Hospitals Strive to Convert Travel Nurses into Permanent Staff

As of November 13, 2025, hospitals across the country are facing a significant challenge in managing their nursing teams and reducing their reliance on contingent staffing. The over-use of travel nurses has become a financial and cultural burden, representing deeper issues around the inability to hire, attract, and retain enough full-time nursing staff.

A panel of experts, including Dr. Regina Foley, David Rutherford, and Dr. Vikas Saini, will discuss strategies for converting travel nurses into permanent team members and maintaining strong nurse retention to avoid understaffing. They emphasize the need to address the root causes of the problem, such as lack of resources, poor communication from leadership, and high nurse-to-patient ratios, rather than solely focusing on individual nurse resilience.

The panelists note that travel nurses were often exceptional clinicians who played a crucial role in keeping hospitals afloat, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the travel nurse model has become an attractive alternative for nurses seeking more control over their working environment and schedules. Hospitals must now invest in better pay and working conditions to reduce their reliance on travel or agency hires, as the high cost of contract nurses provides a clear financial incentive to do so.