PRN nurses-need your advice!

Specialties Agency

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I am currently a fulltime hospital nurse. Recently, my hosp offered a non-benefitted position which is called PRN - Tier 3, that is paying $40/hr, where you have to sign-up at least 3 days/week. All benefits are gone except the opportunity to contribute to 401k with a match of 3% (from 6% - if FTE).

My hourly base salary will go up by 54%. If you are in my position, would you accept the offer, taking into consideration that I have to find my own individual insurance (with higher premiums), and I will be the 1st in line to be floated and cancelled. I haven't been floated to other areas for the last 3 years, I hate floating. But maybe thinking of the 54% increase in my salary, I'll just suck it up....:o Also, I'll be losing my PTO's (23 days /year).

Haven't been out of a group insurance. I have my whole family depending on my hospital's group insurance. Pretty healthy family, except husband has maintenance meds for HTN and high cholesterol. Any bad experiences with private health/dental insurance?

Need your advice...I am tempted to grab the PRN job.

Advices, thoughts..are all welcome.

Thanks.

I quit my regular full time job in april of this year. I have done several short contracts 4-5 weeks since. Now for the remainder of year I will just work perdiem. I am being selfish and want holidays off for once.

I love what I am doing now. I schedule my hours,with the exception of when I am in a contract. I am signed up with 2 agencies however to ensure availability of hours that I want.

I don't have to provide insurance. I know in this area that the hospitals charge so much for their insurance that many times you can get it cheaper from outside source.

I wish you luck with your decision.

Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

ethelbsnrn,

I think I may have mis-spoken in my previous post when I indicated that you may be able to purchase COBRA coverage. If you are changing job status with your present employer, then I don't think you are eligible for COBRA. If you are leaving your current employer and taking a per diem job at another hospital, then you would be eligible.

Check with HR to be sure. Just want to make sure I'm not giving you bad information!

I am also thinking of going PRN. I don't need the health insurance, get that thru my husband. I am a staff nurse working nights in labor and delivery/med-surg at a very small community hospital. We are usually fairly desperate for nurses, esp. labor and delivery/OB nurses. We ALWAYS have a job opening on nights for OB. I see PRN nurses coming and going at will, getting scheduled full-time plus sometimes. It would increase my salary at least $10 an hour. Because we are so small and always needing RNs, it's hard to get time off, especially in the summer.

Just thought I'd add a few more thoughts into the mix. On the downside, I have my children to support (my husband doesn't support us, we just share bills and he gives me health insurance) and I do like the security. But it's hard when I see others making so much more money and having so much more freedom. I am also stuck on nights for the foreseeable future and PRN may give me more day shifts.

indigo

I have worked agency for the last two years and PRN before that...and I currently have an interview scheduled for a new PRN spot that pays comparably. I really enjoy the flexibility and ease of working the shifts that I want, not being on any set schedule, being able to cancel easily if needed, etc...The hospital I originally worked for did not have a very good healthcare plan so my husband and I have purchased private health care for several years now. (family of four with no pre-existing conditions approx 520$ monthly) The only thing that I dislike about it is the days that I get canceled...cause then I have to sign up for a different shift and when you work nights your day is pretty much wasted trying to nap and such before work...just to get canceled. Its good to be flexible and be willing to float to various floors or hospitals to ensure that you work the days you want to work.

I would definately say try PRN if you haven't...as long as the insurance thing works out. You should make quite a bit more than regular pay...enough to still profit even if you pay more out of pocket for insurance...

Best of luck

Specializes in Med-surg, ER, agency, rehab, oc health..

I work PRN and love it! Here is what I would do in your shoes.... first figure up how much the PTO is worth to you monitarily. Then go to www.ehealthinsurance.com and find an HSA plan that fits your family. For me it costs about $60-$70 a month with a decreasing deductible. It drops by 10% every 6 months until it hits like $1000. After the deductible is met ALL costs are covered. Now figure how much more the insurance will cost you and add your PTO. Also figure that you will get more dropped into your retirement plan. You may see some slow shifts in the middle of the summer and in December. However you won't have to work as many holidays. Where I work I am scheduled for a certain floor so I don't get pulled any more then any other nurse on the floor. I only get cancelled if no one else wants a low census in the rest of the hospital. So for the last few years other then last December I have had all the work I can handle!

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