When Jason Referred Kelley…
It Was a Win-Win! Jason Got an Employee Referral Bonus and Kelley Got a Job that’s “Everything I Hoped It Would Be”
One of the best ways that VNS Health hires clinicians and home health aides is through referrals from our own team members. All referrals are welcome—whether you’re referring a relative, a family friend, a colleague you used to work with or someone in your professional network (as in the story below), or even a casual acquaintance. As you’ll see in the following story, it’s easy to refer someone—and get this: If that person is hired, you could receive a bonus for as much as $7,000! To learn more and to find out how to make a referral, click here.
To help inspire you, Frontline is introducing a new series: Win-Win Referrals!
The Team Members:
Jason Eric Bauer, RN BSN CHPN, Hospice Nurse
Kelley Sheffey, LPN, VNS Health Home Care, Manhattan Branch 3
The Backstory:
Jason: “I met Kelley when we were both working on the same case. She was a continuous-care LPN [Licensed Practical Nurse] for one of my hospice patients, providing care from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. I got to know her when I made visits as the after-hours nurse for VNS Health Hospice Care. We hit it off immediately, and I could see she had all the qualities that are vital for the type of autonomous work we do at VNS Health. It doesn’t get much more autonomous than being the sole caregiver for a patient for 12 hours straight! Home care requires a specific type of person who is able to take charge and work independently. With Kelley, I could tell right away that she was that type of clinician.
She was working for a different company at the time, and I took down her phone number. At some point, I got back in touch with her and asked her whether she’d be interested in moving to VNS Health. That got the ball rolling. The referral process itself was very simple: I just logged into Workday’s refer-a-candidate section in the career section, then I entered Kelley’s contact information along with a short explanation of how we know each other, and clicked ‘Submit.’ To help speed things along, I also contacted a recruiter from HR to let them know that I’d submitted Kelley’s referral.”
Kelley: “I was the nurse on duty for the woman we were caring for, and Jason would come in to supervise. When he did, I’d give him reports and updates. We liked each other instantly because we had a similar attitude and passion regarding what we were there to offer: highly professional nursing services, supporting the family emotionally, and safely transitioning the patient. We shared a spirit of positivity… and a sense of humor! Which is so important, even—or maybe especially—in hospice care.
How’s It Going?
Kelley: “I’ve been here for 10 months now, and it’s a joy. VNS Health is everything I ever hoped it would be. To be in the field as a home care nurse uses all of my strengths and experience. Over the course of my career, I’ve been a utilization review nurse, a discharge nurse liaison and a private care nurse, and I can bring all of that experience to my role here. As a nurse with Manhattan Branch 3, my territory is from the Gramercy Park area all the way down to Alphabet City. On any given day, I might visit penthouses with maids, butlers, house managers, and cleaning staff—and then head over to a single-room occupancy building in the projects. I work with patients from all walks of life. It’s so interesting, and so rewarding.”
Jason: “It’s terrific to have Kelley at the organization. Just knowing that somebody in whom I have so much trust is working here is a huge plus. Even though we don’t work in the same division, we keep in touch. She’ll call me with questions on occasion, and I’m happy to be a resource for her. Since we all work so independently, connections make all the difference.”
Final Thoughts:
Jason: “Recruiting clinicians has become more and more challenging—and who’s a better gauge of a clinician’s abilities than somebody on the inside who knows the ins and outs of the work, who’s keenly aware of what’s needed by their team or department, and who can recommend someone they’d be glad to work alongside? To me, employee referrals are the best way of bringing a qualified candidate to the company. I also know that my involvement helped streamline the hiring process for Kelley.”
Kelley: “I’m sure that Jason’s referral was instrumental in paving my way here. I’ve always worked for VNS Health’s competitors in the past, but I’ve been aware of the organization, its reputation, and its premier standard of care for decades. I was friendly with lots of VNS Health clinicians over the years, but I had been under the impression that VNS Health was reluctant to hire LPNs. I’m so happy to be a team member here. I have so much respect for what the organization does across the board, and the way that they support the nurses with education, knowledge, and camaraderie.”
Note: Kelley was recently praised by a patient’s daughter for the great care she provided. You can read the daughter’s note in the latest “Letters and Commendations” on Frontline by clicking here.
