Healthcare workforce management has always been complex, especially given the fluctuating nature of patient volumes. Traditional staffing models often struggle to keep up, leading to burnout among nurses and compromised patient care. Nursing shortages contribute to errors, higher morbidity, and mortality rates.

Balancing efficiency, care quality, nurse satisfaction, cost containment, and the inherently fluctuating nature of nurse staffing needs is challenging. Since the 1980s, nurse float pools have helped hospital staffing leaders strike that balance.