Health Affairs October 2, 2023
The nursing shortage, intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic, has compelled the health care sector to seek innovative staffing solutions. While agency nursing has been around for a while, newer on-demand nursing platforms such as CareRev, Clipboard Health, IntelyCare, Kare, Nursa, and ShiftKey are increasingly bridging the gap between supply and demand. A recent survey revealed a staggering 1,400 percent growth in the number of nurses transitioning to these “gig” models, allowing nurses to take temporary positions, often as contractors without typical employee benefits, and then shifting to new assignments based on demand or better opportunities.
These platforms have attracted significant venture capital investments; for example, ShiftMed, an on-demand nursing marketplace, secured $200 million in new funding in February 2023. They...