Why is it so hard to find part-time work?

caliotter3 · Mar 14, 2015

I have seen job ads for both part time and full time positions but when one goes in to apply, they act as if they never posted the ad at all. Nothing comes of the encounter. Then two or three weeks later you see the ad again and you wonder.

Farawyn · Mar 14, 2015

I am currently looking for per diem to supplement my school nurse position. I have years of GOOD nursing, currently enrolled in school, bla bla bla. I have the same experience. I see the ads then *POOF*...what per diem position?

Maybe I should have gone to Duke or Johns Hopkins.

caliotter3 · Mar 14, 2015

Well, you could be like the nurse that worked for one agency that I ran across every so often. If you interacted with her for long, you saw that she was way out there. Fired from every case and she would admit it. The client told me some of the awful things she did that I had not been aware of, yet the agency never got rid of her and would give her fill in work before they would even think about providing work to me. They would send her back to cases where she had been fired. The dud always with work. There's something to be said for the thought pattern there.

Why advertise for part time positions if you don't have them? Why advertise for anything if you don't have it? Counter-intuitive.

caliotter3 · Mar 14, 2015

Yes. Duke or Johns Hopkins.

Jules A, MSN · Mar 14, 2015

Maybe I should have gone to Duke or Johns Hopkins.

Lol, cause then all the area hospitals would be calling you and begging you to work there, right?

mclennan, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2015

Well, you could be like the nurse that worked for one agency that I ran across every so often. If you interacted with her for long, you saw that she was way out there. Fired from every case and she would admit it. The client told me some of the awful things she did that I had not been aware of, yet the agency never got rid of her and would give her fill in work before they would even think about providing work to me. They would send her back to cases where she had been fired. The dud always with work. There's something to be said for the thought pattern there.
Why advertise for part time positions if you don't have them? Why advertise for anything if you don't have it? Counter-intuitive.

What?

I've never been fired from any case. I'm not "out there." Every past supervisor I've had has written me a letter of recommendation and provides a solid, truthful reference. I've never had any problems with patients, families or facilities. Never been written up or received a bad performance review. Told I interview well. My appearance is appropriate. Clean as a whistle. I'm not a "dud."

I'm not sure what you're getting at with that bizarrely worded reply, but it sure comes off as thinly veiled insult.

Mostly, it doesn't make sense and contributes ZERO to this conversation.

icuRNmaggie, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2015

Managers are very slow to fill open positions, and never advertise for part time ICU or per diem nurses anymore. I suspect this is so they can avoid the expense of orientation.

There is a pattern to it. They are forcing the most capable nurses to make do with fewer staff, even barebones staffing and the resulting greater workloads.

I believe this strategy helps keep them under budget.

They have no qualms about working their staff to their limits with no breaks in a twelve hour shift.

Home Health agencies are no exception.

caliotter3 · Mar 14, 2015

I apologize with the badly worded example of the nurse who always had work in spite of being a dud. In no way was I referring to you. If you had the acquaintance of this person, you too, would be wondering how a disaster with a nursing license always had work while good nurses had to seek unemployment benefits. I guess I was trying to say to be happy that you are not like her. A lousy nurse but always with work.

This example does contribute to the conversation though. You are qualified and can not find the work that you seek. This person was clearly not qualified, but never went without work. Where is the justice or level headed management thinking in that?

Jules A, MSN · Mar 14, 2015

Managers are very slow to fill open positions, and never advertise for part time ICU or per diem nurses anymore. I suspect this is so they can avoid the expense of orientation.
There is a pattern to it. They are forcing the most capable nurses to make do with fewer staff, even barebones staffing and the resulting greater workloads.
I believe this strategy helps keep them under budget.
They have no qualms about working their staff to their limits with no breaks in a twelve hour shift.
Home Health agencies are no exception.

I agree 100% about it being a strategy but I believe we will continue to be dumped on if we allow it. There comes a point where people need to be willing to show their displeasure with their feet and walk away from these dangerous jobs before a disaster happens that will no doubt be blamed on the "incompetent RN".

calivianya, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2015

Yes. Duke or Johns Hopkins.

I didn't go to a fancy school and I have not had a problem finding PRN work. Just went through the process with an agency, didn't like it, and am now going through the process with a second hospital.

Now, finding people to fill out all these awful-words-I-can't-say-here reference forms... that's a little different. When did REFERENCES start taking people 30 minutes to fill out? I feel like I need to give sexual favors to my coworkers for even asking them to do all of that work for me. I just asked my latest preceptor and I'm going to have to ask her again...

Jules A, MSN · Mar 14, 2015

I didn't go to a fancy school and I have not had a problem finding PRN work. Just went through the process with an agency, didn't like it, and am now going through the process with a second hospital.
Now, finding people to fill out all these awful-words-I-can't-say-here reference forms... that's a little different. When did REFERENCES start taking people 30 minutes to fill out? I feel like I need to give sexual favors to my coworkers for even asking them to do all of that work for me. I just asked my latest preceptor and I'm going to have to ask her again...

Amen! I often give references for my nursing students and a few of the hospitals really have some nerve with the 6 page online document of circles to fill in. They are reminiscent of the personality tests new hires are subjected to where they ask the same questions three times in vaguely different ways. It is ridiculous.

As for my own references when starting a new job unless they are specific that they need to be supervisors etc. I'll ask anyone a co-worker, friend from school or the cashier at my local supermarket. :)