I have been PRN for about 10 years. That is, I just work 40 hours per week. First in ICU then Hospice. My question to you is: Do you have an incredible amount of ungratefulness, backstabbing executed with precision, jealousy, and cruelty?
Instead of viewing us as an extra set of helping hands they just see me as getting to work 40 hours without as much stress as they have. Why can't they be thankful for all we do? They are so incredibly jealous. Constantly trying to increase your workload, being unhappy and impossible to please just plain old jealous and do you feel like they constantly want to even the playing field?
What does it take to get them to realize that I get no benefits, no paid time off, no job security, nothing.
How on earth can I cope? I am ready to throw in the towel.
I just recently started working prn in the float pool. I worked at a facility that treated their nurses poorly & would have never worked float pool there. The hospital I work at now treats the nursing staff very well and the nursing culture is completely different. The staff is very grateful when the float nurses work on their unit because that lightens their patient load. Before becoming float pool I never saw the prn nurses any different. I got to know them and saw them as part of the team! In fact, I would be upset if we didn't get a prn nurse and we were understaffed. If one came to our rescue I was more than grateful!! I don't expect to be treated any different being a float nurse. I hope they like me & know they can count on me to provide good patient care & ask me to come back! there are plenty of hours to pick up. I would say if your being treated poorly its time to move on to better things. I left the hospital that treated me poorly, I worked hard for my license and I sure will take this RN license somewhere its appreciated!
As a float nurse, or as a prn pool nurse, my nurse manager (when I was floated) or the house supervisor (my boss when I was prn pool) would often give me little thank you gifts. Especially when I had a rough shift. They did listen when I told them not to call me or send me to certain floors because of the negative experiences I had.
As a previous poster stated, I worked prn pool for personal reasons. I was taking care of my dying mother, was a newlywed and was taking online courses towards my masters. Everyone has a reason for the actions they take for work.
I did like working prn because I could always say NO, and they knew not to call me. I would often give the house supervisor a copy of my mothers medical appointments and my school schedule and told them I would not be available. Sometimes the charge nurse or nurse manager of a certain floor would call and beg, but they soon figured out that I would only be available to the floors that treated me like they were glad to see me and not dump all over me.
There is an amount of backstabbing everywhere. PRN is just another kind of target.
I have worked staff and PRN.
Depending on the hospital's staffing guidelines... the use of PRN staff can and will impact rightful overtime and holiday pay for the scheduled nurses.
We ALL work for the same reason.. our paycheck. The hospitals micro manage to boost there bottom line.
That very often means.. cutting a regular nurse a day of overtime.. to pay PRN straight time.
and .. voila!...infighting.
Take a serious look at how you impact this,, I think you will see this is the reason some staff is angry.
However.. when working side by side .. there is never a reason or ..time for animosity.
Specializes in BNAT instructor, ICU, Hospice,triage.
There is an amount of backstabbing everywhere. PRN is just another kind of target.
I have worked staff and PRN.
Depending on the hospital's staffing guidelines... the use of PRN staff can and will impact rightful overtime and holiday pay for the scheduled nurses.
We ALL work for the same reason.. our paycheck. The hospitals micro manage to boost there bottom line.
That very often means.. cutting a regular nurse a day of overtime.. to pay PRN straight time.
and .. voila!...infighting.
Take a serious look at how you impact this,, I think you will see this is the reason some staff is angry.
However.. when working side by side .. there is never a reason or ..time for animosity.
That is a fact, but not for the reason you are stating. I am thankful for the truthful good hearted nurses that share things with me. And the one that did tell me that they all don't want me working as many hours because they feel like if I don't work as much maybe management will hire another full time nurse. But NO they get plenty of overtime, so that is not the case. All of them are burnt to a crisp. And I just want to help them and make their lives better. I don't want full time, I want a day or two here and there.
Depending on the hospital's staffing guidelines... the use of PRN staff can and will impact rightful overtime and holiday pay for the scheduled nurses.
We ALL work for the same reason.. our paycheck. The hospitals micro manage to boost there bottom line.
That very often means.. cutting a regular nurse a day of overtime.. to pay PRN straight time.
and .. voila!...infighting.
That is a valid point. However, that's not the PRN's fault, but the hospital's fault for choosing to use a PRN over paying OT. PRNs don't have any say in that matter whatsoever. So it's not right for staff to take their anger out on the PRN.
Yes, I know that railing at the PRNs is far safer for staff to do than railing at management for screwing staff out of OT...but it's still not right.
Specializes in MCH,NICU,NNsy,Educ,Village Nursing.
I was PRN for several years. For the most part, I worked with great full/part-time staff. There was an awkward time once though, when the NM announced at a team meeting that PRN's were getting a pay raise. One of the full-timers, who seemed to be a friend (but I wondered sometimes :) ), turned to me and said "Well, we expect to get more work out of you then." I sweetly reminded her that I received no benefits, was the first to be cancelled if scheduled (sometimes our PRN nurses were scheduled based on forecasted census), and the was one of the first to be called in on an unscheduled day/"day off" so that she wouldn't have to be.
I'm a pretty new nurse (3 years) and work per diem. I don't experience any of the frustration that you do. Most people say they wish they could do what I'm doing (didn't need to work FT for benefits, etc). I wouldn't do nursing any other way!
I am so sorry you are experiencing this. I love the PRNs,they are actually like a breath of fresh air to me. I know the pettiness that you are speaking of. But that is usually FT against each other sadly. Where I am , the FT are at each others throatr and cant wait to RAT each other. No teamwork,etc,etc. It is so sad. I really used to like where I work. Now, I loathe it.
No way would I ever work 22 days in a row, especially sitting and waiting by the phone to be the first one cancelled. Overworking makes mountains out of mole hills, alters perception and causes tension! If all the nurses are overworked, none of them want the overtime and everyone is treated the same by your manager, I am beginning to doubt that the conflicts you feel/perceive are related to the position you have.Maybe it's time to turn over a new leaf, keep doing prn but go to a different facility. Perhaps that will remedy the situation. :) Ivanna
I am PRN for about 1 1/2 years now. Prior to that I worked full time for about 12 years. My peers constantly make comments that imply I can't be having a bad day...."because I only work once a week". They seem to think that PRN staff have amazing lives with no stressful days. I completely know what you're talking about and hate it so badly because I used to live my job. Lately it's just been so negative that I one it hard to go back.
ange09, ADN, RN
22 Posts
I just recently started working prn in the float pool. I worked at a facility that treated their nurses poorly & would have never worked float pool there. The hospital I work at now treats the nursing staff very well and the nursing culture is completely different. The staff is very grateful when the float nurses work on their unit because that lightens their patient load. Before becoming float pool I never saw the prn nurses any different. I got to know them and saw them as part of the team! In fact, I would be upset if we didn't get a prn nurse and we were understaffed. If one came to our rescue I was more than grateful!! I don't expect to be treated any different being a float nurse. I hope they like me & know they can count on me to provide good patient care & ask me to come back! there are plenty of hours to pick up. I would say if your being treated poorly its time to move on to better things. I left the hospital that treated me poorly, I worked hard for my license and I sure will take this RN license somewhere its appreciated!