Transforming Healthcare Staffing: From Travel Nurses to Committed Team Members

The healthcare industry has long faced staffing shortages, but the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically intensified the challenge, forcing hospitals to rethink their nursing recruitment and retention strategies. During a recent Newsweek webinar titled “Traveler to Teammate: Becoming a Hospital Where Nurses Choose to Stay,” leaders from Hackensack Meridian Health, OhioHealth, and Lown Institute shared insights on transforming temporary travel nurses into dedicated full-time staff. Their collective message emphasized the critical importance of creating meaningful partnerships with higher education institutions to build sustainable talent pipelines, while simultaneously fostering workplace cultures where nurses feel valued and can envision long-term careers. This renewed approach reflects a fundamental shift in how healthcare systems must respond to the ongoing nursing crisis—not just through recruitment tactics, but by reimagining the entire nursing career journey.

Dr. Regina Foley, chief nursing executive at Hackensack Meridian Health, stressed that healthcare organizations must take proactive responsibility for workforce development rather than simply lamenting shortages. “It’s no longer academia and service,” she explained. “There has to be a partnership there.” Foley emphasized that healthcare systems need to actively collaborate with higher education institutions to ensure faculty positions are filled, student enrollment remains strong, and nursing graduates successfully pass their licensing exams. Hackensack Meridian has modeled this approach by opening its own medical school in 2018 and establishing strategic partnerships with institutions like Georgetown University. This direct involvement in education represents a significant departure from the traditional hands-off approach many health systems previously took regarding workforce development, recognizing that sustainable staffing solutions require investment in the entire educational ecosystem.

The conversation highlighted that effective talent pipelines must be diverse and flexible, accommodating various educational pathways beyond traditional four-year degrees. Dr. Foley noted that healthcare systems must recognize that “not everyone is meant to study in that method,” suggesting that alternative educational models might better serve both prospective nurses and the institutions that will eventually employ them. Hackensack Meridian has found success with multifaceted support programs including tuition assistance, bonuses, and loan forgiveness—financial incentives that address practical barriers many nursing students face. However, the panelists emphasized that financial support alone isn’t sufficient; the workplace environment ultimately determines whether nurses remain committed to an organization long-term. Travel nurses who chose to convert to permanent positions consistently cited organizational culture—feeling valued, respected, and heard—as their primary motivation for staying.

The “stickiness” factor that keeps nurses committed to an organization extends far beyond compensation packages, according to the healthcare leaders. Dr. Foley emphasized, “We should not underestimate the power of culture,” explaining that nurses stay when they experience autonomy, leadership support, and respect from the broader medical community. This perspective challenges healthcare organizations to honestly evaluate their internal environments: Do nurses have meaningful input in decisions affecting their practice? Are they empowered to work at the full extent of their licensure? Do they receive recognition for their contributions? The pandemic created unprecedented mobility for nurses through lucrative travel positions, making workplace culture an even more critical differentiator. Healthcare systems that fail to create positive, supportive environments now face an exodus of talent to competitors who prioritize nurse satisfaction and professional growth.

David Rutherford, senior advisor of HR transformation at OhioHealth and a nurse by background, offered a unique perspective on creating career pathways that retain talent by encouraging nurses to communicate their professional aspirations openly. “If there’s a job that you’re interested in or if there is an experience that you are looking for, ask your leader,” he advised, suggesting that organizations are often willing to create opportunities for valuable team members to grow within the system rather than lose them. Rutherford’s own career trajectory—moving from clinical nursing to human resources leadership—exemplifies the unexpected paths that can open when healthcare organizations prioritize talent development. His transition allowed him to leverage his nursing background while gaining new perspectives that ultimately improved OhioHealth’s approach to both permanent and travel nursing staff. This cross-pollination of expertise creates value that extends well beyond individual career satisfaction.

The healthcare leaders ultimately painted a picture of transformation that requires commitment from both institutions and individual nurses. For organizations, this means investing in education partnerships, creating supportive cultures, and designing flexible career pathways. For nurses, it means communicating aspirations, embracing new challenges, and participating actively in organizational improvement. Rutherford’s reflection on his own journey into human resources—initially outside his comfort zone but ultimately rewarding—serves as a powerful metaphor for the broader evolution happening in healthcare staffing. “I’ve always believed that nurses should have a seat at the table,” he stated, highlighting how his clinical background provides valuable perspective in developing programs that serve both travel nurses and permanent staff. As the healthcare industry continues navigating staffing challenges, this collaborative approach between education, administration, and clinical practice offers the most promising path toward sustainable solutions that benefit patients, professionals, and healthcare systems alike.