How is it fair to put PRN nurses on call?

[sarabear44]

I am feeling really down about my job. I've worked four years and recently changed my contract to PRN, and anytime the census is down, they put me on call, and I don't get paid. I'm losing so much money and also skills, and not feeling like part of the team anymore.

Does anyone have some words of encouragement or kind words to help me understand from a different perspective?

I am so sick of signing up for shifts and offering to work for people and then getting out on call and not getting to work and not earning money.

I am an ER nurse...

[Wrench Party]

If you want more regular hours, try to find another part time job that will guarantee this. My per diem facility also offers different tracks that one can take as a per diem employee- working a minimum of 24, 36, 48 hours per month.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

My hospital doesn't always call of PRN first. So I think it varies. I work PRN and I have came into work and saw that 2 full time staff were called off and we worked with only PRN staff. Yesterday was an example of that, actually. A full time nurse was called off and we had myself and one other PRN nurse working. We are a small unit with only 2-4 nurses staffed at one time depending on census.

I've honestly never heard of anything like that! Do you know the rationale behind calling off FT nurses in favor of PRN's?

[heron, ASN, RN]

I've honestly never heard of anything like that! Do you know the rationale behind calling off FT nurses in favor of PRN's?

The full-timers might have been offered the option. Personally I love being called off, especially when I have pto available.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

My hospital doesn't always call of PRN first. So I think it varies. I work PRN and I have came into work and saw that 2 full time staff were called off and we worked with only PRN staff. Yesterday was an example of that, actually. A full time nurse was called off and we had myself and one other PRN nurse working. We are a small unit with only 2-4 nurses staffed at one time depending on census.

We had this happen a few times where I work and we (the FT employees) had a fit! Now, it's different if the FT people wanted the day off but to be cancelled so the flexi people could work? Not gonna happen.

OP, how did you not know that this is what you were signing up for? Your role now is to work when it benefits the hospital, not you. You don't get PTO as a PRN person. What would you need it for? Your best bet is to find another flexi job at another hospital or try and go part time where you are now.

[Farawyn]

Love/Hate PRN. Sometimes worked 2 weeks straight, then *crickets* for the next 2 weeks.

That's the nature of the PRN beast, which is why I only did it for a few years.

[Libby1987]

Are you put "on call" casually or are you mandated to respond and report to work if they call? The 2nd scenario seems like you should be paid something for being on standby (like any other type of oncall situation)

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

The he thing I this is unfair is that FT staff can use their PTO to make up for lost income while on call and I don't have any PTO, so my family goes without......

This is precisely why the facility cancels PRN employees first. Why should they pay a permanent employee to stay home and pay you to work when they could just pay the full time employee to work while you stay home for free?

[mightynurse4]

I think the FT people don't mind it. They would rather have a day off. It doesn't make sense financially for the hospital but I get called off less than the FT people. We are extremely small so PRN people work a lot. I pick up 1-2 days per week, sometimes more on breaks between school. A lot of ancillary staff are surprised when I tell them I'm PRN because I'm always working :)

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

We only cancel in 4 hour blocks, including PRN. So you end up waiting for a call to see if you need to come in or stay home. PRN are the first cancelled and first floated in our facility.

If you get cancelled can you ask if there is another shift to pick up? That's what our PRNs do.

[mightynurse4]

I've honestly never heard of anything like that! Do you know the rationale behind calling off FT nurses in favor of PRN's?

I forgot to quote you when I replied, sorry about that! My response was for you Roser.

[mightynurse4]

We had this happen a few times where I work and we (the FT employees) had a fit! Now, it's different if the FT people wanted the day off but to be cancelled so the flexi people could work? Not gonna happen.

OP, how did you not know that this is what you were signing up for? Your role now is to work when it benefits the hospital, not you. You don't get PTO as a PRN person. What would you need it for? Your best bet is to find another flexi job at another hospital or try and go part time where you are now.

I don't mind being called off so FT people can work. Sometimes I get annoyed that they get called off and I have to drag my butt out in the snow but it's part of signing up for shifts. I don't mind either way though. I would be a bit mad as a FT person if I had to use my PTO hours while a PRN person worked. I can fully understand that. Our FT people never complain about staying home though. Some of them request to be called off.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

I don't mind being called off so FT people can work. Sometimes I get annoyed that they get called off and I have to drag my butt out in the snow but it's part of signing up for shifts. I don't mind either way though. I would be a bit mad as a FT person if I had to use my PTO hours while a PRN person worked. I can fully understand that. Our FT people never complain about staying home though. Some of them request to be called off.

Oh we definitely have our fair share of FT who would rather be called off than work. There are a lot of us though that need the hours. It is hard when are PRN people complain about not getting hours though. They make 25% more than FT, don't have to work late ever, and don't take call so it's a fair trade off.