how nurses can make some extra money, advice please

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Feb 5, 2014

Try agency work, Home care or private duty could be a change of pace.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Feb 5, 2014

A number of my coworkers moonlight in the Cath Lab, EPS lab or interventional radiology.

ArtClassRN, ADN, RN · Feb 6, 2014

One of my coworkers worked her off weekends at a nursing home. I thought she was nuts.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 6, 2014

I do agency work.

However, I've been told that it is better to stay at your own hospital so that the extra hours are considered OT time, because sometimes money from the side job isnt as good as OT time.

OT is very very very very very hard to come by on my unit nowadays... =[

That should tell you something. Yes, OT is a very nice biscuit. However, it is a worthless one if you're not able to get the OT hours in the first place. Definitely try to get it, but don't rule out working elsewhere because of it.

froggy8, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2014

Thank you everyone for the great advice, I'm def thinking of staying in my hospital, however, I do want to see what agency pays in my area. I would like to see what the other places are about too, aka EPS, endo, cath lab, IR. I've actually been thinking of psych recently... its something different (and very interesting), and I have a psych background.... but this is coming from a critical care nurse. I feel since I have my main job now, I can do something fun/interesting/new on the side.

No nursing home... sorry...

froggy8, BSN, RN · Feb 6, 2014

Also, sometimes they call you last minute for OT (which doesn't jive well with me if I'm not rested -- I refuse to go OT when I'm half awake for my patients sake). For agency work, can you do the schedule beforehand? can we pick and choose which days we want to work?

hurleygirli1 · Feb 8, 2014

Sometimes working PRN at another hospital pays well because they don't offer benefits. And if you get them already at your full time job, then you don't need them anyway! For example, I make $7 more an hour at my PRN job plus shift diff. Something to think about as well! Just be careful about the commitment level you sign up for.

kiszi, RN · Feb 11, 2014

Not to thread jack, but I have a related question. For anyone who has gotten PRN work through a hospital or other facility, what do you do about orientation? I am full time at my current job and not able to take time off to orient for a PRN gig. Do some places offer some sort of "abbreviated" orientation for prn workers? I ask because I remember the "general" orientation for a previous hospital job being quite involved.

hurleygirli1 · Feb 12, 2014

Hospital orientation is about a week, generally Mon-Fri. If you can schedule yourself at your main job on the preceding Sunday and the following Saturday and take a vacation day, it can work out. I was able to get my PRN job before my new full time job started so I was able to schedule with no problem. I don't know about abbreviated orientation? It seems everyone PRN with a full time job was able to work around it somehow. You can figure it out I'm sure :)

caliotter3 · Feb 12, 2014

You can schedule regular extended care home care shifts. Night shift on Fri, Sat, Sun are often open, as well as just about any shift for the weekend.

froggy8, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2014

not sure if every PRN position is like this but I have heard of orientation being 1-2 days on the floor from some of my coworkers who work side jobs.

ALSO, figured out that I cannot work anywhere in my hospital until I have been there for one year... SO that means that OT on another floor is out of the question for now. Either I get OT on my floor (which is rare - they call you when you make plans, and then don't call you when you sit at home all day!) OR I go elsewhere and do regular time. Just looking for something less fast paced/stressful and fun but still making the $$$...