Penn State Nurses Aid Recruitment by Sharing their Passion, Stories

June 10, 2026

Responding to the ongoing needs of our members, HAP hosted a Workforce Summit that brought together clinical, administrative, and workforce leaders from across Pennsylvania to learn and share best practices for developing and engaging health care teams. We’re highlighting some of the innovative ways Pennsylvania hospitals are addressing the workforce crisis.

Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center developed the Registered Nurse (RN) Ambassadors Program to address nursing workforce shortages through peer leadership, engagement, and recruitment by bedside nurses themselves.

This initiative empowers clinical nurses to act as ambassadors—representing the organization at schools, universities, and community events, while fostering pride, mentoring, and professional growth within the nursing team.

The program was highlighted during a presentation at HAP’s recent Workforce Summit, by Jennifer Zimmerman, MSN, DNP, RN, vice president of nursing, adult acute care and clinical nutrition; Jennifer Smith, BSN, RN, clinical staff leader; and Taryn Blydenburgh, MS, PHR/SHRM-CP, manager, talent acquisition.

Ambassadors collaborate with departments like talent acquisition, marketing and communications, and nursing education, blending authentic storytelling with strategic outreach, said Zimmerman. The results show a steady rise in new nurse hires and a decline in vacancy and travel nurse dependence, demonstrating the model’s success and sustainability.

“The program plays a crucial role in addressing RN vacancies and helps to improve patient outcomes, as well,” Zimmerman said.

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• It takes one to know one:  Peer-led recruitment is highly effective. Bedside nurses bring authenticity and credibility that resonate strongly with future nurses.
• Storytelling drives engagement: Ambassadors share real clinical experiences through school visits, community events, and ongoing outreach efforts.
• Powerful partnerships:  Penn State’s RN Ambassador program promotes collaboration and partnerships with local universities and colleges including Penn State and West Chester University.
• Strong outcomes:  Since the program was implemented, graduate nurse hires increased, some unit vacancy rates dropped, and travel nurse utilization decreased significantly.
• Lessons learned:  Penn State Health leaders determined that authentic, peer-led engagement connects better than traditional recruitment. When there is cross-department collaboration, trust grows and nurses experience greater work satisfaction.
• Scalable model: The approach is positioned for expansion into other shortage areas such as radiology, respiratory therapy, and surgical technology.

HAP’s Workforce Summit brought clinical, administrative, and workforce leaders from across Pennsylvania together to learn and share best practices for developing and engaging health care teams. Watch for more #WorkforceWednesday coverage in the coming weeks of the innovative practices shared during the summit.