THE SCIENCE OF CARE
The workforce crisis isn't a math problem.
It's a human one.
For years, healthcare has treated staffing as an equation: X shifts plus Y clinicians equals coverage. But math doesn't solve burnout. Math doesn't stop turnover. And math doesn't inspire a nurse to pick up a difficult Tuesday night shift. CareTeams was built on a different belief — that the clinical workforce crisis is fundamentally a problem of human motivation, and that the right science, applied through the right platform, can solve it.
THE REAL PROBLEM
"When culture is neglected, low wages, overwhelming workloads, and leadership instability only intensify the problem. The conversation has to move beyond wages and benefits."
More than a third of nurses are considering leaving their role or the profession this year. CNA turnover in long-term care averages 82%. Strike activity in healthcare increased 58% in a single year. These aren't staffing problems. They're engagement problems. And they require a fundamentally different kind of solution — one grounded in the science of what actually motivates human beings to show up, stay engaged, and invest in the work they do.
THE FRAMEWORK - AUTONOMY, MASTERY & PURPOSE
Principle 01
Autonomy
Principle 02
Mastery
Principle 03
Purpose
Burnout is often the direct result of a lack of control. When clinicians have no say in their schedule, no visibility into their assignments, and no mechanism to make their preferences known, the work feels imposed rather than chosen.
Result — a workforce that feels respected, not restricted.
Control over the chaos.
Burnout is often the direct result of a lack of control. When clinicians have no say in their schedule, no visibility into their assignments, and no mechanism to make their preferences known, the work feels imposed rather than chosen.
Result — a workforce that feels respected, not restricted.
Recognizing growth in real time.
Humans are wired to seek progress. When a caregiver picks up a specialized shift, completes a certification, or covers a difficult assignment, that achievement shouldn't go unnoticed until a six-month annual review.
The result — a culture of continuous improvement and professional pride.
In the rush of a busy facility, it's easy to lose sight of why the work matters. When people see the direct impact of their efforts, engagement skyrockets — and continuity of care follows.
The result — higher retention driven by a shared sense of mission.
In the rush of a busy facility, it's easy to lose sight of why the work matters. When people see the direct impact of their efforts, engagement skyrockets — and continuity of care follows.
The result — higher retention driven by a shared sense of mission.
Connecting the shift to the patient.
FROM PRINCIPLE TO PLATFORM
How motivation science shows up in CareTeams — concretely.
PRINCIPLE 01
Autonomy
Clinicians own their schedule, their preferences, their voice.
IN THE PLATFORM
Through Mobilize™, every clinician sets her own availability, applies for shifts she wants, and manages her credentials from her phone. Advanced Scheduling respects those preferences while ensuring coverage. GigPool™ opens cross-unit and cross-facility opportunities — letting clinicians grow without leaving.
PRINCIPLE 02
Mastery
Recognition the moment it's earned, not months later.
IN THE PLATFORM
The Momentum Loop™ — our proprietary behavioral feedback engine — rewards specific high-value actions like shift adherence, training completion, and difficult-assignment coverage. AnyTime Pay™, powered by One10, delivers earned wages within minutes of shift end. The feedback loop is instant and behavior-specific — exactly what mastery science requires.
PRINCIPLE 03
Purpose
Connecting the shift to the patient outcome.
IN THE PLATFORM
CARI™ — our agentic AI engine — surfaces the connection between specific clinician actions and patient-care outcomes. Personalized handoff briefings give every shift clinical context. Compliance Shield™ protects the integrity of every clinician-patient interaction, so every shift is a chance to do right by the person in the bed.
POWERED BY ONE10
Why a healthcare platform partners with a motivation-science company.
CareTeams partners with One10 — a recognized leader in employee engagement and motivation science — to bring world-class behavioral expertise to the clinical workforce. One10's PerformX platform is the rewards engine inside Mobilize™, applying decades of behavioral data to design incentive programs that influence behavior, improve engagement, and drive measurable results in the most demanding workforce in the economy. Together, we move beyond transactional pay to transformational rewards — micro-incentives that build long-term loyalty and support the patient outcomes that matter most. Learn more about our partnership →
HOW IT WORKS IN PRACTICE
A behavioral overlay across your stack
Unlike traditional software that sits passively in a workflow, CareTeams operates as a behavioral layer across your existing technology ecosystem — email, text, learning management, EMR, HRIS. Every interaction is an opportunity to reinforce the behaviors that build the workforce you want.
Predictive engagement by CARI™
CARI™ doesn't just predict staffing gaps — she identifies engagement gaps. She flags when a clinician's behavioral patterns suggest burnout before they realize it themselves, giving leaders the chance to intervene with support rather than scrambling to replace someone who's already decided to leave.
Recognition through the Momentum Loop™
A proprietary behavioral feedback system that delivers immediate, meaningful recognition for high-value clinical behaviors. Not generic points. Not a leaderboard. Science-backed micro-incentives tied to the specific actions that reduce turnover, improve care quality, and build the culture your organization needs.
Real rewards via AnyTime Pay™
Powered by One10 and blockchain-based payment infrastructure, CareTeams pays every clinician the moment their shift ends. For a CNA earning under $40,000 a year, immediate access to earned wages isn't a perk — it's a life-changing benefit that no competitor can match.
MOTIVATION SCIENCE UNDER PRESSURE
Where the science gets its hardest test — labor disruption.
When a 7-day strike puts replacement clinicians on unfamiliar units in unfamiliar facilities, the motivation principles on this page are tested at their hardest. Autonomy becomes "Did the clinician choose this assignment?" Mastery becomes "Was she recognized in the moment, even hundreds of miles from home?" Purpose becomes "Did she understand the patient she was caring for?" CareTeams was designed for exactly this pressure — and Sarah's story of a 7-day strike experience shows what it looks like when motivation science meets operational reality. See how we work with you through labor disruption →
WHEN YOU APPLY SCIENCE TO CARE, METRICS MOVE.
Less agency dependence
Engaged staff fill shifts internally — reducing the costly agency cycle that drives further turnover.
Higher internal fill rates
Voluntary shift engagement replaces reactive scrambling — coverage improves without mandates.
Lower turnover costs
A workforce that feels seen, valued, and in control doesn't leave. The ones that stay get better over time.