Per Diem or Full Time Job??

[Ndoht, BSN, RN]

How are you, everyone? I've encountered a problem that troubles me a lot, and I would love to have any advice or suggestion to help me make a decision.

I recently interviewed at two units at a local hospital, and I received offer from both units. One unit offers a nursing assistant per diem position, and the other unit offers a nursing assistant full time position. In light of starting nursing school this fall, I am struggling to decide which offer I should take.

Taking the per diem position means I don't have to work 36 hours per week while keeping my job as a NA at the LTC facility I currently work at. Taking the full time position means I would have to give up working at the LTC, which I am trying to keep as a back up in case I cannot find a job immediately after nursing school. I actually like the unit with the per diem position more than the unit with the full time position, but people have been telling me full time is always better than per diem with the benefits. My problem is that I can only do full time for the first half of this year and have to switch to per diem once I start nursing school in the fall. Does having the benefits just for half a year really matter that much? What are your experiences? What do you recommend me to do?

I am so thankful for any suggestion or comment that would help me out!

[Missingyou, CNA]

Here's my 2 cents worth:

Having health benefits is ALWAYS a good idea....but you also probably (assuming) have the option of the affordable health care act, which I found to be just as easy to have then working full time with benefits.

~With per diem, you can almost work as much or as little as you want. SO, with school coming up you could back off on the hours when needed and pick up more come breaks in the school year AND you'll have the other job too as a back up. I'll bet you'll have plenty of hours to work between the two.

You mention you're already working at a LTC facility. Don't know if it's full time or part time but, If you can keep that position and take on the per diem one as well until you are in school, I'd say that would be the best option! YOur job seach/worry will be over. PLUS, you'll be working in a hospital = foot in the door for when you graduate from nursing school.

~something else to consider, does the per diem position require you to work a specific amount of hours/schedule per month? For example: my facility requires per diem to work at least 16 hours a month and 2 weekends a month & every other holiday. The per diem person is the first to have their shift canceled if there is low census.