Dallas, Texas, June 1, 1926 – Hospitals across the U.S. are facing unsustainable nurse staffing costs driven by overtime and agency fees primarily created by workforce shortages. To alleviate this problem Dallas based Nurses Lounge, a professional network for Nurses, created to unite the nursing profession on a single network, has introduced the Nurse FLEX Pool, a monthly subscription staffing model designed to give hospitals direct access to local, pre-credentialed nurses—without the traditional agency markup fees.
U.S. hospitals are spending an average of $2.5 million annually on contract labor — nearly double what they spent four years ago. Those costs are not declining. Per diem staffing agency fees alone are projected to double from $4 billion to $8 billion by 2033. According to Tim Armes, CEO and Co-Founder of Nurses Lounge, this means the hospital industry will be spending $8 billion each year to hire nurses who often live only a few miles from the facilities they serve.
How the Nurse FLEX Pool Works
The Nurse FLEX Pool replaces traditional per-placement agency staffing models with a single, flat monthly subscription fee determined by the healthcare facility’s bed count. This model offers facilities unlimited access to a curated pool of pre-credentialed local nurses. Nurses are AI-matched to assignments according to their specialty, ensuring optimal alignment with facility needs. Access is managed conveniently through the NL FLEX POOL mobile app, available for both iOS and Android devices. Notably, facilities are not required to make any monthly payment until their first shift is successfully filled.
Benefits of the Flat Subscription Staffing Model
By implementing this model, hospitals can achieve predictable staffing expenses and gain direct access to local, pre-credentialed nurses. This approach removes the financial strain associated with traditional staffing agencies and overtime pay, offering a streamlined and cost-effective solution for healthcare facilities.
About Nurses Lounge
Nurses Lounge, a professional networking platform designed to connect and support nurses, was founded in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas in 2002 as a direct mail publication sent to 35,000 registered nurses (RNs) in the DFW area.
The growing network presently connects nurses, nursing associations, nursing schools (including 90 percent of Texas BSN programs) and healthcare facilities. It operates the largest online nursing degree program directory in the United States, listing 960 degree programs.
Tim Armes, the Dallas entrepreneur who founded Jobs.com and later saw it acquired by Monster.com, co-founded Nurses Lounge with his son Garret Armes, who leads school and association partnerships nationally.
The Nurse FLEX Pool is currently available to Texas healthcare facilities, with national expansion underway.
