Healthcare Staffing Trends to Watch in 2026: Insights for Candidates and Hospitals

Healthcare workforce planning in 2026 is being shaped by a combination of sustained staffing shortages, evolving care models, and rising expectations around flexibility and quality. Hospitals and health systems are navigating tighter labor markets while clinicians increasingly seek roles that offer stability, adaptability, and long-term career alignment.

This article examines the workforce trends influencing healthcare staffing decisions in 2026. It outlines what these shifts mean for healthcare organizations planning coverage and for clinicians evaluating where and how they want to work next.

1. Persistent Staffing Shortages 

National projections continue to show significant shortfalls across key clinical roles by 2037. These long-range estimates matter not because they predict a distant future, but because they explain why competition for talent remains tight today, and why organizations are adjusting staffing strategies now rather than later.

Why They’re Happening

• Retirements continue to outpace new entrants
• Burnout leads to early exits
• Training programs cannot expand quickly enough

Projected Healthcare Workforce Shortages by 2037
Role	Projected Shortage
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs)	302,440
Registered Nurses (RNs)	207,980
Dispensing Opticians	36,820
Psychologists	79,160
School Counselors	39,710
Pharmacists	17,030
Physical Therapists	9,140
Respiratory Therapists	6,480

 

Nearly 4 in 10 RNs say they intend to retire or leave the workforce within the next five years, and many allied health fields are reporting 12%–15% vacancy rates—a signal that organizations must rethink how they recruit, staff, and support clinicians.

Impact on Patient Care

When staffing is stretched, workloads increase, and the risk of delays rises. One recent study found that days with lower RN staffing were linked to an 8% higher risk of 30-day mortality, emphasizing the importance of reliable staffing coverage. 

2. Evolving Staffing Models: Flexibility Becomes Essential

The industry is redesigning how teams are structured, with adaptability taking priority.

What’s changing:

• Blending permanent and contingent staff to adjust coverage as patient census fluctuates.
• Expanding alternative staffing models to improve schedule coverage and reduce pressure on core teams. 
• Integrating hybrid care roles that combine on-site and virtual services, particularly in mental health, chronic care, and follow-up support. 

As these models become standard practice, workforce planning is shifting from short-term coverage decisions to more intentional, long-range design. Organizations navigating this transition often benefit from expert guidance to align staffing models with operational needs and care delivery goals.

If you want to explore how expert guidance can support long-term workforce planning, learn more about GHR’s staffing consulting services.

3. Technology, Automation, and AI: Reshaping Workforce Optimization

Technology is now embedded in healthcare workforce planning, not as a replacement for human decision-making, but as a tool to improve visibility, speed, and execution across staffing operations.

Where technology is having the most immediate impact:

• Predictive staffing tools analyze patient volume, acuity, and historical trends to support short- and near-term workforce planning, helping leaders anticipate coverage gaps before they disrupt care delivery.
• Automated onboarding and credentialing systems reduce administrative friction by accelerating license verification, compliance tracking, and document management, shortening time-to-fill for critical roles.
• AI-supported clinical workflows assist with documentation, remote monitoring, and decision support, allowing clinicians to spend more time on direct patient care without increasing workload.

Used effectively, these tools support more predictable staffing operations, faster deployment, and better alignment between workforce capacity and patient demand. 

4. Retention and Well-Being Take Center Stage

With workforce pressures still affecting hospitals nationwide, supporting the clinicians who stay is a defining priority for 2026. Organizations investing in well-being, recognition, and long-term development see stronger engagement and more stable teams.

What Hospitals Are Prioritizing

Priority Area	What It Looks Like	Why It Matters
Mental health resources	Counseling access, resilience training, and peer support options	Supports clinician well-being and reduces burnout
Lower administrative load	Automation, streamlined documentation, and fewer manual tasks	Gives clinicians more time for direct patient care
Improved scheduling & rest	Mandatory rest periods, balanced assignments, and predictable shifts	Helps maintain energy, safety, and long-term retention
Career growth & mentorship	Clinical ladders, leadership development, and coaching support	Strengthens engagement and long-term retention

Rather than one-off perks, these priorities reflect a broader commitment to supporting clinicians as professionals with evolving needs and goals. 

If you’re exploring long-term strategies to strengthen recruitment and visibility, see our resource on how to build your brand to attract talent, which covers additional strategies hospitals can apply.

5. Expanding Opportunities: Emerging Roles in Healthcare Staffing

As healthcare delivery evolves, new roles emerge, driven by digital innovation, shifting patient demographics, and the increasing need for coordinated, team-based care. 

Growing Specialties: These roles already exist within hospital systems but are expanding due to patient complexity, acuity, and care continuity needs.

• Behavioral and mental health clinicians supporting inpatient units, emergency departments, and post-acute transitions as mental health demand continues to rise.

• Care coordination and case management roles focused on discharge planning, readmission reduction, and cross-setting care continuity.

These positions reflect deeper investment in patient outcomes and long-term system efficiency rather than episodic care alone.

New & Emerging Roles: New roles are developing to support hybrid care models, technology-enabled services, and workforce flexibility.

• Virtual care clinicians supporting telehealth triage, follow-ups, and remote monitoring programs.

• Clinical workforce optimization roles focused on staffing analytics, scheduling strategy, and deployment planning.

• Specialty support clinicians embedded across multiple units or locations to provide targeted expertise without full-time placement in a single department.

These roles help hospitals adapt to fluctuating demand while maintaining quality, access, and clinician sustainability.

Team-Based Care Models: Care delivery is increasingly organized around interdisciplinary teams rather than isolated roles.

• Nurses, therapists, social workers, PAs, and behavioral health providers are collaborating more closely within integrated care teams.

• Interdisciplinary models are reducing care fragmentation for higher-acuity and complex patient populations.

• Shared accountability and clearer handoffs are improving transitions across units and care settings.

Team-based care models allow organizations to manage complexity more effectively while supporting continuity, safety, and workforce resilience.

For more information on where demand is growing across therapy, diagnostics, and support roles, check out our guide on trends for allied health professionals.

6. The Future of Healthcare Partnerships and Staffing Solutions

As workforce needs become increasingly complex, hospitals must reevaluate the benefits of partnering with a healthcare staffing agency, particularly as staffing gaps widen and service-line demands evolve.

Key Trends

• Hospitals are adopting multi-year healthcare staffing solutions and MSP models to centralize vendor management and ensure reliable coverage.
  
  
• Hospital leaders and staffing agencies now collaborate on forecasting, using shared data on volume, acuity, and skill mix to create sustainable, cost-predictable staffing plans.
  
  
• MSPs are being used to support compliance oversight, credential tracking, and coordinated deployment across departments and facilities.

These partnerships give hospitals greater visibility into staffing needs and help maintain stability as care delivery models continue to evolve.

Outlook for 2026: Key Takeaways for Candidates and Healthcare Organizations

The year ahead promises continued change coupled with meaningful opportunities for those prepared to adapt. Understanding the shifts shaping 2026 will enable clinicians and healthcare leaders to navigate the landscape with greater confidence.

For Candidates

Clinicians are seeing expanded opportunities across hospital, outpatient, and hybrid care settings. Roles that incorporate technology-supported workflows, flexible scheduling, or broader scopes of responsibility are increasingly common. 

Maintaining active licensure, staying current with required credentials, and remaining open to varied assignment structures can widen access to available roles and improve placement options.

For Healthcare Organizations

Hospitals are prioritizing staffing approaches that support continuity, reduce administrative burden, and improve coverage predictability. Retention initiatives, workload balance, and clear advancement pathways remain central to workforce stability. 

Many organizations are also using scheduling tools, workforce data, and digital onboarding systems to support operational efficiency and compliance. MSP partnerships are being used to centralize staffing oversight and improve planning consistency across service lines.

Prepare for the Future of Healthcare Staffing with GHR

GHR Healthcare works with clinicians and healthcare organizations every day to address these staffing realities. Through targeted recruitment, workforce planning support, and staffing partnerships, GHR helps align talent needs with operational goals.

Whether you’re filling critical roles or evaluating your next professional move, GHR Healthcare staffing solutions provide practical support to help you move forward with clarity. Connect with our team today.