aAs hospitals and health care sys-

tems wrangle with the growing

shortage of nurses, the

Association of Women’s Health,

Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses

(AWHONN) is helping to bolster

the nursing workforce while

helping employers find qualified

nurses. AWHONN’s online

nursing career center,

www.NursingCareerCenter.com,

is one-stop shopping for employers, recruiters,

nurses and people considering a career in nurs-

ing. This unique online resource includes:

• a searchable database of nurses’ resumes that

allows employers to scan for specific criteria

• position listings with opportunities ranging

from staff nurses to nurse executives

• a clearinghouse of information about various

nursing specialties, nursing schools

• scholarships, the Nurse Reinvestment Act

and becoming a nurse

• career management advice for nurses inter-

ested in a career change or development

• numerous links to Web sites that offer addi-

tional resources

Created and maintained by AWHONN,

NursingCareerCenter.com is open and avail-

able to all nurses free of charge. All nurses can

confidentially post their resumes on the site.

Recruiters can review those resumes through a

search engine that can be set to periodically

scan posted resumes for specific qualifications

and notify an employer when nurses with those

qualifications post their resumes.

“As AWHONN was developing this site, we

talked to our members and to employers and

www.NursingCareer

Center.com is one-

stop shopping for

employers, recruiters,

nurses and people

considering a career

in nursing

April | May 2004 AWHONN Lifelines 155

Launches NursingAWHONN

Career CenterUnique Online

Nursing CareerCenter Connects

Nurses andEmployers

recruiters to learn what information they need-

ed and how best to provide it,” said AWHONN

Executive Director Gail Kincaide. “I believe

that AWHONN is uniquely positioned to pro-

vide the most helpful and complete informa-

tion on nursing, career development and the

nursing workforce. We know nursing and nurs-

es, we understand the unique career and pro-

fessional development needs of nurses and we

understand what employers are looking for

when they recruit new staff.”

The Nursing Career Center also offers

career management advice specifically tailored

for nurses, including information on:

• writing a resume and cover letter that will get

attention

• preparing for and conducting interviews

• negotiating for salary and benefits packages

• working outside of the hospital setting

• making the decision to obtain an advanced

degree

• networking

• transitioning to nursing as a second career

Visit www.nursingcareercenter.com for more

information.

AWHONN Responds toPresident Bush’s ProposedBudget For FY 2005

Responding to the President’s proposed

budget for fiscal year 2005, AWHONN

Executive Director Gail Kincaide said the

budget, “sends a mixed message to the health

care community. Although it includes modest

increases in a few areas that affect public

health, the budget also moves money into

some programs by removing it from others.

Our country is certainly in a difficult

situation with regard to our national

budget, but robbing Peter to pay Paul—

particularly where the nation’s health

care is concerned—is not the approach

we should adopt.”

Kincaide continued, “The President has

proposed a $40 million increase for the

National Health Service Corps and the

Nursing Education Loan Repayment and

Scholarship program to direct doctors, nurses,

and other health care professionals into

medically underserved areas. This comes, how-

ever, at the expense of grants for

advanced nursing education. Our nation does

need more nurses with basic training to enter

the field, but focusing only on these nurses

only addresses half the problem. The nursing

shortage encompasses nursing faculty—we

need funding for advanced practice nursing

and basic nursing, not one at the expense of

the other.”

“AWHONN and the nursing community

support a total appropriation of not less than

$205 million for training and education for

basic and advanced practice nurses. The

President’s budget falls far short of this reason-

able and much-needed funding level. We urge

the Congress to carefully review the President’s

proposal in light of the real health care needs

of our country and to pass a federal budget

that adequately addresses them,” she said.

“AWHONN and the

nursing community

support a total

appropriation of not

less than $205

million for training

and education for

basic and advanced

practice nurses. The

President's budget

falls far short of this

reasonable and much-

needed funding

level.”

—Gail KincaideAWHONN Executive

Director

156 AWHONN Lifelines Volume 8 Issue 2