Arizona desperately needs more nurses.
Arizona ranks among the top five states with the most severe healthcare staffing shortages, with the demand for specialized nurses in Arizona projected to increase by 23% by 2025. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 195,400 openings for registered nurses in the state from 2021 to 2031.
Hospitals struggle to meet the demand for care with fewer resources. Two-thirds of hospitals and healthcare systems ran at less than full capacity at some point in the past year because of staffing shortages (Kaufman Hall, Oct. 2023 report). The cost of attracting and retaining nurses and other clinicians is putting healthcare systems under enormous stress.
Easing this dilemma for healthcare systems and clinicians requires adopting new workforce management technology that still keeps the human touch. Hospitals traditionally have relied on staffing agencies to supply nurses and clinicians for long- and short-term needs. It’s an expensive, opaque and clunky system that was stretched to its breaking point during the pandemic.
In late October, SnapNurse relaunched as SnapCare and expanded its AI-enabled workforce marketplace solution to better meet customer needs. The platform largely eliminates the role (and fees) of the agency middleman by turning staffing control over to healthcare facilities and providing greater visibility into costs. It’s a smarter and lower-cost way for facilities to manage workforce needs, control costs and deliver quality care. Nurses and other clinicians (e.g., physicians, radiologists, medical assistants, etc.) will also find it easier to secure the work and schedules they want.
It won’t solve the staffing shortage on its own, but it will help Arizona healthcare systems fill their open positions and keep Arizona nurses and clinicians on the job.
Jeff Grant is CEO of SnapCare.
