Alternative part-time PRN jobs for NICU RN's?

Specialties NICU

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I am a fairly new nurse and love the NICU!!! Unfortunately for the past month or so my unit's census has been very low and nurses are being called off left and right even mandatory call offs are very common now so I am wondering if I should look for a back-up position (PRN) elsewhere just in case my time to get called of comes around in February (cannot be called off until then due to unit regulations for newer nurses).

So my next question is since I am in love with the neonatal population and not interested in the acute care of adults what might be some options for me to consider in the near future as far as PRN positions go? I am just a little nervous about all of this low census stuff... And since I do not have seniority to fall back on I feel I should be thinking of ways to give myself some cushion if the low census continues.

P.S. I realize that I could try a PRN position in another hospital in a NICU but locally I do not seem to have many options.

Thanks in advance for your replies :D

Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

Some NICU nurses sign up with homecare agencies to take care of chronic ex-NICU babies with home vents, trach/GTs, etc.... some even take care of their old primaries after they leave the hospital...

Specializes in NICU.

My unit has been having the exact same problem Our census is still half of what our average is, and it's been like this since about July (sigh...).

Since most NICUs are slow this time of year, the agencies in the area aren't even hiring new nurses for NICU population... the nurses they already have are getting canceled every shift.

I am currently in the process of lining up a "babysitting" job to supplement my income. 3 mo baby who has bad reflux, is really colicky.... the dad travels a lot and the mom is also helping to take care of her own parents who live with them. She basically needs someone at night so that she can sleep. I meet with her for the first time next week, but I figure I'll just be taking care of the baby at night (feeding, some meds, walking in circles w/ the baby because he's colicky...)

If this doesn't work out... anybody else have any suggestions???

Specializes in NICU, adult med-tele.

Alot of our nurses sign up to work extra on the adult special care units. Allegedly it's really easy money. Walkie-talkie patients but lower nurse patient ratios than the floors. I know you said you are not interested in adults but you might find something like that tolerable.

Alot of our nurses sign up to work extra on the adult special care units. Allegedly it's really easy money. Walkie-talkie patients but lower nurse patient ratios than the floors. I know you said you are not interested in adults but you might find something like that tolerable.

This may be a silly question but can you give me some examples of adult special care units?? Thanks :D

Specializes in NICU, adult med-tele.
This may be a silly question but can you give me some examples of adult special care units?? Thanks :D

Not silly at all, in fact I am always asking them what kinds of patients exactly do they have down there. The best I can understand, as I have never worked there, but I think it is similar to a stepdown but it is not the same because there is a seperate stepdown unit at this hospital. Like, they require monitoring for whatever reason, but aren't on a vent or anything like that. And you wouldn't typically get surgical patients cause they go from sicu to sicu stepdown. So I guess the best way of saying it is they need monitoring and a closer eye by the nurses but are not sick enough to go to ICU?

Some of my other friends worked part time for a plastic surgeon, they got 1/2 of a single operation after a year of working with him :) And it was pretty easy too, because it was a freestanding surgery center, they hardly ever kept anyone overnight and if they got into real trouble the patient had to be transported to the hospital.

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