University Health Services directors said Thursday the office is fully staffed and working efficiently at the new location on East Campus Mall.
The office is undergoing changes in staffing, as directors are looking for a permanent candidate to fill the director position of clinical services.
We have recently hired a new nurse manager as well as two nurses to replace those who have retired. We are as well staffed as we have ever been,"" Gerald Ryan, interim director of Clinical Services said.
Ryan is an applicant for the permanent director of clinical services, a position directors hope to fill by March 1.
Ryan said he only experienced one incident when UHS was understaffed. He said he filled more than one position, serving as both clinical services director and nurse manager. However, UHS hired Cheryle Sickels, who serves as the current nurse manager.
""It is a very busy time of the year, and everybody is working really hard. It has been a real help to have gotten the new nurse manager,"" Ryan said.
The application for the permanent director of clinical services closed Feb. 2, and the committee anticipates choosing a proper candidate by March 1. The only present openings in UHS are those created by retiring nurses.
""We are going to have to address the retirements, but because they are retirements, we know when they are going to happen so we will start the recruiting process for those when it becomes necessary,"" Ryan said. ""We found that we have been able to find a very good pool of nurses, so we are not anticipating that it should be a major obstacle.""
According to Van Orman, the spots left open by retired nurses are positions of primary care and immunization travel.
The nurses planning to leave worked for what directors consider an average amount of time.
""Nurses as a group have long years of service, and we have been planning and anticipating recruitments in that area because of the length of service of our nurses,"" Van Orman said.
