For healthcare leaders, the challenge isn’t just filling staffing gaps—it’s doing so without compromising care quality or financial performance. Contingent staffing can be a powerful solution, but without the right strategy, it can quickly become an unsustainable cost center.
So how do you leverage temporary talent to maintain clinical outcomes, reduce burnout, and stay within budget? It starts with a smarter approach to contingent workforce planning.
The Rising Role of Contingent Staffing
Healthcare organizations are increasingly turning to contingent staffing—travel nurses, interim leadership, allied professionals, and locum tenens—to meet fluctuating demand. Whether it’s planned leave, census spikes, or chronic shortages, temporary talent provides the flexibility healthcare systems need.
But flexibility doesn’t come cheap.
The Real Cost of Inaction
Some leaders hesitate to engage contingent labor due to perceived high costs. But the alternative—understaffing—often costs far more:
- Nurse and physician burnout leads to higher turnover, absenteeism, and associated recruitment costs.
- Compromised patient safety and experience can impact quality scores and reimbursement.
- Overtime pay and compliance risks escalate when internal staff are stretched too thin.
Investing in temporary support, when done strategically, protects your workforce and your margins.
5 Ways to Balance Cost and Care in Contingent Staffing
Here’s how smart healthcare systems are rethinking their approach to temporary staffing:
- Build a Proactive Workforce Plan Don’t wait for staffing emergencies. Use predictive analytics to forecast needs based on historical data, census trends, and market insights. A proactive approach reduces last-minute premium costs.
- Leverage Strategic Staffing Partners Not all vendors are created equal. The right partner goes beyond filling shifts—they collaborate to optimize staffing models, streamline processes, and control spend. Look for partners who offer transparency, real-time reporting, and scalable solutions across multiple roles.
- Utilize Tiered Talent Pools Design a tiered staffing plan that includes float pools, per diem workers, travel professionals, and interim leaders. This gives you options at different cost points depending on urgency and complexity of the need.
- Monitor Cost-per-Patient-Day Track key metrics like labor cost per patient day, staffing-to-acuity ratios, and average fill times. Use this data to assess ROI and adjust your strategy—ensuring you’re not overspending on roles that could be filled more efficiently.
- Prioritize Retention Alongside Recruitment Use contingent staffing to relieve pressure on core staff, not replace them. When your team feels supported, they stay longer—reducing churn and the long-term need for premium labor.
Contingent Labor Should Be a Strategic Lever—Not a Last Resort
When used intentionally, contingent staffing isn’t a liability—it’s a competitive advantage. It allows your organization to flex with demand, protect clinical outcomes, and maintain financial health.
The key? Partnering with a workforce solutions provider who understands your business goals and can deliver talent that’s both high-quality and cost-conscious.
Looking to optimize your staffing strategy without sacrificing care or budget? Cross Country specializes in interim leadership and contingent staffing solutions designed for today’s healthcare workforce challenges.
