Newish Nurse - Need PRN Job - Where to start?

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

I am a new nurse with 5 months in the ER.  We do not have overtime hours available on our unit, so I would like to pick up a few PRN shifts to make paying my loans back a little easier.

I have found 2 jobs that I would be interested in thus far.  1) is in an ER where I went to school and the other is in Peds Hem/Onc at an HCA facility (my peds clinical was on a hem/onc floor so it isn't totally foreign to me but I am not certified or anything else).

I'm not saying that I am qualified for one or the other at all, but what are some things to keep in mind when looking for PRN positions, especially when I'm still new?  In addition, how does one gauge a HCA hospital to determine if it is a decent one to work at?  I know there are many people on here who are not fond of HCA in general.  I just want to know what kinds of things to look for in order to make a good judgement call.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Hello @bitter_betsy

We moved your topic to the General Nursing forum where you should receive some replies.

Good luck with your decisions.

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

With only five months in at your current job, you may need to just hang on even without overtime before taking on something new. A PRN position for a new nurse may still require a formal orientation period, which would be challenging to schedule with your current job. And you're so early in your career, while I'm sure that paying off loans is weighing heavy on your mind, I would think you're better off focusing on getting proficient in your current position before you branch out into other jobs that are similarly stressful.  Just my opinion, best of luck!

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In a PRN job, check to see what their shift, weekend and holiday requirements are. Some per diem jobs are OK with you working once a month, others want more shifts per pay period. Think of how many combined hours you will be up for working. My per diem job requires a Winter and a Summer holiday to be worked. Again combine requirements for two jobs. If working all the holidays are fine (and holiday pay is good), all is well.

Since you are a new grad, peds heme-onc is an unlikely choice if you don't already have experience and are chemo certified. The ER might be a better choice.

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