how do per diem hrs work at your hospital?

[adpiRN]

I always assumed per diem nurses had to work an entire shift at a time. But at my unit that's not true.

A per diem nurse told me that she makes her own hours and can choose to work noon to 8pm for example (even though our shifts are 7:30 to 7:30.

This sounds like an amazing way to balance work/raising children, when you want to plan your work schedule around when you can get childcare or your kids are in school (which is what this person does I think)

Am I really lucky that my hospital lest us do that?

Or are most hospitals this flexible with per diem staff?

[Riseupandnurse]

We usually have to schedule "regular" shifts unless the hospital itself wants it done differently. As a per diem I work only 4 hour (hah hah of course, make that 6 hour) shifts. But signing on for an 8 hour would actually mean a 10 hour; that's the way it is here. The 4 hour shifts are technically from 1500 to 1900.

[musiklover]

I work in the float pool for a hospital system and I float between multiple units at 2 hospitals. I am per diem in our unit and the only requirements that I have as PD per month are 8hrs of weekend time and 8hrs during the week for a total of 16hrs/month. Most of us that are PD work much more than 16hrs/month. We do self scheduling so I can schedule those hours whenever I want but if management needs to change them they can(although that rarely happens). We can work 4hr shifts(7a-11a/11a-3p, etc), 8hr shifts, 12 hr shifts(7a-7p/11a-11p/7p-7a) or 16hr shifts(but then you can't double back and work within an 8hr period). Our scheduling is super flexible and we do our schedule around the needs of the hospital units open shifts and also based on the projected census.