Sam, IPI’s Talent Acquisition Manager, leads the company’s recruiting department
Independence Plus, Inc. (IPI) is unique in the home healthcare field because we specialize in providing home care for medically complex, ventilator-dependent adult and pediatric patients. Our entire company takes pride in the challenging role our nurses fulfill. At hire, IPI nurses are trained by immersion in days of hands-on training and education program designed to prepare them to provide the best possible care for our patients. IPI is always searching for great RNs and LPNs who want to join our team, and leading our recruiting effort is our Talent Acquisition Manager, Sam. He and Zach, IPI’s Recruitment Coordinator, are busy attending career fairs, hosting college information sessions, and networking to help bring IPI the VERY best nurses who want to learn ICU skills while working in the home. We recently sat down with Sam to learn more about his role and what brought him to IPI.
Q: Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to IPI.
A: I have done recruiting and staffing for about 13 years. I have always worked in a corporate environment, staffing positions that have included both entry level and executive level administrative, CDL drivers, banking and finance and technical positions. My recruiting career goal has always been to staff clinical positions in the healthcare field. I obtained an opportunity with Presence Health, staffing hospital positions, with outstanding mentorship that taught me everything I know about healthcare recruitment. After being with Presence for a short time, I was recruited to Allegis Global Solutions to work on their Fresenius Kidney Care account. Recruiting for Fresenius Kidney Care expanded my healthcare recruitment skills by narrowing down the specialty of care in the niche of dialysis. Although both opportunities provided me career satisfaction, it was a struggle for me to put my heart and soul into the work I did, under strict corporate boundaries. I found it challenging to focus my goals and results on corporate budgets and numbers, as opposed to keeping my focus solely on quality healthcare and letting others worry about the numbers. When the opportunity at IPI presented itself to me, I knew it was my calling and I have never regretted my decision to join the IPI team.
Q: What made you want to work in healthcare recruiting?
A: I have always had such a passion and respect for healthcare and clinical professions. Although my heart and mind are an ideal fit, I have never had the stomach to become a clinical professional. Although I ended up on the administrative side of the business, I feel fulfilled that I contribute all of my energy and expertise to a field that helps save lives.
Q: What does your job entail and what do you enjoy most about your role?
A: I spend my days finding the best healthcare talent to join our team and provide the best possible care to our patients. I find extreme satisfaction knowing the nurses I hire will provide patients to live a more ideal lifestyle than originally expected. The best part of my job is meeting nurses who love what they do.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My parents inspire me every day. They immigrated from Italy in their late 20’s in search for the American Dream and they have indeed found it. They have worked so hard their entire lives and have taught my sister and I the value of hard work. They inspire me to work hard and create a happy and comfortable life for myself and my own family.
Q: What are you most proud of?
A: I am proud of my parents for building such an incredible life in this country and I am also proud that my sister and I did not take any of their efforts for granted. We have both carried on the legacy of hard work and have found satisfying success in our own lives.
Q: What words do you live by?
A: Laugh and love, every single day.
Q: What is the one thing about yourself that you think people would be surprised to know?
A: I understand the Italian language perfectly when spoken to me however I cannot speak it, and my two biggest fears/phobias are needles and flying!
Q: What would you say to nurses who may have an interest in working in home healthcare with IPI?
A: If you truly want to make a difference in patients’ lives, IPI is the place to do it. After getting to know so many wonderful nurses with IPI, nothing seems more gratifying than allowing patients the opportunity to live the best lives possible. A nurse is always valued for the care they provide but our nurses add something to that value. We bring patients out of hospitals and long term care facilities, allowing them to live the most normal life possible and with the people who love them most. Home is where the heart is and home is also where IPI patients are able to receive their care.
If you are interested in becoming an IPI nurse, contact Sam Bruno, IPI Talent Acquisition Manager, at (630) 463-4433 or sbruno@independenceplus.com. To apply online, visit http://independenceplus.force.com/careers.