ShiftMed Knowledge Center

Workforce challenges are a daily reality for many health systems. At any time, nurse leaders may be juggling dozens of open shifts across hospitals and specialties, from ICU shortages to unexpected pediatric callouts to med-surg units stretched thin. Without a reliable solution, they must rely on expensive travel nurses or push full-time staff into overtime, driving up labor costs and fueling burnout. Sound familiar?

Effective hospital float pool management is a powerful lever for healthcare workforce efficiency. When float nurses are properly resourced and empowered to practice at the top of their scope, they deliver measurable cost savings, greater staffing flexibility, and improved operational performance. Yet without strategic oversight, float pools can quickly become underutilized, leading to higher turnover, staffing instability, and compromised care quality.

Hospitals have long struggled to build and manage internal nurse float pools, often relying on manual processes and outdated tools. These practices hinder effective scheduling coordination, credential tracking, and real-time responses to staffing changes, resulting in costly, inefficient, and hard-to-scale float pool management. Sound familiar?

Does your hospital or health system rely too much on overtime and agency staffing to cover shift vacancies? If so, it’s time to rethink your healthcare staffing strategy. Here’s why making a change is essential—and how it’s easier than you might expect.

While there was already a shortage of skilled nursing staff and other healthcare workers prior to the pandemic, the past three years have pushed the shortage to critical levels. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are 2.1 million job openings in healthcare, which is expected to grow to 3.2 million by 2026 as baby boomers age and require more care.  

Historically, floating shifts in healthcare involved moving – or “floating” – in-house nursing staff to other areas of the facility that were short staffed. These floating shifts were often viewed negatively and seen as disruptive to nursing teams and a nurse’s typical work schedule.