In healthcare, change is constant—but never more so than in the past few years. Nurses, the backbone of our hospitals and health systems, have not only weathered this transformation but have led it. As we celebrate Nurses Week 2025, the theme resonates deeply: “Changing Lives. Shaping the Future.” It’s a fitting tribute to the RNs, CNAs, NPs, and nursing leaders who have adapted, innovated, and redefined what care looks like in the modern era (think internal float pools, remote patient monitoring and more).
And we’re thrilled to celebrate the dedication, compassion, and resilience of nursing teams everywhere. This week is usually full of tokens of appreciation — pizza parties, coffee stations, and heartfelt thank-you notes (all of which are well deserved!).
But this year, we’re encouraging something more. Give your nurses something that lasts — something that can transform how they work long after the cupcakes are gone.
Give them flexibility,
To Celebrate Your Teams this Nurse’s Week, Give them Something that Lasts — Flexibility.
Flexibility in how, when, and where they work. The kind that boosts engagement, reduces burnout, and helps them stay in the profession they love — without sacrificing their personal lives. When done right, flexibility doesn’t just benefit your nurses — it reduces turnover and helps you dramatically cut contingent labor spend.
Sounds too good to be true? It’s not. Let’s talk about how it’s possible — and clear up a few common myths about internal float pools, flexibility, and contingent labor.
What Is a Float Pool and How Does It Work?
Healthcare leaders have been facing compounding labor challenges for years — high turnover, growing skill shortages, and unsustainable staffing costs. Meanwhile, nurses are demanding more autonomy and flexibility in their work schedules — and they’re not wrong to do so.
To meet this moment, many organizations are turning to an underleveraged but powerful model: the float pool — or as we like to call it, your Internal Resource Pool (IRP).
An IRP allows you to tap into your own internal workforce by offering flexible shift opportunities to qualified clinicians. Here’s how our Internal Resource Pool works as an example:
- A staffing need arises.
- You post the open shift or assignment in Einstein II.
- Einstein II matches the opportunity with qualified, credentialed nurses from your IRP.
- Those nurses are notified via the Einstein II app.
- A nurse accepts the opportunity — and your staffing command center updates in real time.
This isn’t theoretical. With a well-run IRP, organizations have seen real, transformational outcomes:
- 39% reduction in contract labor rates
- 50% reduction in time to fill
- 98% shift fill rate
- 52% reduction in turnover
An IRP lets you retain your internal talent by giving them the flexibility they’re looking for, fill shifts with people you already trust, create a work environment nurses actively want to be part of and save millions annually on contract labor and overtime.
But there are many misconceptions and faux float pools floating around now, and we want to help you recognize what’s best for your organization. So, we’ve debunked many of these myths for you.
Debunking the Myths About Internal Resource Pools
Let’s address a few common misconceptions we hear all the time.
Myth 1: I can manage this with my existing scheduling platform.
Not quite. Most nurse scheduling systems were designed for full- and part-time staff, not flexible float labor that spans multiple departments or locations. IRPs require:
- Real-time credentialing and shift eligibility
- Preference-based scheduling
- Visibility into availability across units and facilities
Your scheduling tool may be great for core staff — but managing a true IRP requires a purpose-built platform. Here’s why.
Myth 2: My agency or MSP’s per diem pool counts as a float pool.
Not exactly. If your nurses are being sourced by an agency or MSP, they’re not truly part of your internal team — and you’re probably overpaying.
Many of those so-called “travelers” live within 50 miles of your facility. You’re essentially paying travel rates for local talent who could be in your IRP at a fraction of the cost. At Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, banning local travelers and building their IRP saved them $20M in year one and $60M over two years. More on that story.
Myth 3: We can’t do this because we work with unions.
Actually, you can. We’ve helped many unionized health systems build flexible IRPs that comply with their contracts and meet staffing goals. Here’s how:
- Restrict pool access to non-union staff
- Configure union participation to approved departments only
- Create shift eligibility rules aligned with agreements
- Even launch an internal staffing agency within your system
Details on union-friendly IRPs here.
Myth 4: It’ll take too long and cost too much to build.
With the right partner, you can go from design to go-live in under 6 months. Most Hallmark clients see cost savings within months — not years.
Our average IRP customer reduces contingent labor spend by 39% using IRP alone.
Myth 5: Float pools are rigid and don’t support innovation.
Not true. The right IRP platform is fully customizable — so you can support everything from traditional 12-hour shifts to 4-hour “micro shifts.”
One nursing home we recently spoke to introduced 4-hour shifts after switching from 8- and 12-hour blocks — and saw a dramatic reduction in turnover. Nurses returned because the new model finally worked for their lives.
IRPs give you the freedom to test and launch new workforce strategies — backed by AI, data, and proven methodology.
Nurses are not just responding to change—they’re driving it.
Across the country, we see nurses pioneering new models of care, advocating for flexible work options, and demanding healthier, more sustainable working environments. Whether it’s forming internal resource pools to reduce dependency on costly external staffing or leading efforts to improve patient outcomes with fewer resources, nurses are at the forefront of creating lasting change.
Responses from more than 1,200 healthcare leaders in our 2025 Healthcare Workforce Trends Survey echo these sentiments, and double down on the impact they think flexibility will have in 2025 and beyond. More on that report here.
At Hallmark, we’re privileged to partner with health systems that are embracing this transformation. Through our Einstein II platform, organizations are building agile workforce strategies—empowering nurses to choose how and when they work and giving leaders the tools to fill shifts quickly with the right internal talent.
Flexibility Is the Future — Let’s Make It Happen
Nurse and HR leaders everywhere are looking for new ways to meet the evolving needs of their workforce. Some may already have a float pool — but if it’s built on outdated tech or third-party contractors, it’s likely falling short.
If you’re ready to create a more attractive, sustainable model that puts your nurses first and saves your system millions, Hallmark is here to help.
This Nurses’ Week, don’t just say thank you. Show them you mean it — with flexibility that lasts. And if you want expert guidance or the right technology to help you fuel flexibility, Hallmark is happy to talk about how to make work work for your nurses — and your system. Give us a call.