Build Your Nurse Staffing Strategy Like a Smart Investment Portfolio
The Case for a Portfolio Mindset
Would you put your entire retirement savings into one stock? Of course not. A limited approach like this invites unnecessary risk, lacks flexibility, and fails to anticipate market shifts. Your hospital’s nurse staffing strategy is no different. The healthcare labor market is as unpredictable as the financial world, demanding a strategy that is flexible, resilient, and built for long-term success.
According to AMN Healthcare’s 2025 RN Survey, 61% of nurses plan to make a career move within the next year. These trends point to a turbulent future for nurse staffing, which requires a proactive and diversified approach. By treating your workforce strategy like a smart investment portfolio, you can safeguard against market volatility, adapt to demand changes, and achieve both cost and care goals.
As a nursing leader, your job isn’t just to fill today’s gaps. You’re building the workforce foundation that determines patient care quality, nurse satisfaction, and the financial health of your organization. Every staffing decision has long-term consequences, which is why your healthcare staffing partner is like a financial advisor – someone you trust to help you make smart decisions using all available options.
Healthcare Labor Swings Like the Financial Market
Over the past several years, healthcare demand has surged and dipped like a volatile stock market. Seasonal surges, pandemic-driven demand spikes, and rising burnout rates have tested the resilience of hospitals nationwide. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals that relied too heavily on permanent staff found themselves cornered without the flexibility to respond to the crisis. Post-pandemic, early retirements, and burnout added to the challenges.
The lesson? A long-term approach to workforce planning must include a mix of nurse workforce options.
Just as you wouldn’t base financial decisions solely on one day’s market fluctuation, you must anticipate future workforce needs using data-driven insights and strategic planning.
Real-World Example
Consider a large Northeastern health system that partnered with AMN Healthcare to streamline its nurse staffing model. By using a strategic mix of travel, per diem, international and crisis nursing – powered by data-driven decisions and workforce technology, the health system achieved $6.9 million in savings over its nurse labor budget and improved care coverage across all facilities.
Diversification works.
Building a Balanced Workforce Investment Portfolio
A sound investment strategy balances risk and reward with diversified assets. Translating this approach to workforce planning, here’s how various nurse staffing options can align with financial asset classes:
Permanent Staff = Blue-Chip Stocks or Real Estate
Characteristics: Permanent staff provide long-term value and stability. They carry institutional knowledge and are central to leadership pipelines and continuity efforts.
Advantages:
- Reliable, but includes upfront and ongoing costs, such as salary, benefits, and onboarding.
- Best suited for roles focused on governance, leadership, and specialized knowledge
Travel Nurses = Mutual Funds or Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
Characteristics: Diversified and accessible mid-term investment, offering flexibility with some cost.
Advantages:
- Ideal for 8–26-week assignments
- Helps cover transitional periods or high-demand seasons
- Cost-effective for predictable temporary gaps without overburdening permanent teams
Per Diem and Local Staffing = Cash Reserves or Money Market Funds
Characteristics: High-liquidity, on-demand capital for unexpected or fluctuating needs.
Advantages:
- Useful for handling census spikes or last-minute scheduling gaps
- Prevents unnecessary overtime costs for permanent or longer-term staff
International Nurses = Treasury Bonds or Long-Term CDs
Characteristics: Long-term, reliable investments that take time to mature, but offer stability and increased ROI over time.
Advantages:
- Typically commit to multi-year placements, often at an estimated 15% cost savings compared to domestic travel nurses
- Effective solution for hard-to-staff specialties
Crisis Staffing = Emergency Funds
Characteristics: Crisis staff are prepared for immediate deployment in emergencies.
Advantages:
- Ensures responsiveness to unforeseen surges
- Highly effective, but incurs a premium cost
Labor Disruption Staffing = Insurance Policy
Characteristics: Protection against a known risk; you hope you don’t need it, but when you do, it saves you from major loss.
Advantages:
- Serves as a safety net for risk mitigation
- Ensure continued quality care
Float Pool = Portfolio Rebalancing
Characteristics: Shifting resources where you need them most – like reallocating funds between asset classes.
Advantages:
- Cost-effective as resources are redirected within the system
- Strengthens workforce adaptability
Special Project Staffing = Target-Date Funds
Characteristics: Tailored staffing to cover one-time events like EMR rollouts or unit openings.
Advantages:
- Maximizes efficiency by aligning talent with specific timelines and objectives
- Allows core teams to remain focused on their everyday roles and tasks
This tailored mix of workforce solutions empowers healthcare leaders to manage risk, control costs, and build a more resilient system.
Take our 5-minute Workforce Self-Assessment
Proactive Planning Pays Off
You don’t build a retirement portfolio by reacting to every market blip. Similarly, reactionary staffing strategies are unsustainable. A forward-looking approach centered on data and predictive analytics helps you anticipate needs, rather than scramble to fill gaps.
Actionable Steps:
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Leverage Workforce Analytics:
- Predict seasonal surges and staffing shortages
- Use historical data to anticipate turnover risk and retirement trends
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Mitigate Burnout:
- Calibrate your resource mix to evenly distribute workloads
- Incorporate contingent solutions, like per diem and travel nurses, to lighten pressure on permanent staff
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Align Staffing with Strategic Goals:
- Design a workforce plan that balances both immediate demands and long-term objectives
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Optimize Costs:
- Deploy cost-effective staffing, such as international nurses or per diem professionals, to reduce reliance on premium labor models
By proactive planning, organizations can improve nurse retention, ensure budget predictability, and maintain high-quality care.
The Value of One Trusted Partner
Much like hiring a trusted financial advisor, the right healthcare staffing partner is key to navigating these workforce complexities. A single, reliable partner can provide seamless integration across all staffing types, saving administrative effort and improving workforce quality and consistency.
Benefits of a Unified Partnership:
- Comprehensive Access:
Access a wide array of staffing solutions from one source - Efficiency and Consistency:
Centralized credentialing and streamlined onboarding processes - Strategic Guidance:
Receive data-informed insights and consultative support for smarter decisions
With over 40 years of experience, AMN Healthcare consistently demonstrates leadership in developing data-driven strategies to integrate staffing services into customized workforce plans.
Is your nurse staffing strategy truly diversified and future-ready? Take our 5-minute Workforce Self-Assessment to uncover strengths and opportunities in your current approach.
Build your customized nursing workforce portfolio today with a trusted partner. Contact us to design a strategy aligned to your operational goals - or to schedule a consultation to start transforming your workforce strategy now.