Do you work per diem?

[Nurse Pompom]

I have become unhappy where I am at. I'd extrapolate but you've probably heard it before. So now I am thinking about having my cake and eating it too by going per diem. I am hesitating because -1 health insurance -2 will I get enough shifts -3 I work ICU and I could be floated tons. 

What's your experience? 

[1stGenRN_]

Yes I work per diem in the emergency room and have been doing it for almost a year. I have been a nurse for nine years and prior to that I was working full-time in the emergency room and also floating back-and-forth in the ICU. I am employed at two different organizations with one of them I float to two different hospitals so altogether I technically work at three hospitals All per Diem status. 

I like it because I have flexibility and I can work on my own terms. It’s also nice because I can take time off whenever I need and don’t have to worry about the trouble of getting days off and vacations approved. and when I feel myself burning out I can always take a break. it may seem like I work a lot but I actually don’t, I just rotate shifts throughout both of my organizations.

The only reason I am able to pull this off is because there is a severe nursing shortage at both of the hospital organizations that I work for so there’s always plenty of shifts to choose from. 

The downside to this is I have to pay for my own Health insurance which is pretty expensive as I get it through my state marketplace. I also have my own retirement account which is nice so I save monthly for that. And if and when I do decide to Settle down and work full-time, I can always roll over my retirement funds to a 401(k) or whatever they offer for retirement. 
 

so it’s really nice and I have an awesome work life balance working per diem. I also make a ton of money because whenever I pick up shifts over my requirement I get a pretty awesome bonus and that’s pretty sweet. 
 

I say go forward and start working per diem if that’s what you think will make you happy. you can always get private insurance through the state or through a broker but the downside to that is that it’s expensive. but if that’s the price you have to pay for freedom then I think it’s worth it in my opinion. 
 

and if you’re worried about getting enough shifts then try to work for at least two different hospital organizations so that you can rotate between the two and if you can’t get shifts at one hospital you are guaranteed to get shifts at another hospital. That way you don’t have to worry about not getting enough money. With the way nursing is now and the severe shortages in the ICU, I think you’ll be fine as long as you have enough experience you should be able to pull off a per diem position.