Can I do per diem with out experince?

nminodob · Apr 28, 2009

I wondered the same thing, and many people told me no - but I got hired because the hospital I worked at had a per diem training program. Don't know if this is unique or not. It seems that many per diem positions I saw listed online required acute care experience as their minimum qualifications. Good luck!

erin01 · Apr 28, 2009

what hospital was it

caliotter3 · Apr 28, 2009

One of my classmates got hired right out of school for this type of position, but she told me that she had lied, as advised by someone, and said she had two years of experience.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Apr 28, 2009

I started out as a per diem, and if you can get a few months orientation on one floor, then be based out of that floor it works well. Then you expand onto other floors as you feel able.

meluhn · Apr 28, 2009

One of my classmates got hired right out of school for this type of position, but she told me that she had lied, as advised by someone, and said she had two years of experience.

Wow. How did she get away with that? Dont they check references? I would think this would really be risky, trying to just walk in to a hospital and start working if you have never done it before. She wouldnt get the thorough orientation that a new grad would get because they think she has experience. How did that work out for her?

I worked perdiem as a float when I first started in a hospital setting and it was very hard because you are always in a different place and even though I had a long orientation, it was very overwhelming at times.

caliotter3 · Apr 28, 2009

Wow. How did she get away with that? Dont they check references? I would think this would really be risky, trying to just walk in to a hospital and start working if you have never done it before. She wouldnt get the thorough orientation that a new grad would get because they think she has experience. How did that work out for her?
I worked perdiem as a float when I first started in a hospital setting and it was very hard because you are always in a different place and even though I had a long orientation, it was very overwhelming at times.

I wondered how she got away with it myself, but I never got a chance to talk to her about it. It certainly isn't something that I would try. With my luck I would be caught before I made it out the door after turning my application in.

Lucky0220 · Apr 28, 2009

Do you have your RN license or LPN? Would you not be afraid of making a mistake w/o any floor experience?

RNperdiem, RN · Apr 28, 2009

Can you do per diem without experience? Yes, if you can find someone who is willing to hire you.

I would not recommend it for a truly inexperienced nurse.

Maybe if you had prior LPN experience, I would count that as experience.

Per diem might work for you if your employer gives you the full orientation usually given to new grads, if you plan to work full-time hours(or something close) and you are exempted from floating while you are brand new.

Per diem nurses are often the first ones to float to other units where the only orientation given is "the charts are here, the supply room is over there, and these are your patients".

S.N. Visit, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2009

I work PRN (as needed), I assume it's basically the same as Per Diem. I was offered a job during my nursing school preceptorship on the unit where I currently work. I took PRN status (had option of full or part time) but trained for 12weeks on full time split shifts. It was also an advantage of mine that our pt's have to be medically stable, so I was very comfortable to take PRN status without floor experience. I do not float to other floors.

RN1982 · Apr 28, 2009

is it possiable to do perdiem with out any acute care experence?

No new grad should be working per diem until they've had at least a year's experience under their belt. Yeah the money is great. But you are putting your license on the line working in an area that you have zero experience in as a nurse.

nminodob · Apr 28, 2009

No new grad should be working per diem until they've had at least a year's experience under their belt. Yeah the money is great. But you are putting your license on the line working in an area that you have zero experience in as a nurse.

As I said in my previous post, I got a job per diem because the hospital I work for is putting us through a training program and we are paired up with a preceptor. So not all per diem positions are without training.