Medely co-founder Angie Karim Nasr talks using tech to curb labor shortages

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This week’s Making Rounds spotlights Angie Karim Nasr, co-founder and chief nursing officer at health tech platform Medely, founded in 2015 to help curb the nursing labor shortage. The Health Resources and Services Administration projects that by 2037, the US will be short roughly 207,980 registered nurses working full time.

Nasr talked with Healthcare Brew about how Medely differs from a traditional healthcare staffing firm, how the company uses technology to increase flexibility in staffing, and the importance of mentorship in nursing.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How would you describe your specific job to someone who doesn’t work in healthcare?

As both a co-founder and chief nursing officer at Medely, part of my responsibilities is balancing technology, frontline nurses, and healthcare facilities. A large part of my job is connecting the dots to ensure every workforce functions at its best. I was the NICU nurse working unsustainable hours, then the director of nursing scrambling to fill shifts every single day. When I couldn’t find a solution that actually worked, I found the right people to build it with me. Now I’m helping create the technology that solves the problems I used to lose sleep over.

What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job?

That we’re a staffing agency, or that Medely is simply about filling shifts. When people hear “healthcare staffing,” they automatically lump us in with traditional agencies—the ones often charging huge markups to fill a shift and move on. But we’re a unified workforce orchestration platform that helps healthcare leaders maximize their core staff, extend with flexible labor, and optimize costs. That means giving facilities direct access to credentialed professionals through technology—no middleman—so they can build actual relationships with per diem workers who become an extension of their team.

At the end of the day, I want people to know that adequate staffing truly impacts patient care and clinician well-being. When we talk about flexibility, we’re not just talking about convenience. We’re keeping passionate, experienced nurses engaged in the system instead of leaving the profession entirely.

What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?

Knowing that our platform is keeping nurses in healthcare, especially during the nationwide staffing shortage. I started my career in the NICU because I wanted to care for babies. That was my calling from age six when my baby sister was born. But the reality of only working night shifts with no flexibility eventually pushed me out of bedside nursing in the NICU. I found my way to outpatient settings, but so many nurses don’t find that path. They just leave. When I hear from nurses who were about to quit the profession entirely but found a way to stay in healthcare through Medely, that’s everything.

What healthcare trend are you most optimistic about?

The renewed focus on mentorship in healthcare. For years, experienced nurses have retired or left the profession, taking decades of knowledge with them. Newer nurses are then left without the guidance they need to build confidence and clinical skills, which contributes to the turnover cycle. But I’m seeing more facilities recognize that mentorship isn’t a “nice-to-have”—it’s essential for retention. When novice nurses have experienced mentors, they’re far more likely to stay in the profession.