Toledo Children's Hospital recently began using an online system for nurses to bid on open shifts. The system provides nurses with more control over their schedule and should help the hospital reduce costs by cutting its reliance on expensive nursing agencies, according to hospital officials. The shifts are posted online with how much the hospital is willing to pay-nurses then bid on the shifts and the lowest bidders receive an email notifying them they won the shift. The system does not allow nurses to be paid below their base hourly rate, but still saves the hospital from paying incentives or bonuses to fill shifts. Other hospitals in the state plan to adopt online bidding systems as well, including Columbus Children's Hospital by the end of next year and Mount Carmel Health System by next spring. A spokesperson from the American Nurses Association said they are worried hospitals will use the system to get nurses to work too many hours or add hours to part-time nurses instead of hiring them full-time and paying benefits.