your 2026 workforce reset: the top 3 priorities hospital staffing leaders should focus on next year.

As hospitals step into 2026, workforce pressures remain front and centre - high patient acuity, ongoing shortages in critical areas, tightening budgets, and increasing expectations around governance and transparency.

The New Year is an opportunity to reset and strengthen the systems that keep your hospital running: staffing, workforce planning, and clinical coverage.

Here are three practical, high-impact staffing priorities for hospital leaders heading into 2026.

resolution 1: use workforce data to anticipate demand - not just respond to it.

Hospitals generate a huge amount of workforce and clinical activity data. In 2026, the advantage lies in turning that information into actionable staffing insights.
how to approach it this year:

how to approach it next year:

identify your pressure points early.

Review trends in patient flow, theatre lists, surge periods, and ED presentations to forecast when additional staff or specialist support will be needed.

match skills to acuity.

Go beyond nursing hours and look at the skill mix: are your RNs, specialised nurses, and allied health teams allocated to the areas where they have the biggest impact?

build proactive staffing models.

Using data to predict demand lets you plan rosters ahead - reducing last-minute scrambles and decreasing reliance on reactive agency use. When you do need agency support, a transparent predictive model helps keep short-notice coverage predictable and financially manageable.

resolution 2: strengthen retention by supporting teams at the frontline.

Staff turnover continues to challenge hospitals - especially across ED, theatre, ICU, maternity, and mental health. In 2026, retention must be a hospital-wide leadership focus, not simply an HR task.

what this looks like in practice:

create genuine flexibility.

Not every clinical role can be flexible, but many can. Consider staggered starts, shorter shifts, school-hour options, or self-scheduling where appropriate.

invest in structured pathways.

Healthcare professionals want clear growth opportunities - leadership programs, specialty training, post-grad support, and internal mobility.

reduce system-driven burnout.

Adequate staffing, predictable agency support, streamlined workflows, and less administrative load all contribute to a safer, more sustainable workplace. Retention improves when staff feel safe, supported, and able to grow within your hospital - not forced to chase better conditions elsewhere.

resolution 3: modernise your digital workforce governance.

Hospitals rely on tight governance to ensure safe, high-quality care. In 2026, digital workforce governance - accurate, connected, and audit-ready - is essential.

what to focus on:

unify your workforce systems.

When rostering, HR, payroll, credentialing, and clinical systems don’t communicate, risk increases. Integration reduces errors and improves visibility.

automate credential and compliance tracking.

AHPRA registrations, mandatory training, police checks, vaccination records, competencies - all need constant monitoring. Automation ensures nothing expires unnoticed.

increase transparency in agency spending.

A predictive transparent model helps you forecast costs, reduce overspend, and provide clearer reporting to executives and boards.