Agency per diem

Sour Lemon · Dec 30, 2017

Hi everyone. Im kind of tired of my Med surg job at the hospital where I'm in the float pool. I've been thinking of doing per diem but my friends tell me I'll hate it and tell me it's scary and say I'll get the worst assignments. I feel like I already get the worse assignments now and my friends haven't done agency per diem. Those who have done it, how do you like it and is it better and should I go for it ? Please also include pros and cons. Thank you !

Your friends should also tell you to keep your picture off the internet ...especially when you are complaining about your job. But hopefully they did and that's not actually you?

Anyway ...I work per diem and certainly don't get the worst assignments, but it probably varies from place to place.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 31, 2017

I did it for quite a while and, honestly, loved it. The key is, you can easily become a very needed and therefore very welcomed person. People know that, if you just get enough of it and walk out of there this way or another, you lose almost nothing and they would get your job to do in addition to their own then and there AND they might not get any help at all in the future, period (in agencies, rumors about "bad units" and "bad managers" spread like forest fire, and then only one way to lure the agency personnel that remains is offering high $$$, which is not bad thing as well). So, many of them will think twice before putting on a dirty gossip behind your back.

In addition, it is an excellent way to learn new ways of doing things, new skills, get new buddies and generally escape the doldrums of routine which easily lead to burnout. Just be careful with agencies and the facilities you take assignments.

sunflower83b · Dec 31, 2017

I loved working per diem for an agency. It is different from floating because you control when and where you work; generally they call with assignments (time and places) and you accept or decline. If someplace treats you poorly, simply don't return. Because you have the ability to refuse, are helping a short staffed place, etc the people at the places you staff are really excited to see you when you walk in. I got fewer traditional hospital assignments, instead I worked at detention centers, day surgery, hospice, LTAC, and some long term care. I am now starting on a med/surg unit, and am little wierded out by the idea that I will be working with the same people for more than 3 months, but I hope that will be ok (I am not a hard person to get along with, just introverted and would rather not have to develop relationships with lots of people I work with). Also, because you only train for one shift, you don't chart the way that everyone else does; it would take you too long to figure out a new computer system, so I frequently ended up narrative charting a ton. This has definitely come back to bite me in the butt, as I am expected to profiently chart stuff in the appropriate places in the computer, instead of mostly in narrative notes. Because tech is not my forte, I didn't mind all the narrative charting, and actually really enjoyed being ablt to focus on patient care, instead of policy and procedure of how to chart what, when and where. I loved the variety and am nervous that I will become bored at my new job, but only time will tell. Good luck.

Jan168301 · Feb 6, 2018

You've been very helpful. Thank you so much! It is the routine that I would like to get away from.