• Ytc Healthcare

Hospitals are running empty, but not in terms of resources—the one thing they cannot operate without is nurses. By 2025, it is projected that the U.S. might face a shortage of 260,000 full-time registered nurses from the healthcare industry. In Canada, the situation is not different; here, researchers have predicted that the shortfall might cross 117,600 nurses by 2030. So, what are the consequences? Burned-out medical staff and longer patient wait times put pressure on the healthcare system. This is not a future problem. It is happening right now! 

Yet, some healthcare facilities are thriving steadily despite the crisis. They are finding creative and more effective ways to fill staffing shortages in their hospitals, clinics, and care centers without stretching their budgets to the breaking point. The good news is that their strategies are not secrets anymore! 

Let’s break down what exactly these smart facilities are doing differently and how you can apply the same tactics to keep your organization fully staffed. But first, let’s explore the reasons behind these shortages; 

Why the Nursing Shortage Is Worsening

Nursing shortages are not new, but what is happening right now is different. It is not just a temporary dip in numbers, it is a systemic problem that took decades in the making. And unless something changes, it is only going to get worse. Here are the key reasons behind the crisis; 

Mass Retirements Are Gutting The Workforce

The nursing workforce is aging out at a faster rate than it is being replaced with new staff. In the U.S., more than one-quarter of registered nurses plan to leave nursing or take early retirement over the next five years (AACN). In Canada, nearly half of all nurses are over 50 (Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions). 

This clearly highlights that hospitals, long-term care homes, and clinics are losing experienced nurses at a rate they cannot keep up with. The pipeline for new nurses is not strong enough to fill the gaps left behind.

Burnout Is Driving Nurses Away

Nurses are not just retiring, they are quitting this profession mid-career because they are overworked, underpaid, and exhausted. Approximately 100,000 registered nurses (RNs) left the workforce over a two-year period during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing stress, burnout, and retirements, as primary reasons. (National Council of State Boards of Nursing).

A survey by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) revealed that 69% of nurses planned to leave their positions within five years; of these, 42% intended to leave the profession entirely through retirement or other means. (Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario).

When facilities run short on staff, the nurses who remain are forced to work longer shifts with heavier patient loads. That cycle fuels even more burnout, creating a vicious staffing crisis.

  • A leading hospital was on the verge of a major crisis—15 nurses called out right before a critical shift. Patient care was at risk, and the facility faced potential revenue losses from postponed procedures. Within hours, our healthcare staffing team stepped in, deploying skilled RNs and PSWs to fill the urgent gaps. The result? No canceled procedures, no staff burnout, and no patient delays. When staffing shortages strike, smart healthcare facilities act fast—and so do we. Need reliable nurses on short notice? Let’s make it happen.

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Nursing Schools Are Not Producing Graduates Fast Enough

Even if thousands of people wanted to become nurses today, there wouldn’t be enough educators or programs to train them. In the U.S., nursing schools turned away over 91,000 qualified applicants in 2021 due to a lack of faculty, clinical sites, and funding. Canada faces similar issues—there is high demand for nursing programs, but a bottleneck in training capacity.

This means the next generation of nurses simply is not coming fast enough to replace those leaving.

The Demand for Healthcare Is Skyrocketing

With the same speed as the number of nursing professionals is shrinking, the healthcare need for patients is increasing. The aging population means more people require long-term and specialized medical attention and care.

The rise in chronic illnesses, i.e., diabetes and heart diseases, demands more nurses in hospitals and care centers. Healthcare facilities are not just dealing with staffing shortages but also facing patient surges with fewer hands to help. 

How Smart Healthcare Facilities Are Solving the Nursing Shortage

Some hospitals and healthcare organizations are thriving despite the shortage. They are not waiting for the problem to fix itself. Instead, they are taking action themselves, being creative, and making changes that keep their staffing level strong while avoiding burnout. 

Partnering with Healthcare Staffing Agencies for Fast and Flexible Hiring

Smart healthcare facilities are not wasting months searching for permanent hires. Instead, they’re taking advantage of the leverage that comes from partnering with a healthcare staffing agency to fill workforce gaps faster and more reliably. These staffing agencies are more efficient in hunting such required talent, whether you need a per diem, travel, or temp-to-hire nurse. 

That said, this method saves time and provides access to qualified nurses, PSWs, and allied health professionals in days—not months. You even have the flexibility to scale up and down based on patient demands. It also reduces overtime burnout for full-time nursing staff. 

Moreover, you should build long-term partnerships with staffing agencies that specialize in healthcare professionals. By hiring a staffing agency, you get a facility of temp-to-hire solutions to test-fit nurses before committing to full-time positions. You can also keep a pool of PRN staff to handle spikes in patient volume. 

Boosting Retention with Better Pay and Work-Life Balance

Hiring a nurse is just half the battle. The real thing is retaining the nurse for a longer period of time. And the best healthcare facilities know that a burnt-out nurse is an ex-nurse. 

Many thriving facilities avoid 12+ hour shifts and create predictable, balanced workweeks. They also give retention bonuses and pay incentives, such as extra for weekend shifts and loyalty bonuses. Such facilities invest in on-site counselors, debrief sessions, and stress management training to provide mental relaxation to staff after tough duty hours. 

You can also implement such innovative ideas in your facility. Conduct anonymous staff surveys to determine what is driving nurses to leave. Offer customized shift options, and implement rechange days to prevent long-term burnout in your medical staff.

Tapping into Travel Nursing and International Recruitment

The smartest healthcare systems are not limiting their hiring to local healthcare talent only. They are expanding their reach by bringing in travel nurses to handle short-term spikes in patient volume. 

They are also recruiting international nurses from countries with strong medical training programs. These smart healthcare facilities offer relocation packages to attract skilled nurses willing to move for the right opportunity. 

However, you can implement such retaining and benefiting strategies in your healthcare facility as well by partnering with staffing agencies that specialize in travel and international nursing. You must ensure that the visa sponsorship process remains seamless for international hires and offer temporary housing or relocation stipends for out-of-state hires.

Investing in Upskilling & Internal Career Growth

Instead of constantly searching for new hires, smart hospitals are giving training and promoting from within. They provide scholarships for CNAs or PSWs to become RNs and offer bridge programs for LPNs to become full RNs.

They also encourage nurses to specialize (e.g., ICU, OR, labor & delivery) with employer-funded certifications. In that way, they are upskilling and utilizing their staff while retaining them in their healthcare facilities. 

Similarly, you can also implement such upskilling techniques to retain and utilize your staff by encouraging them to upskill their skills. Partner with nursing schools to fast-track internal promotions and offer tuition reimbursement for career advancement.

You can also create mentorship programs so experienced nurses train the next generation and serve within the facility. By adhering to these strategies, you build a loyal healthcare staff team.

Conclusion: Turning the Nursing Shortage Crisis into an Opportunity

The nursing shortage is undeniably one of the most challenging problems healthcare faces today. The pressure on healthcare facilities is immense because there is a lack of new graduates entering the field despite mass retirements and staff burnout.

However, some organizations are smart enough to survive—they are actually thriving. Such healthcare facilities have adopted innovative strategies like partnering with staffing agencies and improving retention through better pay and work-life balance.

Proactivity is the solution. Instead of waiting for systemic changes, healthcare facilities must take actionable steps to address staffing shortages head-on. They should hire a healthcare staffing agency for flexible hiring, offer competitive incentives to retain talent, and foster internal career growth.  

YTC Healthcare is the solution to your nursing shortage problem. We provide temporary to permanent staff options that are actively ready to join on your call. We have a diverse pool of certified professionals willing to serve in the healthcare industry.

Contact us for your staffing needs and let us handle everything for you. We streamline your hiring process and your operation efficiency. Creating a win-win situation for your facility.