full time requirement for part time

akanini, MSN, RN · Sep 30, 2008

I read this too and found it weird. I had never heard of that before. You should check with your place of employment.

Xbox Live Addict · Sep 30, 2008

Hi all, someone on her mentioned that in order for a new grad to go to part time, s/he must have worked for 1 year full time first. what is your hospital's policy on this?? I'm still considered a new grad, but would like to switch to part time. I'd like to get a general census from everyone! thanks :)

Generally, it's the other way around: many companies have only limited full-time positions and will generally promote part-timers to those positions as they become available, the expectation being that attrition will weed out all but people seriously interested in working for the company to put up with reduced hours, plus part timers are usually not eligible for the benefits extended to full timers.

I have never worked for a company where experience beyond the standard requirement for the job position was required for a PART time position.

Maybe you're thinking of a float pool? Usually those require a period of experience, since you may be expected to fill in for any number of positions at the hospital.

Piki · Sep 30, 2008

Not true at the hospital I was hired at, actually there are several of us that were hired as GNs in PT positions.

pshs_2000 · Sep 30, 2008

I'm still considered a new grad. I'm still in school so I knew I would have to drop to part time eventually and even told the NM that during my interview. I worked FT from January till August. About a month before I wanted to drop down to part time I told the NM when I would like to drop down and then about 2 weeks after that HR approved it. Sometimes the contracts that people sign may have stipulations about FT/PT. Hope this helps.

beachbum3 · Sep 30, 2008

I'd mentioned that the other day- I was talking to the director of my dept, and that was what she said. I've heard this of other places also. My impression is that the thinking behind it is that you need one year full time to really get a good base of knowledge and get fully oriented and trained. Makes sense to me since there is so much learning happening in the first year....

RNperdiem, RN · Sep 30, 2008

In some ways, part time can be more difficult to work, especially for a new grad that does not have the skills and proficiency to start with.

When you don't work full time, you can lose some "fluency" in skills. I am a little slower and less efficient than I was as a full-time nurse. It is a difficult concept to explain, but the other per diems I talked to the other day who either work one shift a week or less, and they knew what I meant.