The Tech Policy Press Podcast AI, Gig Work, and the Future of Nursing
May 3, 2026
Katie Wells, senior fellow at the AI Now Institute and researcher of healthcare labor, discusses how app-driven scheduling and algorithmic management are transforming nursing into gig work. She walks through on-demand platforms, their impacts on training and continuity, AI's role in automating assignments and pay, and the policy fights over how to regulate these systems.
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How Gig Nursing Platforms Actually Work
- Gig nursing apps use algorithmic management to match understaffed facilities with nearby nurses and nursing assistants without human interviews.
- Nurses upload licenses and screening docs, then bid or express interest in shifts, sometimes via wage auctions that set pay dynamically.
Scale And Funding Behind Gig Nursing
- Gig nursing platforms are venture-backed and likely present in all 50 states, concentrated in under-resourced and private equity–owned facilities.
- Top players include at least two unicorns driven by private equity and VC funding.
Why Nurses Turn To Gig Work
- Nurses said they joined gig apps for extra income or schedule flexibility to juggle childcare and eldercare.
- Many still felt isolated, with one saying she would not take a loved one to facilities where she worked as a gig nurse.