Nurses and health professionals have been shifting the way they work and pursuing new avenues in their careers. From creating a better work-life balance, to better pay, to working at different facilities, healthcare workers are creating rich, full careers outside of traditional full-time roles. Because of the shift, healthcare facilities are looking to adjust their staffing strategies to keep up with what nurses and health professionals are prioritizing in their careers. Understanding what the modern healthcare worker is looking for can help facilities work with, not against, the changes in the healthcare industry.
Changes facing the healthcare industry
COVID-19 fast-tracked the already prevalent nursing shortage that the country had been facing. According to a study in Health Affairs, from 2020 to 2021, the “total supply of RNs decreased by more than 100,000 in one year—a far greater drop than ever observed over the past four decades.” This drop included a significant number of younger nurses, leading to increased worry over the state of the healthcare industry and the continued shortage of nurses leaving the career well before retirement age. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “About 194,500 openings for registered nurses are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.”
As workforce shortages continue to become more prevalent, healthcare facilities are adjusting their staffing strategies, mainly by utilizing nurses and health professionals who have switched to part-time or per diem work.
The number of per diem nurses and health professionals continues to rise over the years. According to the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey, “Reporting data suggest an estimated 89% of RNs who maintain licensure are employed in nursing; among these nurses, 70% work full time, 11% work part time, and about 8% work per diem shifts.” As more nurses choose to work part-time or per diem shifts, solutions like Medely help healthcare facilities harness the per diem workforce, leading to a more efficient contingent workforce.
With Medely’s Talent Marketplace, facilities can post the shift on our easy-to-use platform, which will then send it out to all qualified nurses or health professionals in the area, allowing them to pick up the shift. This allows facilities to not have to rely on already overworked full-time staff to pick up shifts, while also providing an easy solution for last-minute or planned callouts for vacations, illness, burnout, and more.
What nurses and health professionals are prioritizing in their careers
In 2024, we surveyed nearly 2,700 nurses and health professionals on the Medely platform and received over 1,000 responses to gain more insight into what they’re prioritizing in their career and how Medely has helped them pursue their ideal healthcare career.
Prioritizing better payment
One of the most pertinent findings was that payment was one of the top priorities for nurses and health professionals. 19% of respondents cited payment as one the main reasons for using Medely. When talking about payment, 11% of respondents shared that Medely offered better pay compared to other options, like full-time staff positions or other agencies, and 8% of respondents shared that Medely’s fast pay was a contributing factor to why they keep picking up shifts.
Medely RN, Femi Faniku, shared that the quick pay Medely offered helped him track his earnings more efficiently, allowing him to save up and buy a house. “In some other agencies I’ve worked with, you have to wait for over a week or whatever payment schedule,” Femi shared. “But with Medely, you saw your daily earnings.”
Femi is just one of the many nurses and health professionals looking for higher rates and quicker payouts. According to Incredible Health’s 2024 State of U.S. Nursing Report, nurses are growing increasingly frustrated with the pay rate. “64% of nurses feel they are not fairly compensated for their work.” Not only do they not feel like they’re being compensated correctly, but “78% of nurses say their household’s financial situation only meets their basic needs, with little to nothing left over for extras.” As nurses and health professionals express frustration over the pay rate, more are taking control of their finances by pursuing avenues like per diem nursing where they can maintain a higher rate and work as much or as little as they need to do to reach their financial goals.
Not only do per diem shifts allow nurses and health professionals to pursue financial stability, but it also allows facilities to better control their budgets. When facilities solely rely on full-time staff, that often means being locked into paying a bi-weekly salary, health benefits, 401(k) match, sign-on bonuses, onboarding and training fees. Hiring full-time employees comes with a high upfront cost, as well as recurring costs down the road. And with more healthcare workers burning out and leaving the career, facilities can no longer guarantee staff will stay long term.
With per diem nurses and health professionals, though, healthcare facilities can prioritize their budgets for when they need extra help, relying on their full-time staff to take care of the day-to-day operations and supplementing with contingent staffing when needed. Contingent staffing typically pays a higher rate up front, but compared to the continuous long-term costs it takes to hire a full-time, salaried employee, the slightly higher rate to staff on an as-needed basis saves facilities money over time. It also allows facilities to take stock of their staffing week-to-week and create a staffing plan based on current facility needs.
Increased flexibility
The next most common reason nurses and health professionals utilize Medely is because of the flexible schedule they’re able to maintain. 12% of respondents shared that Medely allowed them to pursue flexibility in their career and create the schedule that they want.
According to Medely’s 2024 Nurse Sentiment Survey, “55% of respondents said work flexibility is important when choosing an employer.” With flexibility at the forefront of nurses and health professionals’ minds, more are turning away from full-time employment and turning toward part-time or per diem work, allowing them to create their own schedule and prioritize a healthier work-life balance.
One of those nurses is Medely RN, Tonya Richardson. With Medely, Tonya has found the flexibility she’s been searching for in her healthcare career while also maintaining consistent relationships with several facilities in her area. “I think it’s more so the flexibility, honestly. I’ve been doing Medely consistently for the last year and a half or two years,” Tonya shares. “A lot of the surgery centers I go to I’ve become so acquainted with the people who work there that they just reach out on the app and request me directly. It has a lot to do with the flexibility and just the ease of scheduling, honestly.”
New facilities
As healthcare workers seek to grow in their careers, nurses and health professionals are now prioritizing exploring multiple facilities rather than staying with one facility long-term. By experiencing new facilities, healthcare workers are able to boost their skills, experience new caseloads, and reduce burnout from stagnant environments. 10% of responses from Medely’s survey cited the healthcare facilities as the reason they kept using Medely. From great experiences with the staff, patients, or management, nurses and health professionals are searching for facilities that allow them to thrive and prioritize their wellbeing.
As nurses and health professionals find facilities where they fit in, facilities are able to keep track of those professionals who have had a positive experience. When nurses and health professionals work shifts through Medely, facilities can add them to their favorites list, which is a list of all the facility’s top Medely nurses and health professionals who exceeded expectations. The favorites list allows facilities to push out shifts to these healthcare workers first in the future, allowing facilities further control over who is working in their facility, reducing orientation to the facility and ensuring a good partnership with full-time staff.
As a long-time, multi-location favorite, Ashlyn Fajerson, Medely radiologic technologist, has shared how being added to facilities favorites list has boosted her skillset and confidence while helping her establish long-term relationships with the patients, staff, and management where she picks up shifts. “It’s really refreshing that, I want to say, 90% of the places I’ve been, people add me to their favorites, and they want me to come back. It’s a kind of a constant refresher that, okay, I’m supposed to be doing this. I’m here for the right reasons. And it’s rewarding on both ends.”
Find qualified health professionals with Medely
As nurses and health professionals work to personalize their career, facilities that stay ahead of the trends and focus on healthcare worker satisfaction are finding better success with staffing. Flexible, on-demand staffing is the future of the healthcare industry, and Medely makes it easy to find vetted, credentialed nurses and health professionals at a moment’s notice. Ready to staff more effectively? Sign up for Medely today!
