By Katy Wilson

It's no secret that nurses are always needed, and Sanford is offering a nice chunk of change for nurses that join their team.

It's been said many times: Pick a career that you love. Brittany Anderson has found that in nursing.

Brittany Anderson- Sanford Nurse: "It's very rewarding work. Patients are often appreciative of your services so that's nice, too."

Now, Sanford is offering up to $20,000 in sign-on bonuses for qualified registered nurses with at least a year of experience. The bonus amount varies based on a number of factors.

Ellen Cooke- Sanford: "The big reason why we need to bring on new nurses is to help the people we have here today."

Some may say that's a lot, but according to research done by Sanford's HR department, it's a reasonable amount to recruit good applicants.

Cooke: "This time of year, there aren't many graduating nurses, so we're doing this because we need the nurses now."

Nursing is the largest profession in the U.S. with 2.6 million nurses. And the Bureau of Labor statistics says that by 2020, 1.2 million more nurses will be needed.

Cooke: "I think we're seeing a demand in this country. A lot of it has to do with the Affordable Care Act and so many more people having insurance."

And the need for nurses is expected to continue increasing.

Cooke: "We've got the baby boomer generation, my generation, that want to retire. Are there enough coming after them to fill their spots?"

Many experts would probably answer no.

Sanford currently has more than 100 open nursing positions.

Bonuses are available at various locations across North Dakota.