being a per diem/float NA

[meghan91]

What does that actually mean when they say float/per diem?

Would being a NA as a per diem/float NA be good for a 19 year old college student or should i find just a regular schedual position?

How long does it take to hear from a hospital on a job that you applied for?

[CCTRN524]

Float means you do not have a home department, you fill in where needed anywhere in the hospital. Perdiem is just a pay status, you get payed a higher wage but do not receive any benefits like PTO. I personally work perdiem because I do not need health insurance and I like the higher wage. The hospital can take awhile to get back to you. I would call back within 3-4 days of applying so you don't get lost with the other applications. As far as which job status you apply for just depends on what you want and what are your needs. If you receive health insurance from your parents perdiem might be a good choice for you because it usually is at a higher pay rate.

[PediLove2147, BSN, RN]

Per Diem is the perfect position for a college student. You pretty much make your own schedule. Every hospital is different but usually there is a minimum requirement regarding the number of shifts needed to work per month. We had to work a least 4 shifts a month but could pick up more if we wanted, like during vacation week.

It can take a few weeks to hear from HR. I would follow-up and show you are interested.

[NiciNurse, LVN]

I work per diem in the float pool at our hospital. I like that I can arrange my schedule around school and pick up extra hours if needed. The worst part though, is when census is low and you don't work for like a month straight!!! That hurts my pockets, especially since I have two kids. But if you can manage with the unpredictability than This would really work out for you...I'm currently seeking a more stable position.

[RNperdiem, RN]

Per diem work is the perfect student job.

You can set your own schedule to avoid schedule conflicts between work and classes.