Does anyone work PRN?

Sour Lemon · Aug 24, 2016

Hi everyone! I was just wondering if anybody has picked up a PRN job along with their full time job?
I am only curious because how did you initially find the time to start a new PRN job? Did you have to take PTO for the prn job orientation? If not how did you make this work? Did your PRN job make any special exceptions for you as far as orientation?
Thanks in advance :)

I work PRN, but it is my only job. I work with other PRNs with full time jobs, though. They had to make arrangements to attend orientation, but they were able to space it out over a few orientations. We have orientation once a month, so some went to part of it one month and finished the next month. They were allowed to work between the two months.

***The above is for classroom orientation. Floor orientation is generally even more flexible.

BSN16 · Aug 24, 2016

I work PRN, but it is my only job. I work with other PRNs with full time jobs, though. They had to make arrangements to attend orientation, but they were able to space it out over a few orientations. We have orientation once a month, so some went to part of it one month and finished the next month. They were allowed to work between the two months.

How long was your floor orientation? At my current facility i had a 3 month long floor orientation plus a week of hospital and computer training to begin with. Do you have the same orientation as a full time employee? I have so many questions, lol!

Sour Lemon · Aug 24, 2016

How long was your floor orientation? At my current facility i had a 3 month long floor orientation plus a week of hospital and computer training to begin with. Do you have the same orientation as a full time employee? I have so many questions, lol!

Classroom orientation was one week. Orientation for my PRN job was six days ...but they "forgot" I was on orientation on my third day and assigned me a full load of patients by myself. Oh well. It went fine.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2016

I had twelve shifts of orientation at one PRN job, and I had two shifts at another. It's definitely not a full orientation like you'd expect when starting a full time job. They picked a preceptor, and I looked at my work calendar, and I just worked whatever days she was working that I wasn't working at my full time job until the 12 shifts were up. Usually, jobs understand that a PRN employee has other work obligations.

BSN16 · Aug 24, 2016

I had twelve shifts of orientation at one PRN job, and I had two shifts at another. It's definitely not a full orientation like you'd expect when starting a full time job. They picked a preceptor, and I looked at my work calendar, and I just worked whatever days she was working that I wasn't working at my full time job until the 12 shifts were up. Usually, jobs understand that a PRN employee has other work obligations.

That seems more realistic! I wasn't sure how PRN orientations usually went.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Aug 24, 2016

Finding the time is entirely up to you. Taking PTO to pursue another position is not allowed per your employment agreement.

Any PRN job will not make " special exceptions ." You are seeking a PRN position.. YOU work around THEM. Be advised, you will get anywhere from a 4 hour orientation to a 2 day orientation.. then you will be expected to hit the floor running.

Best of luck, let us know how it's going.

mrsboots87 · Aug 25, 2016

The majority of facilities do not hire new grads as PRN. Usually experienced nurses get hired so they do not need 3-6-12 month long orientation periods. Usually computer training, facility policy and benefit orientation, and then some floor training to get their feet wet. How long the floor training is varies by facility.

I just got hired on full time at a hospital after 7 months in long term care. The hospital wouldn't take me PRN due to lack of experience, but my LTC will because the job isn't very difficult after the first few months. So now I work both. For others who come to my LTC as PRN, they get like 9 days floor orientation I believe, but they work around the new employees current schedule.

Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2016

I work PRN exclusively. My orientation was as brief as I could possibly make it, as I am an experienced RN and have little tolerance for having my hand held.

cleback · Aug 25, 2016

I have worked a few prn positions, and I guess I've been lucky with their orientations. The first I honestly don't remember much about. The second was in a clinic and understood that I had a .7 FTE elsewhere. They fit me in classes when possible, which meant I was in a few different cohorts of new employees. The on the job training was even more flexible. Overall it was 2-3 months before I was off orientation. The third job is a bit different because I was a returning employee, but they were still somewhat flexible. I had 1.5 weeks of classroom training and 6 weeks of two 12-hr shifts/week floor orientation. The classroom was a bit hard to swing with my other position and I worked a few 16 hr days in there... but its manageable.

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Aug 25, 2016

Classroom orientation was one week. Orientation for my PRN job was six days ...but they "forgot" I was on orientation on my third day and assigned me a full load of patients by myself. Oh well. It went fine.

This was exactly my experience, except they knew what they were doing. :cautious: They didn't forget; didn't care. We must work at the same facility.

chacha82, ADN, BSN · Aug 26, 2016

I have not and I would not bc my full-time job requirements and competencies leave very little time for anything else. PRN jobs require orientation, usually a certain amount of shifts worked month/pay period, etc. It is not for me because currently I want my time off to be totally off. However, many need to work PRN and are successful doing so. Just know the terms of your full-time contract. Many employers forbid new grads or employees a certain months into their work from working PRN. Just FYI your full-time employer will probably not bend to accommodate your PRN job.