How does it look when you are PRN?

[Vtachy1]

I was PRN in the year 2000 - 2009. It was really 40 hours per week, but I LOVED PRN because I was more in control, if my small kids had a doctor appointment, if they had a preschool event, I was able to get off work for it. But I wanted to help them out because we were ALWAYS short, so I loved helping out and getting extra money. They called me every day at all hours. ICU is so incredibly stressful and we were all moms and had families, I loved helping out.

But I wondered how it looks in the year 2016? Do PRN nurses still work 40 hours if they want or can? Do they need you as much?

I work at a college now, and they are ever so very careful that I don't work too many hours because then they have to give me benefits. It is sad because they need my help. Some students go without a class because they cannot pay me or let me work 50 hours in an entire semester because OBAMA has made is so they have to pay me expensive benefits. IT is a continuous juggling of numbers to make sure I don't work over the quota of number of hours per semester. It is sad because they need the help.

Is there some contract you can sign? I am NOT interested in their stupid benefits. I like my own private insurance I do not ever want corporate insurance ever again. I like the medishare insurance I have had for the last 17 years. DO NOT WANT TO SWITCH?

What does it look like for your PRN nurse in the hospital nowdays?

[RNperdiem, RN]

I am trying to think of all the prn nurses I know, and none of them work 40 hours a week or more.

For most of us, the point of prn was not having to work so many hours.

Most of the prn nurses I work with either have a full-time regular job and pick up prn hours to keep their nursing skills current while earning extra money, or they are raising children and working their schedule around family needs.

I would be curious to hear other responses.

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

My hospital sends us a text to solicit help sometimes 7 days a week, but no less than 4 days a week. I work with the float pool and the pay is awesome! Like you, I enjoy the flexibility to live my life in a fashion that I'm available to tackle the demands in it. I did have a full time job for the last year and a half, but I returned to my PRN position 5 months before personal family issues forced me to leave the full time gig.

We submit a schedule of availability every two months. That schedule is based on the tier selection that we chose at the time of employment. I sign up for the bare minimum required to honor the contract. Then, I either wait for them to send out the usual distress call day by day, or if I'm working a unit that I like more than others, I'll write in my name on a few of the many empty slots that they have...this prevents me from being floated to units that I have no experience in (for the most part). Or, I could call and say put me down for tonight and it will be done. When I show up, we'd still be short-staffed.

Judging by the many testimonials on this board, short-staffing is an epidemic and once hired, you shouldn't have any issues whatsoever with securing shifts.

[EllaBella1, BSN]

Me! My official job title is "PRN- Full Time Scheduled" and I work 36+ hours per week guaranteed. Basically it's a way of saying full time non-benefited. It's nice because I get PRN pay, and am on my husband's insurance which is much better than what my hospital offers. :)

[Vtachy1]

Thank you so much for your responses! I loved PRN so much. I wonder why other businesses are so scared of working us 40 hours per week? Why can't I sign a paper or something if I don't want their dumb benefits. I do not want their health insurance and I WANT to work when I can and when I want to go to my son's basketball game, then I don't have to regret the rest of my life, missing cheering for him, watching him dunk that ball.