2023 Healthcare Executives Workforce Survey Highlights Surge in Demand for Workforce Marketplace Platforms

ShiftMed, a leading provider of healthcare workforce solutions, has announced the findings of its 2023 Healthcare Workforce Trends Survey, shedding light on the evolving landscape of healthcare staffing in the U.S. The survey, which collected responses from 130 healthcare executives across the country, highlights the industry's growing interest in alternative staffing models and the challenges health systems face when relying too heavily on travel nursing.

With health systems continuing to face significant staffing shortages, executives are carefully considering where to invest their resources to address personnel gaps while staying within budget as they plan for 2024. The survey's findings provide insight into the workforce decisions of healthcare leaders and reveal key trends that will shape the future of the healthcare workforce.

Key takeaways from the survey include:

• The Rise of Alternative Workforce Models: 98% of healthcare executives are either currently using or considering at least one alternative staffing model. These models include on-demand workforce management marketplaces, third-party agencies, and internal labor pools. This significant trend indicates a shift towards more flexible and innovative solutions.
• Flexibility for Nurses: Almost 70% of healthcare executives believe in providing nurses with the flexibility to work wherever and whenever they want, demonstrating a growing emphasis on accommodating the changing preferences of the healthcare workforce.
• Preference for Workforce Marketplace: Among healthcare leaders exploring alternative workforce management solutions, top priorities include full-time recruitment (77%), credentialing and onboarding (70%), internal employee float pools (52%), and education technology (41%).
• Challenges with Travel Nursing: Healthcare executives identified two significant challenges when utilizing travel nurses:
  • 66% stated that travel nurses were too expensive to train and maintain.
  • 45% found that travel nurses disrupted the company culture and the dynamics of employed staff.

"Our team at ShiftMed is dedicated to providing practical workforce solutions that directly tackle the challenges revealed in this survey," said Todd Walrath, CEO, and founder of ShiftMed. "We're committed to equipping health system executives with the tools and resources they need to create a resilient and efficient workforce. Our platform is designed to deliver crucial support to our hospital partners, enabling them not only to adapt to evolving staffing demands, but to thrive."