I have been subbing as a school nurse for 2years. A full time position has opened in the district that I want to work in and I interviewed for the position today. It is VERY likely I will be offered the position. I love subbing as a school nurse and am always happy when I pick up a shift even though the pay sucks. I currently work on an ortho floor and will truly miss the unit and my manager, but quite frankly, my back hurts and I am tired of bedside. I do want to give school nursing a real try. I enjoy subbing and I love the idea of getting a pension and summer/winter breaks. I am currently in a masters program (which I started this winter to put me higher in the pay bracket if I was ever hired as a school nurse) but am finding my hospital experience helpful and relevant to the classes I am currently taking. Which is why I am hesitant to quit the hospital for good. I thought when my time to accept a school nursing job came, I was going to be so excited and say good bye to the hospital for good but now I am finding myself undecided just because my experience has been so helpful for my masters. Do any of you have per diem jobs at a hospital in addition to your school nursing duties? How often do you work? Is it do-able to pick up a shift here and there with a full time school nursing job? Is keeping my hospital experience even as per-diem even worth it? Over the summer the census does drop at the hospital so I will probably be cancelled a lot during the summer.
I work on day every other weekend at a long term care center. I use to do every other weekend but after a few times I quickly got tired of working 12 days in a row. during the holidays I do pick up more shifts. I've already got 4 shift lined up for the first two weeks of June.
Yes I do. I came from psychiatric hospital I have 19 years with them so I went PRN. I work maybe 1-2 shifts months during school year and more on our breaks and summer.
I work on day every other weekend at a long term care center. I use to do every other weekend but after a few times I quickly got tired of working 12 days in a row. during the holidays I do pick up more shifts. I've already got 4 shift lined up for the first two weeks of June.
This is exactly what I did for the first 5 years that I was a school nurse. M-F at the school, Sat and Sun at the SNF and then M-F at the school again. 12 days on, 2 days off. It. Was. Exhausting. I stopped last June.
The extra money that I would make during summer and breaks was great but I am so much less stressed now.
Specializes in Medical-Surgical, Orthopedics, Telemetry.
I am doing a hybrid program at CSU San Bernardino! I love it! Great program, gives me both in class interaction as well as online independence. I actually never left the hospital and am still doing both jobs. It is working out for now. Let's see how long I can keep at it.
I think a per diem job would be enough floor experience but you do not necessarily need to go back to the hospital to be a nurse educator. There are plenty of nurses with other backgrounds in the MSN program that have never been in the hospital or have not been in the hospital for a very long time. You will be fine. :-)
I work PRN at the local children's hospital. I am required to be available a total of 24 hours each 6 week calendar, in standard 4 hour shifts (4,8,12,16). It can be a pain during the school year (I end up working 8 every other Sunday), but it is nice during summer and breaks, I can be available up to 40 hours a week. I ended up earning more in a 2 week period than I do 2 weeks during the school year. I also am eligible for shift differential and staffing bonuses in the hospital.
imaneedmycoffeefirst89
132 Posts
I work on day every other weekend at a long term care center. I use to do every other weekend but after a few times I quickly got tired of working 12 days in a row. during the holidays I do pick up more shifts. I've already got 4 shift lined up for the first two weeks of June.