Partners in Workforce Independence and Stability

Hospitals and healthcare facilities across the country are experiencing critical staffing issues in nursing. From recruitment and retention issues to mass resignations, the supply of skilled RNs decreased by more than 100,000 from 2020 to 2021.   The shortage is pushing many healthcare facilities to ramp-up efforts to find alternatives to fill gaps in their healthcare staffing, including turning to gig workers like travel nurses or contract nurses.  

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. 

If nurse retention is not a top priority at a healthcare facility, it should be. From 2020 to 2021, the average cost of turnover for one staff RN increased by 15%, bringing the financial implication of healthcare’s labor challenges into view.