Amid NJ Nursing Shortage, This Bergen Hospital Is Filling Gaps In Care

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — As New Jersey faces an acute nursing shortage, this Bergen County hospital is partnering with a staffing marketplace platform to accommodate patient volume and fill gaps in staffing.

According to a study released Wednesday by the New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing, the Garden State has the nation's highest demand for nursing practitioners, and is among the states with the highest demand for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses.

Bergen County is ranked 11th of the state's 21 counties for nursing practitioner demand, with the third-highest number of job postings, at 216. Bergen, however, ranks the lowest for registered nurse demand, 5% lower than the national average, and is 16th for licensed practical nurse demand.

Meanwhile, as the nursing shortage looms, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus has partnered with CareRev, a technology platform that connects healthcare facilities with local talent.

With CareRev, Bergen New Bridge can identify and hire flexible per diem nurses and healthcare workers to support the hospital's existing workforce. Healthcare professionals will be able to use the CareRev mobile app to claim shifts when and where they want, the hospital said.

“CareRev allows us to build relationships with talent in our own backyard, while adding additional support for our full-time staff," Deborah Visconi, Bergen New Bridge President and CEO, said. “This partnership forges a new industry standard benefiting healthcare facilities and workers."

Bergen New Bridge is adopting this new technology against the backdrop of the state's projected nursing shortage of 11,400 nurses by 2030, according to the National Health Resources and Services Administration.

While facilities continue to struggle with staffing issues, CareRev's platform mitigates those challenges by streamlining the hiring and onboarding processes, the hospital said.

“Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is paving the way with a new approach to healthcare staffing,” Will Patterson, founder and CEO of CareRev, and former ICU nurse, said. “We are thrilled to launch in New Jersey at the state’s largest hospital. The impact of this partnership extends far past the walls of this facility and will shape a new status quo for healthcare workers across the state.”