By Interstaff – Your Partner in Building Confident, Competent Global Nursing Teams
A New Era of Accountability for Hospitals
In January 2026, The Joint Commission’s National Performance Goals™ (NPGs) will take effect, redefining how hospitals approach safety, equity, workforce readiness, and quality. These goals signal a fundamental shift , not just in compliance, but in the culture of care.
For nurse executives and clinical leaders, this is more than a checklist of standards. It’s a call to strengthen the very backbone of hospital care , the nursing workforce.
At Interstaff, we believe meeting these goals requires more than policy alignment. It demands a sustainable, prepared, and empowered nursing workforce , one capable of supporting every dimension of patient safety, equity, and resilience. That’s exactly where our international nurse recruiting and staffing model makes a measurable difference.
Understanding What’s Changing
The National Performance Goals™ establish core expectations across key areas of hospital operations , from governance to emergency management and infection control. Among them are:
- A culture of safety led by accountable leadership.
- Effective communication and handoffs between care providers.
- Equitable and patient-centered care for all populations.
- Workforce readiness and staffing plans that anticipate emergencies and surges.
- Rigorous infection prevention and control practices.
Each of these depends on one critical factor: having enough well-prepared nurses to deliver safe, consistent care. Without stable nurse staffing, hospitals face gaps in compliance, safety outcomes, and workforce sustainability , the very areas The Joint Commission now monitors more closely.
The Workforce Challenge Nurse Leaders Already Know
Across the country, nurse leaders are balancing competing pressures: increasing patient complexity, higher acuity, and escalating turnover. The American Nurses Foundation reports that nearly 100,000 RNs left the workforce during the pandemic, and another 600,000 are projected to retire by 2030.
For hospitals already stretched thin, this isn’t just a staffing issue , it’s a compliance and safety risk. The NPGs now require hospitals to demonstrate readiness plans for licensed practitioners, maintain continuity of care during emergencies, and sustain quality through adequate staffing and support.
That’s why forward-thinking nurse leaders are exploring international partnerships , not as a stopgap, but as a strategic extension of their workforce planning.
How Interstaff Helps Hospitals Meet the NPG Standards
Interstaff’s international nurse recruiting and staffing program was built for this moment , for hospitals seeking to align workforce capacity with performance standards while upholding excellence in patient care.
Here’s how our model directly supports the Joint Commission’s key goals:
1. Strengthening the Culture of Safety (Leadership & Governance)
NPG Goal 2 emphasizes that a hospital’s governing body and leaders must foster a culture of safety. But sustaining that culture requires nurses who are engaged, confident, and prepared for U.S. practice standards.
Interstaff’s internationally trained nurses arrive with a foundation in global best practices and complete a structured Transition to Practice (TTP) program tailored for U.S. hospitals. This ensures that every nurse who joins your team is ready to contribute to safety rounds, incident reporting, and unit-level leadership from day one.
2. Supporting Workforce Readiness and Emergency Staffing Plans (Goal 3)
Hospitals must maintain a documented plan for staffing during disasters and surges , including verification of credentials, training, and supervision.
Our nurses are recruited, credentialed, and pre-verified long before arrival, reducing administrative burden and improving readiness. Interstaff’s recruitment process includes licensure verification, English proficiency testing, and skills assessments, ensuring hospitals have a prequalified pool of licensed professionals ready to deploy when patient needs change.
3. Promoting Health Equity and Culturally Competent Care (Goal 4)
The Joint Commission now requires hospitals to reduce disparities and improve outcomes for all patient populations. Interstaff’s nurses come from diverse global backgrounds and bring multilingual, culturally responsive communication skills that help bridge gaps in understanding and patient trust.
By integrating internationally educated nurses into care teams, hospitals gain both the capacity and the cultural competence to serve their communities more effectively , especially in regions with high linguistic or ethnic diversity.
4. Enhancing Infection Prevention and Control (Goal 5)
Nurses are at the front lines of infection control. Interstaff’s orientation and training reinforce Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Joint Commission standards for isolation protocols, hand hygiene, and device management.
Because our nurses undergo intensive pre-departure training and on-site mentorship, hospitals can confidently integrate them into infection prevention initiatives, audits, and safety committees.
Building Nurse Confidence and Retention , Not Just Filling Shifts
Interstaff’s commitment extends far beyond placement. We partner with hospitals to ensure international nurses succeed and grow , because retention drives quality.
Our Transition to Practice (TTP) model includes:
- Self-paced learning modules on U.S. clinical standards and patient safety.
- Live demonstration webinars led by experienced U.S. clinical educators.
- A 5-day in-person intensive that bridges cultural, clinical, and communication gaps.
- Ongoing mentorship and check-ins throughout the first year of practice.
This model shortens orientation time, accelerates clinical confidence, and fosters loyalty , helping hospitals achieve staffing stability that supports the NPG’s workforce and quality measures.
A Strategic Partnership for Nurse Leaders
Nurse leaders today aren’t just managing schedules , they’re driving strategic outcomes. Every performance metric that the Joint Commission monitors depends on engaged, well-prepared nurses delivering consistent care.
Partnering with Interstaff means having a sustainable pipeline of globally trained, U.S.-ready nurses who can uphold your hospital’s quality, safety, and equity goals. It means less time reacting to staffing crises and more time leading culture transformation.
Looking Ahead: Meeting 2026 and Beyond
As the 2026 NPGs take effect, hospitals will be evaluated not only on policy compliance but on outcomes. Those outcomes start with the nursing workforce , the professionals who turn protocols into daily practice.
At Interstaff, we believe hospitals can meet and exceed these standards by investing in people, preparation, and partnership. Our mission is to empower hospitals to do just that , by connecting them with nurses who are clinically strong, culturally adaptive, and deeply committed to patient-centered care.
About Interstaff
For over 25 years, Interstaff has been a trusted partner to U.S. hospitals, helping them recruit, train, and integrate internationally educated nurses and their families into long-term, permanent careers in the United States. We don’t just fill positions , we build bridges between global nursing talent and the U.S. healthcare system, ensuring both nurses and hospitals thrive.
To learn how Interstaff can support your hospital’s readiness for the 2026 National Performance Goals, click here to schedule a meeting with us today!
