How much experience to work per diem/casual?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Nov 16, 2016

In my organization, at least 2 years of relevant, recent experience is needed for PRN jobs. The 'experience' piece is interpreted in terms of Full Time work.... so if employment was part time, then the nurse would have to have 4 years total. The 'orientation' that PRN nurses receive is usually limited to - how to manage/initiate emergency response, location and access of meds/supplies & charting system basics. They're receiving higher pay & expected to function at a high level with minimal support.

calivianya, BSN, RN · Nov 16, 2016

They're receiving higher pay & expected to function at a high level with minimal support.

Wouldn't it be nice if that first part were always true. The PRN job I just quit actually paid me less than my full time job... I only kept it to keep my foot in the door of a separate hospital system. Some hospital systems are perfectly content to not pay any benefits *and* not give you any higher pay.

Anyway, on topic, I got a PRN job with a hospital that was desperate after 8 months of nursing experience in the same specialty. (This one thankfully did actually pay more)

I would advise waiting at least six months or longer before applying for PRN jobs. They usually have very limited orientation - my orientation at that job was two days. If I didn't already have my routine as a nurse down, I would have crashed and burned. It helped that I am also a fast learner - if I wasn't, eight months would not have been enough experience to do well at that job.

...And, just for the record, I've never had a nursing job where I worked a set schedule, so if that's your hangup with working full time, just know that set schedules actually seem kind of unusual in nursing - at least the specialty I work in.

Sour Lemon · Nov 16, 2016

If your managers like you, you're fairly competent early on, and your facility has a great need for staff, they may allow you to switch to PRN status as a relatively new nurse. As far as an exact amount of experience required, that will vary greatly. Try looking at some PRN job listings in your area to see what experience they require. My current employer requires at least one year.

cleback · Nov 16, 2016

I work prn and float after almost 3 years hospital experience. However, my hospital treats it's floats/prn staff very well. Besides not giving us certain "specialty" patients (ART lines, new trachs, new ostomy, etc.), we generally are well staffed, so if I have questions, there is a small plethora of nurses to ask. It has worked well for me.

OscarTheOwl · Nov 16, 2016

I wanted to switch to per diem with my first hospital job, was told 2 years experience was required and there was a waiting list. A PRN position had to be open, they wouldn't just create one.

RNperdiem, RN · Nov 17, 2016

I went per diem after 1 year of med-surg and 2 years in ICU. How long depends on where you will be working. If you will be staying in the same department, a year is fine, but 2 would be even better.

If per diem means joining the float pool where you staff different departments, you need to be confident in your abilities.

Once you have worked for a while, you can decide.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 17, 2016

Sometimes organizations have clear requirements, usually 1 to 2 years of recent (within 1 year) and close/relevant (like for CVICU - not MICU or NeuroICU). I would say that anything below 6 months NOT including orientation is bare minimum, and 1 year should be preferred.

I started per diem after total of 8 months of ICU in LTACH and still wonder how, by the God's blessing, I didn't kill anyone after 8 hours of orientation (although after two years there I can be thrown into pretty much any med/surg floor and feel just fine).