
to speakers and guests.
Tent: It will be inside.
Tables: There will be a table for coffee and water. There will also be a table for guests and presenters to
set up an information booth.
Benches: No benches will be needed
Signage: Signage will be needed for the hospitals advertisement. Should cost approx. $100
Restrooms: There will be a restroom located right outside of the conference room. No extra restrooms
needed.
Trash: There are 4 trashcans in the conference room. No extras needed.
Area Set-up: The conference room is already set up. No extra setup needed. Hospital guests will provide
advertising for their individual departments.

CATERING

Food: McAlisters Deli

Menu: Cookies and sandwiches
Inclusive cost: $10.00 per person
Beverages: Tea and water
Snacks: Cookies and chips

PRINTED PIECES

Invitations: Invitations to the event. Approx. $150 for 200 invitations at $.75 each.
Tickets: None needed.
Programs: None needed.

DECORATIONS / GIVEAWAY ITEMS

Decorations will be provided by the signage and programs that each department uses to advertise.
Favors will be on the tables with handouts. Students can choose if they want to grab some information
on each hospital or department.

AGENDA

Set up: Setup will be on the 23rd. Arrive at 6 p.m.

Guests arrive: 8 a.m. on the 24th
Entertainment: None
Welcome and introduction of dignitaries: Welcoming ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Meal: Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m.
Event ends: Event will wrap up around 4:30 p.m.
Clean up: Clean up will begin after all the students leave. Appox. 6:30 p.m.

EQUIPMENT / SUPPLIES TO BRING

The only supplies to bring would be the signage and products that we are going to hand out to students.

FOLLOW-UP

Thank you notes and/or call-to-action to:

Thank you notes to Oklahoma City University and the staff that assisted with the set up.

Bios
Mary Madison Baker is a Senior here at OU. Growing up in
Russia and England, gave Madison an interesting view and goal
for life. Ever since she was a young girl, she wanted to be a ballet
dancer. This goal eventually brought her to OU on a ballet
scholarship. After suffering a career ending injury she changed
her major to Public Relations. This change catapulted her into
having several different internships in different realms of PR.
Currently, she is the PR Director of Lindsey + Asp, a student-run
PR and Advertising firm in OUs Gaylord College, and a PR
intern at Continental Resources. After graduation, Madison will
stay in Oklahoma City and practice public relations in the Oil and
Gas industry.
Katie Smith is a senior at the University of Oklahoma, graduating
in December 2014 with a BA in Journalism with an emphasis
in Public Relations. Growing up in a very musical family, Katie
planned to pursue music before finding her love of the English
language. Transferring to OU in 2012, she immediately jumped
into the universitys chapter of PRSSA. After a very successful
summer internship at SMG in her hometown of Tulsa, Okla., Katie
became the 2014 PRSSA Region 3 Conference Digital Media
Committee Chair. After graduation, Katie plans to pursue her
love of the arts and the English language through a
communications job in entertainment.

Rachel Borgsmiller is a senior at the University of Oklahoma. Rachel

will obtain her Bachelors in Journalism with an emphasis in Public
Relations this coming December. Growing up in a family that puts a
great deal of pride in our entrepreneurial spirit, Rachel came to OU
with high hopes to pursue a business degree. After exploring her
options she landed on public relations and has not looked back since.
She is a member of OUs PRSSA, with which she was
Alumni and Fundraising Chair. Upon graduation, Rachel will make the
move to the big city of Dallas, where she has accepted a job offer.
She hopes to be very successful and to make a lasting impression in
the industry.

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Carly ODonnell is a Senior at OU graduating in May 2015.

After moving from Oklahoma to Houston she wanted to go
back to her home state in to attend OU. After a short stint of
trying to pursue a career in nursing, she decided that public
relations was the career path she wanted to pursue. Currently
she is an account lead for Lindsey + Asp, a student-run public
relations and advertising agency in OUs Gaylord College. After
graduation she would like to continue working in an agency in
either Oklahoma or Texas.

Sheon Paige is currently a senior at the University of Oklahoma. As a driven young professional, Sheon will earn a BA in
Journalism in the Public Relations field with a minor in Spanish
this December. Growing up in California and Oklahoma, Sheon
has seen all walks of life, which has driven her passion to travel
and meet new people from all over the world. After studying
abroad for a year in Peru and the United Kingdom, Sheon is
now the multi-media intern for the Womens Outreach Center here at OU. After graduation, Sheon plans to pursue her
dreams by working at a company that allows her to use her
talents in both PR and film.

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Picture Resources
www.flickr.com

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