2009 H1N1 RN Recruitment and Utilization Plan

About the Program

Category: Volunteers (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

With the threat of H1N1 virus in 2009, one task facing the McHenry County Department of Health was making the H1N1 vaccine available to 303,990 residents. County officials recognized the need to supplement their existing staff and McHenry County Medical Reserve Corps volunteers with additional Registered Nurses. The need for RNs requirement a recruitment, training and utilization plan. In response, McHenry County devised a plan that would provide quick turnaround time to properly train and credential any prospective volunteer RNs. After this need was identified, a postcard with the “Rosie the Riveter” icon and a message of “We Can Do It!” was created and mailed to all RNs residing in McHenry County. The mailing list was obtained from the Illinois Department of Professional Regulations. Interested recipients were instructed to either visit the McHenry County Department of Health website or to contact the Medical Reserve Corps Liaison by phone. This increased the ease of volunteering for RNs across McHenry County. The RN recruitment plan allowed McHenry County to increase their pool of volunteer nurses by 105 in less than one month. The postcard mailing generated a tremendous response and awareness of both H1N1 and the volunteer program. In the first week of the program alone there were many phone calls and an average of 15 completed applications per day.