The number likely is a conservative estimate, the news outlet said, because its source is internal records from September 2020 through March 2023.
The New York Nurses Association said the system spent $589.9 million on temporary registered nurses in 2022 and has invested $401.8 million so far in 2023, according to a news release in late June.
“The average hourly rate for temp nurses is now $163.50,” the union, which is working to raise thousands of staff members’ wages by Aug. 1, said. “That’s nearly 3.5 times what staff nurses make, fringe benefits included.”
“NYC Health + Hospitals’ mission is to deliver high-quality healthcare to all regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status,” a system spokesperson told Becker’s. “To accomplish this mission — while facing staffing and other pandemic-related challenges — we have had to complement our amazing staff. Our goal is to reduce our dependency on temporary staff, because we know it’s good for our entire health system.”
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