The pandemic impacted the nursing industry in numerous ways, including an increased demand for travel nurses. The “tour of duty” approach to building a nursing career gained popularity as shortages emerged in one area after another.
The pandemic reshaped healthcare hiring in various ways. In 2019, data indicates that about 2.9 million registered nurses were present throughout the US, with only about 43,000 of them operating as traveling nurses. Meaning only about 2% of the nursing workforce was working to supplement hospital needs. That figure spiked to over 100,000 as COVID spread, but times are changing again. The cost to healthcare systems is simply too high to sustain this model.
In 2025, healthcare systems are recalibrating towards more cost-effective, sustainable workforce models. Permanent placement and PRN staffing are emerging as long-term solutions to meet the critical role of nurses. MRINetwork is built for both of these trends, with PRN staffing solutions when needed and permanent healthcare staffing solutions that keep qualified talent where you need them to be.
The Decline of Travel Nursing: What’s Driving the Shift?
Looking at healthcare workforce trends in 2025, there’s a significant drop in travel nursing. Why?
- Unsustainable cost structures for travel contracts. From 2020 to 2022, a travel nurse could earn over $6,000 per week. That same nurse could earn around $2,800 today. The cost structure of travel nursing makes it difficult for hospital systems to maintain in the long term.
- Burnout. Travel nursing work is challenging, with long hours and often intense demand for emergency positions where staff are limited. The average hospital has turned over 100.5% of its workforce over the previous five years, resulting in a turnover rate of 25.9%. Retaining travel nurses who are willing to do the work long-term is challenging.
- Pressure to optimize budgets. Many organizations are facing increasing challenges to trim back budgets. Insurers and financial officers are seeking opportunities to optimize budgets amid rising inflationary costs.
Many organizations are also working to rebuild internal talent pipelines post-COVID. That has helped reduce some of the demand for travel nursing.
The Rise of Permanent and PRN Staffing
Permanent nursing and “pro re nata,” more commonly known as PRN staffing, is a better solution. The benefits of permanent healthcare staffing are easy to see:
- Better continuity of care is possible when there is a stable nursing environment within a healthcare practice.
- Cultural alignment is more likely to occur, resulting in increased retention figures over time.
- There is significantly improved cost predictability when staff salaries and figures remain steady throughout the year.
Better care, more effective cost management, and less burnout translate directly into better operations for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. That leads to better patient care and happy stakeholders.
PRN staffing solutions are an important, fill-in-the-gap tool. There will be times when you need to bring in supportive staff. This as-needed staffing solution provided by healthcare recruitment services allows for those gaps to be filled without the much higher costs associated with travel nurse hiring. The benefits include:
- More flexible nursing staffing when peaks in healthcare demand increase, such as spikes in localized illness outbreaks
- Lower costs than those associated with full travel contracts
- Retention of staffing levels, when the need is highest, is possible
With PRN staffing solutions, organizations can meet spikes in demand for care without incurring high-cost travel nurse contracts that no longer optimize care. At the same time, this model meets the needs of part-time and gig-preferred healthcare workers.
Why MRINetwork Is a Strategic Partner
Facilitating the process of balancing both permanent healthcare staffing and PRN staffing solutions is not simplistic. Having a strategic partner with exceptional experience and resources makes it possible. MRINetwork is the provider for numerous reasons:
- Deep bench: With experienced healthcare recruiters across all regions and specialties, your organization can meet any need anywhere.
- Proven success: MRINetwork boasts a long history of placing physicians, nurses, therapists, and administrative leaders in both permanent and per diem (PRN) staffing roles. This isn’t new to us.
- Sustainability talent building: With support, your organization has the ability to not just fill gaps in current positions but to build a sustainable talent pipeline that you control more readily.
More so, MRINetwork operates on a franchise-led model. That means we understand the local talent dynamics and can meet very specific requirements within your region. At the same time, we offer a national scale when there’s a need. That combination enables our team to remain at the forefront of healthcare workforce trends.
Key Takeaways for Healthcare Leaders
- The time is now. It is necessary to reassess your current staffing model with a long-haul focus.
- Permanent healthcare staffing coupled with PRN staffing solutions creates a strategic opportunity that focuses on quality of care and cost savings.
- Partnering with a recruitment network like MRINetwork ensures quality, alignment, and agility.
Now is the ideal time to have the conversation. Take the time to learn more about what’s working with your counterparts in other areas. This will help demonstrate where we’re assisting healthcare systems in building future-ready teams.
Contact us now at MRINetwork to speak to a specialized recruiter. We’re in your area.
Connect with MRINetwork