On this page
At a glance
| Provider | Our pick | Type | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best for open floor shifts | Nurse Staffing Platforms | filling open floor shifts during a leadership transition |
| 2 | Best post-acute focus | Nurse Staffing Platforms | SNFs that want a post-acute-focused staffing app |
| 3 | Best for W-2 per-diem | Nurse Staffing Platforms | W-2 per-diem coverage |
| 4 | Best for hard-to-staff markets | Nurse Staffing Platforms | contract nurse coverage in hard-to-staff markets |
| 5 | Best for central contract control | Nurse Staffing Platforms | multi-site operators managing travel contracts centrally |
Our picks, ranked
- 1Best for open floor shifts
ShiftKey
Nurse Staffing Platforms
Trade-off Placeholder - the honest catch, added after review.
Placeholder - our 2-3 sentence take on this provider is written by the editorial team after review.
What works
- Added after our review.
Watch for
- Added after our review.
Best for filling open floor shifts during a leadership transition
Get a quote link added after review Full review coming soon - 2Best post-acute focus
IntelyCare
Nurse Staffing Platforms
Trade-off Placeholder - the honest catch, added after review.
Placeholder - our 2-3 sentence take on this provider is written by the editorial team after review.
What works
- Added after our review.
Watch for
- Added after our review.
Best for SNFs that want a post-acute-focused staffing app
Get a quote link added after review Full review coming soon - 3Best for W-2 per-diem
ShiftMed
Nurse Staffing Platforms
Trade-off Placeholder - the honest catch, added after review.
Placeholder - our 2-3 sentence take on this provider is written by the editorial team after review.
What works
- Added after our review.
Watch for
- Added after our review.
Best for W-2 per-diem coverage
Get a quote link added after review Full review coming soon - 4Best for hard-to-staff markets
ProLink
Nurse Staffing Platforms
Trade-off Placeholder - the honest catch, added after review.
Placeholder - our 2-3 sentence take on this provider is written by the editorial team after review.
What works
- Added after our review.
Watch for
- Added after our review.
Best for contract nurse coverage in hard-to-staff markets
Get a quote link added after review Full review coming soon - 5Best for central contract control
Medical Solutions
Nurse Staffing Platforms
Trade-off Placeholder - the honest catch, added after review.
Placeholder - our 2-3 sentence take on this provider is written by the editorial team after review.
What works
- Added after our review.
Watch for
- Added after our review.
Best for multi-site operators managing travel contracts centrally
Get a quote link added after review Full review coming soon
How we picked
Every option on this page is weighed against the same five criteria, in the same order. Rank follows the criteria; award labels say what each option does best.
- 1 Post-acute focus. Depth of the clinician pool for long-term care shifts, not only hospital assignments.
- 2 Fill reliability. How consistently booked shifts are actually worked, including late cancellations.
- 3 Rate transparency. Whether bill rates, fees and minimums are clear before the first shift.
- 4 Credential checks. License, competency and background verification before a clinician reaches the floor.
- 5 Support for the DON. Orientation, scheduling controls and reporting that reduce load on nursing leadership.
How to choose
Placeholder - a short guide to choosing among nurse staffing platforms options for an independent SNF or assisted living operator is written by the editorial team.
- Best for filling open floor shifts during a leadership transition ShiftKey Jump to #1
- Best for SNFs that want a post-acute-focused staffing app IntelyCare Jump to #2
- Best for W-2 per-diem coverage ShiftMed Jump to #3
- Best for contract nurse coverage in hard-to-staff markets ProLink Jump to #4
- Best for multi-site operators managing travel contracts centrally Medical Solutions Jump to #5
How much does it cost?
Placeholder - typical cost ranges are added from our DON salary and leadership benchmark and from published pricing.
| Option | How you pay |
|---|---|
| Per-diem shift marketplace | An hourly bill rate per shift worked, set by role and market |
| W-2 on-demand staffing | An hourly bill rate that includes employer costs, sometimes with minimums |
| Travel or contract nursing | A weekly rate for a fixed-length contract, plus housing where it applies |
Where to find staffing coverage
Placeholder - where operators find and engage nurse staffing platforms and agencies, and when each route makes sense, is written by the editorial team.
Frequently asked questions
Questions are being collected
Answers to the questions operators ask most about nurse staffing platforms will appear here.
References
Placeholder - the sources behind this ranking are listed here as the page is filled.
More rankings
-
Best Resources for Benchmarking DON and ADON Compensation
Pay benchmark sourcesSee the ranking
-
Best DON Retention and Leadership Support Resources
Keep nursing leadership stableSee the ranking
-
Best Survey-Readiness Resources for New Directors of Nursing
Protect surveys and star ratings+1 See the ranking