Nurse turnover costs the average hospital nearly $4.75 million per year, and scheduling instability is one of the most direct contributors.

Research consistently shows that when worked hours align with scheduled hours, turnover drops. When schedules are unpredictable or misaligned, nurses leave.

The problem often starts before the schedule ever goes live. Most scheduling systems rely on headcount targets alone, ignore tenure mix, and scatter staffing rules across spreadsheets and institutional memory, making it nearly impossible to build a structurally sound schedule from the start.

In this whitepaper, we break down the research and make the case for schedule design as a retention strategy.

Inside you'll find:

• A 2023 cross-sectional study of more than 17,000 registered nurses that found a statistically significant link between unpredictable scheduling and turnover intention
• A 2024 study showing that inconsistent scheduling and mandatory overtime are significant drivers of nurse dissatisfaction and intent to leave
• NSI National Health Care Retention data showing that each one-percentage-point change in RN turnover corresponds to approximately $289,000 in cost added or avoided
• Findings from the UC Hastings Stable Scheduling Study connecting schedule predictability to improved productivity and stronger financial outcomes across industries
• How Auto-Balance uses skill mix, tenure, and workload fairness to generate clinically sound schedules from day one, and what that means for retention and labor spend

Download the whitepaper to learn how better schedules, built right from the start, protect your nurses, your staff, and your bottom line.