The Future of Healthcare Staffing: 6 Key Trends to Watch

In the healthcare industry, change is just about the only constant. With increasing competition for talent, staffing shortages, and the challenge of retaining skilled employees, healthcare organizations face unique pressures in 2025. To stay ahead, many are turning to strategies and technologies to streamline staffing. 

Emerging trends such as automation, real-time data integration, and optimizing existing tech stacks are helping hospitals address these challenges. Because of these shifts, delegating staffing tasks to technology is becoming an attractive approach that’s more efficient and sustainable. 

These six trends might spark thoughtful conversation about how we can work smarter and improve employee engagement and patient outcomes in our hospitals.

1. Automation is expanding to streamline administrative tasks

On a daily basis, nursing managers are trying to balance many variables like sick days, PTO, staff skill levels, and other factors. According to Fernando Small, Director of Clinical Solutions at MD Anderson, “We often lag behind in our back-office systems that manage many of our day-to-day administrative activities,” Yet, many hospitals still rely on manual processes to handle admin tasks.

New automated absence management tools can handle the nuances of healthcare staffing. Software like Andgo takes into account several variables, such as eligibility, seniority, and overtime, to fill open shifts, often in 3 minutes or less. Reducing the administrative burden on healthcare providers through automation allows nurses to spend less time on manual staffing tasks and more time on patient-centered activities that improve care quality.

Automation is not meant to replace skilled critical thinking or compassionate care, but it can help reduce staff’s workload in other ways. “Automating a task that occupies major bandwidth for the clinical staff is extremely impactful and deserves attention,” according to Alaa Alsadi, MD. Associate Chief Medical Information Officer at UW Health.

Enabled by automation, managers can easily shorten the time to fill open shifts, reducing stress and increasing focus on other essential tasks. With the help of healthcare shift management tools like automated shift filling, nurse managers and staffers can free up about 20-25% of their time per day. That’s time back to focus on patient care and other critical tasks.  

2. Temporary and contingent workforces are growing

The use of temporary and contingent workers continues to rise as hospitals look for quick ways to fill gaps in schedules, addressing staffing needs without long-term commitments. Managing these different levels of staff can add stress to budgets and scheduling processes. Travel nurses are still a significant segment of the workforce, although the market for travel nurses has decreased since its peak in 2019. 

Healthcare facilities must remain agile and responsive to fluctuating demand, but managing such a complex workforce can be challenging. The constantly changing availability of workers, unpredictable staffing demands, and high costs associated with agency workers add to the time and decision-making required.

Andgo’s staffing software helps reduce reliance on agency workers by utilizing internal staff. Automated shift-filling solutions quickly identify vacant or open shifts and automatically send shift callouts to eligible staff. Our automated shift scheduling software ensures staffing levels are maintained despite unexpected absences or high demand. 

3. Smarter staffing strategies are improving employee retention   

Turnover and burnout greatly impact retention at healthcare organizations, with one of the main contributors being an overwhelming workload. High patient ratios are a risk factor for nurse retention, with studies showing that 44% of fatigued employees have low intent to stay.

Smart staffing strategies, such as automated shift management and workload balancing, help to improve job satisfaction and reduce burnout. Hospitals are looking for technology tools that can quickly be implemented and are easy for employees and administrators to use. 

Andgo’s automation tools optimize staffing, reduce manual scheduling tasks, and give employees more predictable and manageable schedules. For shift management, this can be as simple as calling a toll-free number to report absences. Inputting absences is quick, and reports are simple and clear. 

Features like access-anywhere updates or integrated absence reporting can be a big advantage for workforce management tools, saving time for nurses and administrators. Nurses can receive notifications about available shifts quickly and in their preferred format. There’s no need for nurse managers to jump into manual tasks when someone calls in sick. 

Automated schedule management provides increased transparency for nurses, which can improve employee satisfaction by providing greater flexibility and control over their schedules. This can also lead to better work-life balance and reduced turnover, ultimately reducing the risk of understaffing in hospitals.

4. Real-time data is enabling smarter staffing decisions 

Enabled by the power of data, healthcare providers can gain valuable insights into their real-time staffing needs. They can identify immediate and long-term shift vulnerabilities, proactively addressing staff shortages before they arise.

Andgo’s platform leverages real-time data to automate scheduling, secure compliance, and improve workforce management, leading to higher accuracy in staffing decisions.

Real-time data benefits healthcare organizations on two key levels:

• Operational Level: Provides insights into workforce needs, staffing fluctuations, and day-to-day efficiency
• Team Level: Helps managers optimize shift scheduling, avoid understaffing, and allocate resources where they are needed most.

HR leaders and managers are trying to move away from reactive staffing activities and be more strategic about workforce planning. In a survey by Gartner of HR leaders, 55% say their current technology solutions do not cover current and future business needs. Most are focusing on urgent needs, but with robust automation and reporting tools, long-term planning is possible and can help prepare for staffing needs in advance. 

5. Making the most out of your current tech stack 

Healthcare organizations are focused on fewer but better tools when it comes to their tech stack. There’s a high demand to reduce complexity and increase efficiency. New tech tools should be designed to integrate seamlessly with existing workflows and IT infrastructure.

Many hospitals already have a large tech stack or multiple disconnected systems, leading to inefficiency, and increased administrative burden. Andgo integrates seamlessly with workplace management platform UKG to function as a cohesive unit, reducing the number of separate systems staff need to use.

By connecting Andgo directly to UKG, healthcare teams can manage absences, fill shifts, and track workforce data within a single platform. This eliminates the need for multiple, disconnected tools, streamlining the workflow, and reducing the cognitive load on staff. Nursing managers can access the information they need more quickly and efficiently, and focus more on providing exceptional patient care.

6. Employee satisfaction is more important than ever

Nurses work better when they feel supported and appreciated. Challenges with poor communication, insufficient shifts, and denied vacation time could all affect morale. However, well-managed healthcare shift management can help address some of these stress areas, reducing turnover and lessening the pressure on nursing teams in the long term. 

Shift scheduling software reduces the time spent on staffing tasks and minimizes multi-tasking. It can also help to maintain more balanced staffing levels, reducing understaffing or reliance on high-cost contract workers. 

Systems like Andgo’s automated absence reporting make communication easier, saving time for employees on the go and managers who rapidly need to fill a shift. For large organizations, there can be a single process for rescheduling employees instead of using manual methods.

The Benefits of Technology Solutions for Healthcare Staffing

Staffing activities are a complex challenge for nursing managers and HR professionals in healthcare. Recent trends like a competitive hiring market, high burnout, and an increased focus on employee satisfaction are adjusting how healthcare companies manage their employees. 

With the right tools, you can make sure your hospital is prepared, no matter the circumstances. Shift scheduling software can be a powerful and flexible way to simplify scheduling, optimize resource allocation, and take advantage of time savings with automation. This can lead to less time spent on administrative tasks, increased operational efficiency, and better long-term workforce planning.

Taking a moment to assess your staffing needs and imagine how it could work better in the future can be rewarding. By embracing technology options and planning for a solution now, you can enjoy a more streamlined system and be ready for what comes next.