Why traditional staffing fails in a crisis
Emergencies are unpredictable and stretch internal teams thin. Traditional medical staffing models weren’t built for emergencies. Long hiring timelines and rigid contracts make it nearly impossible to respond quickly when a crisis hits.
Why Nursa works when time is critical
Facilities need a faster, more flexible approach to emergency healthcare staffing when every hour matters.
Here’s how:
- Rapid shift coverage: Access a live network of local licensed clinicians ready to fill urgent shifts instantly.
- Flexible staffing: Use Nursa to cover shift gaps or rapidly scale up staffing during patient census peak periods.
- Ready to work: Relieve pressure and preserve your staff’s wellbeing by sourcing on-demand nurses and CNAs
Facilities that use Nursa fill three times as many open PRN shifts as facilities that try to fill shifts themselves.
Be ready before the next crisis hits.
A smarter way to staff in a crisis
Crisis response staffing isn’t only about speed. It’s about control, flexibility, and trust.
Source nursing clinicians ready to respond when and where you need them the most—without long-term contracts or delays.
- Post shifts in real time: Fill urgent staffing needs with live shift posting.
- Retain control: You choose which clinicians fill each shift—no middleman.
- Protect your core team: Prevent burnout with extra, qualified help during emergencies.
Whether it’s a crisis or a call out, Nursa is your partner in rapid nurse staffing.
Crisis response staffing frequently asked questions
1. What is crisis response staffing?
For context, the definition of a healthcare crisis is straightforward but broad: It can be any change that is both negative and impacts the ability to provide care.
Crisis response staffing is a strategy to rapidly fill critical gaps during healthcare emergencies—whether from a natural disaster, disease outbreak, or sudden staff shortage.
The goal is to maintain safe patient care when internal resources are overwhelmed.
“When we’re in a crunch, Nursa becomes the most important part of our processes.”
- Josh Clark, CEO, Brookfield Health and Rehabilitation of Cascadia
2. What is an example of a healthcare crisis?
A healthcare crisis might be a regional disaster like a hurricane, a staffing emergency due to staff call outs, or—even more insidious—the chronic nurse staffing shortage that the industry is currently facing.
In any of these situations, facilities must respond quickly to protect patient safety and staff wellbeing.
"My full-time staff is less burned out, less stressed, and just overall happier. I don't have to worry about burnout because I have Nursa."
- Katrina Butterfield, Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, PAM Health and Rehabilitation Hospital of Westminster
3. What is the quickest way to source nursing staff during an emergency?
Nursa’s PRN staffing platform facilitates quick solutions for urgent nurse staffing needs.
“Over 55% of our platform matches occur within 24 hours of a shift start time.”
- Curtis Anderson, CEO of Nursa, in an interview with Dina Aletras published in Authority Magazine
Wherever you are when the staffing emergency hits, you can post PRN shifts in just minutes: from your PC or remotely with the app on your phone.
4. What types of nurses typically respond to a healthcare crisis?
Trauma response nurses, emergency preparedness nurses, and rapid response team members are often called upon to respond to natural disasters and provide temporary relief to operational teams.
Epidemic/pandemic nurses, critical incident nurses, and acute care nurses may be deployed as part of response teams for support during disease outbreaks.
5. What technology or platforms can improve crisis staffing?
The Nursa platform streamlines crisis staffing by cutting out contracts and agency overhead. Platform technology enables direct connections between facilities and pre-vetted clinicians—empowering real-time emergency healthcare staffing.
“They (Nursa clinicians) come in, they’re professional, they show up on time, they’re eager to work, and ready to integrate.”
- Eric Magnuson, RN, Assistant Director of Nursing, Lifeways Hospital
While Nursa doesn’t specifically assign trauma response or disaster preparedness nurses, many clinicians on the platform have experience in high-acuity settings and can adapt to fast-paced environments.
6. What is the difference between crisis management and crisis response in healthcare?
Crisis management is the strategic planning to prepare for emergencies, while crisis response is the immediate action taken to handle the event.
Healthcare staffing is part of both: Crisis management involves building clinician networks in advance; response means filling shifts fast.
“I can be at home on-call on a weekend and if I have a call out or need to make a staffing adjustment, I can pick up my phone, use the app, and I can post that shift in 60 seconds.”
- Eric Magnuson, RN, Assistant Director of Nursing, Lifeways Hospital
7. Why is there a staffing crisis in healthcare?
The ongoing healthcare staffing crisis stems from a mix of clinician burnout, rising patient demand, and a shortage of qualified professionals.
During a crisis, these issues intensify—making rapid staffing solutions like Nursa critical to response plans.
8. How is Nursa different from traditional crisis nursing agencies?
Unlike agencies or crisis response travel nursing jobs that require lengthy contracts or high fees, Nursa offers an on-demand platform that connects your facility directly with qualified clinicians.
There are no long-term contracts or minimum-use quotas. You control shift scheduling, pricing, and screening criteria—making Nursa a flexible, cost-effective alternative for short-term staffing and emergency coverage.
"Before Nursa, we used traditional agency staffing. While this method filled the need, it required a lot of emailing back and forth just to get someone to pick up a shift. The lengthy process didn't help support last-minute call outs or people who would leave halfway through their shift."
- Grenika Soysa, Nursing Home Administrator, Hillsboro Health and Rehabilitation
9. What are the costs of crisis response staffing?
Nursa’s pricing model avoids the inflated rates of crisis travel nurse contracts. There are no start-up costs, subscription fees, or long-term commitments.
Facilities set their own shift rates and only pay once a clinician completes the shift—providing a transparent, cost-effective solution.
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