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Shrinkage Calculator for Healthcare

If you need 20 nurses on the floor, how many should be on your roster?

Shrinkage

34.0%

Net Capacity

66.0%

Headcount

76

You need 76 nurses to keep 50 available, with 26 extra to cover shrinkage.

Shrinkage categories

Adjust each category as a percentage of total paid time

PTO10%
Sick Leave7%
Mandatory Training5%
Shift Handover4%
Documentation5%
Clinical Meetings3%

Add custom category

Shrinkage breakdown

Live view of which categories contribute most to total shrinkage

Capacity split

Available time vs shrinkage

Headcount mix

Coverage target vs added nurses for shrinkage

Frequently asked questions

Why does shrinkage matter in healthcare?

Understaffing in healthcare directly impacts patient safety and care quality. Shrinkage planning ensures minimum coverage is always met.

What counts as shrinkage for nurses?

PTO, sick leave, mandatory training, staff meetings, documentation time, and any non-patient-facing paid hours.

What's a typical shrinkage rate in healthcare?

Healthcare typically sees 30โ€“40% shrinkage due to high PTO entitlements, mandatory training, and sick leave.

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