[newlvngrad]

OK. I am going to interview for a clinic job sometime this week or next week. I believe they have a Per diem position available. My question is how does per diem work in clinics? Do you make your own hours??
This is my dilemna, my parents retired about a year ago and live out of the country. I would like to visit them twice a year for about four weeks. So I would want to have two months of per year. Lets say January and July. This is supper important to me, I am very close with them and I want to be able to visit them as much as posible. I would be willing to give up benefits or whatever I have to do to be able to visit them twice a year. Now I dont know if I should bring this up in the interview or wait a couple of months and then ask. Please help! I dont know what to do. In situations like these is can you negotiate with your boss?? has anybody been in my situation?? what did you do??

[mlvnurse03]

One of the cool things about being per diem nurse-is -you can tell them no if it going to be when you are out of the country. Now-some places require that you take at least a certain number of hours or shifts in a certain length of time. So keep that in mind and be sure to check if there is a required number of hours. Good luck.

[newlvngrad]

So basically per diem is you work when you want, like an on-call type of thing. And if they do require you work a certain amount of time, its very little right?? Like maybe one day per month?? Thanks for your help!

[mlvnurse03]

Originally Posted by newlvngrad

So basically per diem is you work when you want, like an on-call type of thing. And if they do require you work a certain amount of time, its very little right?? Like maybe one day per month?? Thanks for your help!

Yes, the hosp I work for does ask you when you are available and call if someone calls in or asks you if you can take a shift. They require us to take at least one shift per month. It's a pretty good deal if you don't mind being kind of "on call".

[newlvngrad]

Hey!! you said you work at a family medicine clinic?? Do they have per diem at your clinic? Im supposed to interview for a family medicine clinic also.