Graduate nurse overhires. A cost analysis.

Traditionally, the process for filling vacated nursing positions has contributed to a hiatus between the departure of one nurse and the arrival of another who is prepared to assume patient care responsibility. This is due at least partially to limited work force renewal strategies. Given the cost to temporarily fill vacated positions with agency nurses or to pay nurses overtime rates, current methods of replacing departing nurses may no longer be practical in all cases. The authors discuss the strategy of overhiring graduate nurses and compare these costs to more traditional temporary methods of replacing nurses who have resigned.