SOMERS POINT — Shore Medical Center is working to grow its nursing workforce through competitive pay, quality conditions and a welcoming culture.
Vince Azzarello, vice president of Human Resources, said Shore has been expanding its recruitment efforts and soon would end all agency nursing contracts in a bid to create a hospital-employed workforce.
Nursing shortages nationwide have been well-documented, forcing many medical centers to supplement their workforce with agency nurses.
Shore prefers in-house nurses because having them as employees boosts continuity of care and lends itself to closer relationships and cultural buy-in, Azzarello said.
The medical center employs about 350 nurses but some work full time, some part time and others as needed. The full-time equivalent is about 125 positions.
Azzarello said through ongoing efforts, Shore was able to reduce its number of agency nurses from a peak of about 40 to 11, with those remaining finishing up their terms in fewer than 60 days.
Getting the percent of agency nurses into single digits is significant and “worthy of celebrating,” Azzarello said.
In the future, agency staffing will be used only when necessary to address seasonal fluctuations or unforeseen surges in patient volume.
“We’ve made a very intentional decision to invest in our team,” Azzarello said. “Over time, we’ve eliminated more than 83 percent of nursing agency positions, and remaining agency nurses will stay through the end of their current agreements.”
Azzarello said the goal is to have the vast majority of nurses employed directly by Shore.
“This consistency strengthens teamwork, improves continuity of care and reinforces the culture our patients value and trust,” he said.
In addition to offering employees competitive pay increases and enhanced benefits, Shore offers tuition reimbursement, career development programs and cross-training opportunities, as well as a comprehensive nurse residency program for new graduates, according to Shore.
Employees can expand their skill sets, learn new specialties and work in different clinical areas, building careers within one organization.
Acknowledging the demand for nurses and the competition locally, Azzarello said recruitment efforts include increased wages, addressing concerns regarding safety/workforce violence and staffing development.
“At Shore, our culture of compassionate care extends not only to our patients and visitors, but to one another,” Azzarello said. “We’re proud to be a Top Hospital, and we’re looking for top employees to join our top hospital team. Our employees are a vital part of our collaborative, highly skilled team that treats people with kindness and respect while delivering exceptional care.”
He said Shore is fortunate to have many things in its favor, listing its small size and community nature, terrific location at the shore, strict safety standards and quality scores on evaluations. Shore Medical Center earned The Leapfrog Group’s Top Hospital designation in 2025.
“If nurses can see this is a hospital reducing agency nurses, a Top Hospital, maybe it’s a place RNs want to go work,” Azzarello said. “All of these things together make us attractive.”
Qualified candidates interested in joining Shore Medical Center are encouraged to visit shoremedicalcenter.org to learn more about current opportunities.
Azzarello said due to attrition, the medical center has about 30 nursing vacancies at any one time.
“We are always looking for qualified people,” he said, noting Shore has relationships with Atlantic Cape Community College, Stockton University and Atlantic County Institute of Technology to attract candidates through rotations.
“A large percentage of hires come from new grads, but we’re always looking for senior staff as well,” he said.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
