Boosting Nurse Retention With AI-Powered Scheduling
Forward Summit
Editorial Team
4 min read
January 31, 2026
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, New Jersey's largest hospital, is using an AI-powered platform to put nurses in control of their schedules, reducing burnout and achieving nearly $240,000 in savings within just 90 days.
The Burnout Crisis
Nurse burnout remains a persistent challenge in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, driven by staffing shortages, heavy patient volumes, and administrative demands. Recent data from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing reveals that approximately 40% of nurses intend to leave the profession within the next five years, with 41.5% citing stress and burnout as the primary reason.
For Bergen New Bridge, a clinical affiliate of Rutgers University, the challenge hit home in the post-COVID years. Traditional scheduling approaches weren't meeting the needs of a workforce seeking greater flexibility and autonomy.
Key Challenge
"Many people in the field didn't want to work the traditional Monday through Friday, nine-to-five schedule. People wanted flexibility," explains Deborah Visconi, President and CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center.
An AI-Powered Solution
In 2022, Bergen New Bridge partnered with CareRev, a healthcare staffing platform founded and led by nurses. The AI-powered technology identifies and connects local qualified nurses, certified nursing assistants, and technicians to support the full-time hospital staff.
The platform operates on a simple but effective principle: empower nurses to control their own schedules. Once the hospital posts a six-week block work schedule, internal employees get first access to select shifts through the app. If shifts remain unclaimed, they're promoted to CareRev's on-demand per-diem workers located nearby.
All external workers undergo CareRev's credentialing process, ensuring their licenses are verified before they can pick up shifts at the hospital.
Results in Just 90 Days
86% increase in fill rates within the first 72 hours of posting schedules
42% reduction in reliance on external labor agencies
Nearly $240,000 in net savings from internal shift-filling
Empowering the Workforce
Beyond the financial metrics, the platform has transformed how nurses experience their work. The hospital's shift vacancy rates plummeted, and even traditionally difficult-to-staff shifts like holidays were successfully covered.
"Rather than a manager saying, 'You must work this shift,' our internal staff through this app can pick a shift that they want to work," Visconi notes. "It really helps them be more empowered in how their work schedule is."
Implementation Insight: Bergen New Bridge's success came from transparent communication with their fully unionized workforce. Engaging unions upfront and explaining the tool's purpose proved critical to adoption.
The Future of Nurse-First Technology
Bergen New Bridge's experience demonstrates how AI-powered tools can address nursing challenges when designed with the end user in mind. By prioritizing nurse autonomy and flexibility, the platform tackles burnout at its source while delivering measurable operational benefits.
At Forward Summit 2026, we'll explore more innovations like this that put nurses first. Join healthcare leaders and technology innovators in Orlando this September to discover solutions that empower your workforce while improving operational efficiency.
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