Registered nurse Amie Cockrell administers Longview’s first COVID-19 vaccine to Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center ICU nurse Melissa Montgomery in December 2020. Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview is offering a $1,500 referral bonus in an effort to hire more registered nurses.

Christus Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview is offering a $1,500 referral bonus in an effort to hire more registered nurses.

“For the first time, Christus Good Shepherd is enlisting the general public to extend the reach of its current nursing recruitment campaign,” the hospital said in a statement.

Teresa Halcomb, Christus Good Shepherd Health System’s chief nurse executive, said the recruitment campaign is critical .

“We value the opinion of our patients and our community, and if they can help us connect with highly skilled nurses who would complement our experienced and talented staff, we want to reward that,” she said. “This is a true real win-win scenario. Successful referrals are rewarded with a cash bonus, and the referred nurse has the opportunity for a rewarding career as part of Christus Good Shepherd’s faith-based care for East Texas.”

The person referring a potential job candidate can fill out an online form, and the hospital’s recruitment team will contact the recommended nurse. When the nurse applies, he or she will need to include the name of the person who made the referral to become eligible for the $1,500 bonus.

If that referred nurse is hired, the person who made the referral will receive an email from Christus with the next steps to receive the bonus.

The recruitment campaign is only seeking full-time, experienced nurses, according to Christus. The nurse being referred must have at least one year of experience to qualify, and the referral payout will be given to the person who referred the nurse within 30 days of the hire.

The campaign is a limited time offer, and updates on the hiring process or applicant status will not be shared in order to protect candidates’ privacy.

The online form can be found at christusgoodshepherd.org/referanurse .

For questions, email referanurse@christushealth.org or call (903) 315-3656.