Per diem as a new grad

[newgrad18"]

Hi all! So I recently graduated in December and started working full time in January of 2019. I was thinking of getting a per diem towards my 6th month on the job for some extra cash towards student loans. So I was wondering when is the best time to get a per diem job as a nurse with less than a year experience? Do hospitals prefer to have a specific amount of experience for per diem or is it unit specific? Any advice would be welcomed!

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

Can you pick up some overtime instead?

[BarrelOfMonkeys, BSN, RN]

I know when I started my first job as a nurse everything was overwhelming. From the hours to the learning to building staff relationships to the mandating it all took a while to get used to. I spent a lot of time getting to know everything I could about my career field in that facility and get to know other staff members. It was through building rapport with my colleagues that I discovered how many of them use OT at work and other PRN work to supplement their income and where to go and which places to stay away from. I learned this after a year of working there. By then, I felt comfortable enough to even think about about a second job in another facility.

[johsonmichelle]

Check your local job posting in your area to see their requirements. In my area , at least 2 years of experience is required for per diem positions. Also check the minimum required hours required by the facility to make sure that it does not clash with your full time job. In my area, facilities are limiting their per diem positions because they found that their per diem staff were not picking up enough hours. Even though you are per diem, some facilities may require you to complete their yearly competencies and attend staff meetings.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

See if there is the option of picking up shifts on other floors.

[newgrad18"]

6 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Can you pick up some overtime instead?

Well the only problem with picking up OT is that my job is about 40min from where I live. I have no problem going there for my normal shift but adding shifts might become to much for commute time. I have 3 hospitals a lot closer to me (within 15min) and I find that will be it easier to pick up extra shifts there.