per diem nursing

RN1989 · Jul 30, 2008

As long as it won't kill you to miss shifts when the census is low - PRN is great. You always have to be ready to be cancelled though and if you need the money, you often have to make a choice between adding on more days to your work schedule or missing money because you do not want to work on your "planned" days off. Working PRN helps keep you out of some of the workplace drama.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 30, 2008

As long as it won't kill you to miss shifts when the census is low - PRN is great. You always have to be ready to be cancelled though and if you need the money, you often have to make a choice between adding on more days to your work schedule or missing money because you do not want to work on your "planned" days off. Working PRN helps keep you out of some of the workplace drama.

I was about to say the same; sometimes, you may have to readjust your planned or preferred schedule, especially in the beginning, when the facility doesn't know you well enough just yet. You may just have to grab as you can, as you know what money you need to keep yourself afloat. I work per diem at my own hospital. I work in a clinic, but decided to work per diem on med-surg because I wanted to keep up my bedside skills. I would prefer to work every other Saturday, however, sometimes, it doesn't work out that way...sometimes, they only want someone for Sunday. A few times, I just took the Sunday to get the hours I need. And, sometimes, I had to work two weeks in a row, even though I didn't want to, but I wanted to ensure that I got the additional pay I am goaling for.

Also, there may not be a guarentee for the shift you are most interested in, either. I prefer 7p-7a, but I thought about it, that may not work, because if I want to work that tour on a Sunday, I would have to get back to my clinic Monday morning by 10:00am or suffer disciplinary action. Most of us know that we do per diem throughout the hospital, but it can't interfere with where we are hired to work.

Keep in mind, also, that many times, the per diem, or float nurse may get the worst patients/assignments, at least until the nurses are more familiar with you. Another form of hazing, I say...unfortunate, but true. I hadn't gotten that thus far, since this is the hospital I work at, but, you never know. I do get to avoid the drama in most cases, because I have no time to socialize on a floor I am not that familiar with, and just want to keep a rhythm to get out on time.

RNperdiem, RN · Jul 30, 2008

I have worked per diem for a little over 6 years now.

I work on the same unit I used to work full-time on. For a couple of years I was floating in different departments in the ICU service of my hospital.

I generally work one shift a week.

Per diem has a lot of positives: The pay rate is higher, the hours and days worked are very flexible. You do avoid most of the politics, and never have to be in charge.

Per diem has its drawbacks too. My growth and confidence have stagnated. I only work once a week and on the scale of novice-to-expert, I would rate myself as just "competent" with 10 years of experience. Per diem nurses are generally given simpler assignments- it can make your shift easier, but it limits your experiences.

Sailingshoes · Jul 30, 2008

I love working perdiem nursing because of the flexibility - working as much or as little as I want. There is always a shortage somewhere in the hospital and/or outlying clinics so if I want to work extra for an upcoming vacation I can and then when it's vacation time I'm free to go! Being able to Float is valuable so that you are able to choose various shifts. I like the constant change unlike many nurses that dislike floating for that very reason. I like working with different docs and nurse etc, definitely bypassing the drama of being with the same crew. What is it with the drama anyhow :) ??? Definitely don't miss that! :clown:

ArwenEvenstar · Jul 30, 2008

I worked per diem in the hospital setting for many,many years! For awhile I was a per diem employee of just one unit. (So per diem does not necessarily mean you are float.) But then I did switch into the float pool, also as a per diem status. Unfortunately, I burned out of hospital nursing after 14 years... I could never work in the hospital again.

However, the one thing I do miss about hospital per diem was the TOTAL CONTROL and flexibility I had with my scheduling!! I could work as much or as little as I wanted. It spoiled me rotten. At least where I worked, you completely called the shots! I often did "creative scheduling" where I would clump my hours together on purpose, so that I would have blocks of time off without having to work at all. Example: I'd schedule myself full-time hours the first two weeks of August and full-time the last two weeks of September. So, yes, I'd have a full month off of work in between! Wow - do I miss that...

People mention the risk of being "called off" when you are per diem. This is a risk I suppose, but this NEVER happened to me personally. I don't even remember one time being called off. I only wanted part-time hours, but could have worked full-time. RNs were always needed.

Like you (the OP) I do not need health insurance, and my family is not completely dependent on my salary. So I do have a freedom that others do not.

As a per diem of just one unit, I was treated like one of them. However, as a float per diem it is variable. Some units treat floats very well and appreciate how they are filling a staffing need, other units sorely mistreat them. They will dump on the float and give you the worst patients on the unit...