Healthcare staffing doesn’t look the way it did five years ago, and neither do the tools nurses use to find work. Today, many nurses use digital platforms to pick up shifts when it makes the most sense for them, without committing to a full-time role. For a growing number, that flexibility influences their commitment. In fact, 62% of RNs say a flexible schedule affects whether they stay in their current role.
This shift is also changing how nurses explore job opportunities. Instead of relying on interviews or word of mouth, they’re picking up shifts as a trial run, seeing how the team works, and deciding from there. For hospitals, it’s a chance to connect with local talent and build relationships that can grow into something more long-term.
But for hospitals that don’t offer this kind of flexibility, they’re missing out on experienced clinicians and the structure that digital tools provide, including better visibility into staffing gaps, stronger shift coverage, and the ability to scale resources without leaning heavily on travel contracts.
The Flexibility Imperative
Hospitals are operating at a higher capacity than ever before. National occupancy rates jumped from an average of 64% to 75% after the pandemic, and researchers now project they’ll hit 85% by 2032. At the same time, the U.S. is projected to face a shortage of more than 300,000 RNs by 2027.
Hospitals can’t afford to expect every nurse to work a traditional schedule or commit to a full-time role. Instead, they need to meet nurses where they are and provide the tools and autonomy to build careers that fit their lives and their schedules.
Today’s workforce includes parents balancing childcare, students pursuing advanced degrees, early-career nurses looking for variety, and late-career nurses easing out of full-time roles. A one-size-fits-all schedule doesn’t work for all of them. What does work? Options.
Some want consistent shifts. Others want the freedom to pick up just a few hours each week, or even once a month. Technology has made that possible, and it’s changing how nurses think about where and how they want to work. Hospitals that embrace flexible scheduling through a mix of core staff, structured float pools, and tech-enabled per-diem options are better positioned to attract and retain talent.
Rethinking Workforce Models
No single workforce management model can carry the weight of today’s healthcare demands. The most effective hospitals are taking a layered approach. They’re combining core staff, travel nurses, and a growing pool of flexible, local talent to stay agile without sacrificing quality.
Full-time nurses are the ones who know the systems, shape the culture, and keep teams grounded. Travel nurses still serve a purpose, especially in specialized units or hard-to-staff regions. But the industry has learned that overreliance on travel isn’t a long-term solution.
As a result, hospitals are expanding their flexible workforce to tap into local clinicians who want more control over when and how they work. These are experienced nurses who may be teaching, working per diem elsewhere, or simply not looking for a permanent role. They’re not new to the profession and are choosing flexibility because it fits their life and stage of practice.
Internal float pools are a critical part of this strategy. When supported by the right technology and operational structure, float teams can ensure consistent coverage across units without stretching full-time staff thin. Nurse leaders feel the impact of that structure every day. In a recent McKinsey survey, nurse managers said nine of their 10 biggest daily frustrations stem from administrative work, including incident reports, scheduling, audits, and supply issues.
Nearly all of them agreed that technology that simplifies workforce management, onboarding, and team recognition would make their jobs easier. Investing in the right infrastructure helps cover shifts and supports the people holding teams together.
A Two-Way Audition
For years, hiring in healthcare followed a familiar script: apply, interview, accept the job. Then, new hires find out what the role is really like. Today, nurses want more than a job description. They want to know if a hospital’s values align with their own, if the culture feels supportive, and if their time will be respected.
Flexible, shift-based work gives nurses the chance to step inside a hospital, work shifts, and get a feel for the environment before making a long-term decision. They can meet the team, experience the workflow, and decide whether it’s a place they want to grow. That kind of visibility is especially important for nurses who’ve experienced burnout or felt undervalued in previous roles.
Hospitals benefit just as much. They see firsthand how a nurse fits into the team, responds to patient care needs, and navigates the unit. One health system recently reported that by opening up this type of early exposure, they transitioned more than 100 flexible nurses into permanent roles. In this win-win approach, nurses find the right fit and leaders find strong additions to their teams.
Preparing for Long-Term Change
Every hospital is trying to find the right balance between core staff and flexible support, but that balance is shifting. Some hospitals still aim for 80% core staff, but that benchmark may no longer reflect the way nurses want to work or how care needs to be delivered.
Nurse turnover is costly, both financially and culturally. While a smaller share of nurses say they intend to leave their jobs compared to previous years, McKinsey research shows that U.S. health systems could save up to $700 million a year just by reducing nurse turnover.
Healthcare staffing is in a phase of learning and adapting. The organizations that will lead this next chapter aren’t clinging to outdated models. They’re experimenting with structure, listening to their nurses, and using data to guide real-time decisions. Health systems that treat flexible work as a strategic asset will be better equipped to adapt, deliver consistent care, and retain the people who make that care possible.
J.J. Ewing, RN, BSN, CCRN
J.J. Ewing is the Chief Nursing Executive at ShiftMed, where she leverages over 30 years of experience as a sales leader, nursing executive, and entrepreneur. Throughout her career, J.J. has specialized in solving complex workforce challenges and developing innovative talent strategies for hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide. Prior to ShiftMed, she held a key leadership role at AMN Healthcare.
J.J. began her career as an ER/ICU nurse at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and has successfully built three companies across the healthcare staffing continuum. Her expertise spans nurse staffing, executive direct hire, and interim executive leadership, with a proven track record in business development, recruiting, and client relationship management. Now at ShiftMed, J.J. continues to build trusted partnerships and lead with a strategic, client-focused approach. Based in Petoskey, MI, she enjoys traveling, watching sports, and spending time outdoors with her family and 3 St. Bernards.
