Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care is launching a program to recruit contract-based nurses.
The Tiger Flex Program allows nurses to work 12-week contracts as employees of the health system, on an "as-needed" basis, according to a March 1 news release.
Under the program, participants can earn up to $85 per hour or more with additional weekend and night shifts.
MU Health Care said nurses who participate in the program have the option to transition to full time after they complete two 12-week contracts. Those individuals will have the opportunity to be hired full time with a $2,500 reward.
Additionally, current MU Health Care employees may enroll in the full 12-week program or a six-week Tiger Flex option, according to the health system website. The Tiger Flex option allows inpatient nurses to move between hospital areas based on need.
"We're excited to offer this innovative new program that will allow nurses to enjoy the benefits of travel nursing, while enjoying the comfort of being close to home," Shanon Fucik, RN, MU Health Care chief nursing officer, said in a news release. "The flexibility to work 12-week or six-week contracts at mid-Missouri's only academic health system will allow prospective nurses to experience an environment of clinical excellence and current nurses to feel valued for the tremendous contributions that they have made to allow us to continue [to] serve our mission."
Hospitals' reliance on travel workers was intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the gap between full-time workers' pay and lucrative temporary contracts. To reduce reliance on outside agency workers, some health systems have introduced their own travel agencies, including Pittsburgh-based UPMC, where travel nurses work within the system.