Cross-training hospital nurses to reduce staffing costs.

There are advantages and disadvantages of cross-training hospital nurses. The financial benefit of reducing reliance on supplemental agency staff can be quantified. Cross-training policies can be compared. Simulation shows that the strategic cross-training principle of chaining performs particularly well. Practical formulas (that can be solved in a spreadsheet) are provided for quickly evaluating the economic performance of staffing and cross-training scenarios.