A new study by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability examines the use of temporary nursing staff by nursing home and assisted care facilities. The use of temporary staffing agencies has sharply increased over the last few years due to worsening staffing shortages resulting from the effects of the pandemic. In 2019, nursing home facilities reported spending about $9.8 million for healthcare staffing agencies. This rose to $16.6 million in 2020 and $52.5 million in 2021. So far, during the first half of 2022, nursing home facilities have already spent $52.2 million on temporary staff.
