Why Healthcare Organizations Are Turning to Flexible Staffing Models
Healthcare has never had the luxury of pausing. Patients still show up when a unit is short-staffed, when a department head resigns, or when a new system is going live. The work doesn't wait for the hiring process to catch up.
That's why more healthcare organizations are moving away from the old "hire full-time or go without" approach. Flexible staffing is no longer a patch for emergencies. It's how smart organizations protect patient care, support their people, and stay ready for whatever comes next.
The pressure isn't letting up
The numbers behind healthcare's workforce challenge are hard to ignore.
On the nursing side, NCSBN's latest national study found that more than 138,000 nurses left the workforce since 2022, and by 2029, almost 40% of nurses intend to leave the workforce.¹ That's potentially 1.6 million nurses.² Aside from retirement, the top reasons for leaving are stress and burnout, followed by workload, understaffing and inadequate salary.¹
As NCSBN CEO Phil Dickison put it, "We can no longer use COVID-19 as an excuse."¹ These are structural challenges, and they need structural solutions.
Physicians are no different. The AAMC projects the United States will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.³ That includes a shortage of between 20,200 and 40,400 primary care physicians, and between 10,100 and 19,900 physicians in surgical specialties.⁴
At the same time, many organizations are being careful with permanent headcount. In August 2026, healthcare employment increased by 13,000 jobs, compared with an average monthly gain of 32,000 over the previous 12 months.⁵ Demand is high, budgets are tight, and the talent pool is thin. That's exactly the environment where flexible staffing proves its value.
Six flexible staffing models, and when to use them
Every organization's needs are different. Here's how each model fits.
1. Temporary staffing
Temporary staff fill short-term gaps: a spike in patient census, flu season, a sudden resignation, or a stretch of callouts that leaves a unit running thin. They keep shifts covered so your core team isn't pulling doubles to make up the difference.
Remember that understaffing and workload are among the top reasons nurses say they're leaving.¹ Temporary support isn't just about covering today's schedule. It's about protecting the people you want to keep for the long haul.
2. Contract staffing
Contract professionals come in for a defined period, often weeks or months, to cover a known need. Think leaves of absence, seasonal volume, a new service line ramping up, or a hard-to-fill role that's been open too long.
Contract staffing gives you consistency that short-term coverage can't. The same professional learns your unit, your workflows and your patients, which means better continuity of care.
3. Interim leadership
When a leader leaves, the ripple effect is felt across the entire organization. Decisions stall. Teams feel uncertain. Strategic priorities slip.
Leadership turnover in healthcare is a fact of life. Hospital CEO positions turned over at a rate of 16% for the third consecutive year in 2022, according to the American College of Healthcare Executives.⁶ And that's just the top seat. Directors, nurse managers and department heads turn over too.
ACHE's Deborah Bowen said it well: "the value of strong and capable leaders in healthcare has never been more important."⁶ An experienced interim leader steadies the team, keeps operations moving, and gives you the time to run a thoughtful search for the right permanent hire, instead of a rushed one.
4. Project-based staffing
EHR implementations. Revenue cycle overhauls. Accreditation and survey readiness. Facility openings. These projects are critical, but they don't need permanent staff forever.
Project-based professionals bring specialized experience for a defined scope, get the work done, and roll off when it's complete. Your permanent team stays focused on day-to-day operations and patient care, instead of trying to juggle a major initiative on top of full workloads.
5. Locum tenens and clinical staffing
When a physician, advanced practice provider or clinician is out, whether for leave, a vacancy or a long recruitment cycle, patients still need care. Locum tenens providers keep clinics open, schedules full and patients from being sent elsewhere.
With physician shortages projected to grow, particularly in primary care and surgical specialties,⁴ locum and clinical staffing has become a core part of how organizations maintain access to care, especially in rural and underserved areas where recruiting permanent providers can take months or longer.
6. Contract-to-hire
Hiring in healthcare is a big commitment, for the organization and the professional. Contract-to-hire lets both sides see if it's the right fit before making it permanent.
You get to see someone's clinical skills, reliability and culture fit in real time. They get to experience your team, leadership and environment before signing on. When it works, and it often does, you've made a permanent hire with far less risk.
Flexibility is a strategy, not a stopgap
The organizations doing this well don't wait for a crisis to call for help. They build flexible staffing into their workforce plan from the start. They know where their permanent team should be anchored, and where temporary, contract, interim, project-based, locum and contract-to-hire professionals give them the agility to respond.
The result is better coverage, less burnout, stronger continuity of care, and a permanent team that feels supported instead of stretched.
"Healthcare leaders are being asked to do more with less, and their teams feel it every day. Flexible staffing gives them a way to protect their people and their patients at the same time. That's not a backup plan. That's good leadership." — Amy Knox, CEO / Co-Founder, Nmble Medical
Let's build your flexible workforce
At Nmble Medical, we believe healthcare staffing should be as responsive as the care you provide. Whether you need a nurse for next week, an interim leader for the next six months, or a provider to keep your clinic open, we'll help you find the right solution for each opportunity.
Let's talk about what your team needs, and how we can help you get there.
Sources
National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), "NCSBN Research Highlights Small Steps Toward Nursing Workforce Recovery; Burnout and Staffing Challenges Persist," April 2025. https://www.ncsbn.org/news/ncsbn-research-highlights-small-steps-toward-nursing-workforce-recovery-burnout-and-staffing-challenges-persist
NCSBN, "U.S. Nursing Workforce By the Numbers: Results of the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Study." Survey of 800,000 nurses. https://www.ncsbn.org/public-files/2024-NCSBN-WorkforceSurvey-Infographic.pdf
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), "New AAMC Report Shows Continuing Projected Physician Shortage," March 2024. https://www.aamc.org/news/press-releases/new-aamc-report-shows-continuing-projected-physician-shortage
Chief Healthcare Executive, "Physician shortage could reach 86,000, AAMC projects." https://www.chiefhealthcareexecutive.com/view/physician-shortage-could-reach-86-000-aamc-projects
Skilled Nursing News, reporting U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for August 2026. https://skillednursingnews.com/?p=44689
American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), "Hospital CEO Turnover Rate Remains Steady," August 8, 2023. https://www.ache.org/about-ache/news-and-awards/news-releases/hospital-ceo-turnover-rate-remains-steady