Why flexibility belongs in your workforce strategy

“Healthcare staffing is changing, whether we’re ready or not.” - Curtis Anderson, founder and CEO of Nursa.

In the article for Chief Healthcare Executive, The Case for Flexibility in Healthcare Workforce Design, Nursa’s CEO addresses once again how flexibility needs to be built into workforce strategy from the start, and not treated just as an afterthought.

Many healthcare facilities still staff as if every clinician wants a traditional full-time schedule, while the reality shows how nurses’ expectations about work and flexibility have shifted. Additionally, patient census fluctuates regularly, making it necessary for facilities to incorporate flexibility into the workplace.

For years, flexible staffing has been seen as only a temporary fix. This staffing model reinforces a separation between two groups, creating two separate worlds: 

1. Full-time employees
2. Per diem or contract clinicians

Managing these two worlds separately, can cause cultural friction, inefficiencies, and vulnerability during the staffing gaps that inevitably appear.

What is the most successful staffing model for facilities?

Facilities that design flexibility into their workforce strategy from the start are adapting most successfully to the current staffing challenges.

What does that mean in practice?

Facilities need to blend full-time staff with a predictable layer of trusted clinicians who absorb variation. For example, many existing facilities are building rosters of per diem nurses who know how the facility works, allowing shifts to run smoothly and ensuring continuity of care.

Here are 4 practical steps for facilities:

• Identify where staffing volatility already exists
• Build consistency by encouraging managers to rebook clinicians who perform well
• Measure results through metrics like repeat engagement and time to fill
• Treat flexibility as a long-term design principle rather than a stopgap

Healthcare leaders already know they need flexibility—but they need to intentionally implement it to unlock a system that supports clinicians and strengthens teams, ultimately delivering more consistent care for patients.