How Flexible Staffing Is Bringing Nurses Back to the Bedside

Healthcare facilities have been managing the shortage of nurses as a supply issue: Not enough people are entering the field, there are few graduates from nursing roles, and not enough are staying.

However, if we take a closer look at the problem, we see that nurses are there, but they are not staying.

“There were more than 5.9 million active registered nursing (RN) licenses in the U.S. in 2025, according to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. That same year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counted approximately 3.4 million RNs employed.” - Curtis Anderson

So, what can facilities do to make clinicians want to stay?

A gap between licensed and employed nurses

There is a big gap between people qualified to work at the bedside and people currently doing it. And the reason is not their capability, it’s nurses being able to endure the job.

Ask any nurse: a rigid, full-time shift structure will probably push qualified nurses away from bedside roles, even when they have no intention of leaving the profession.

Most of the nurses in this situation keep their licenses and stay close to the field, without really working at the bedside. They're just waiting for something that fits how their lives actually work.

This gap is where per diem shifts can make all the difference for this cohort. With these shifts, they can find the flexibility they crave while keeping their licenses active.

Flexible models are bringing the nurses back

In his recent article published in Forbes, Curtis Anderson, CEO of Nursa, discusses how a flexible model isn’t for every setting. Some units have a better fit and a more natural match, because workflows are more standardized. For example, some models that fit perfectly include: