Per Diem?

Per diem on weekends only is possible. That's what I do, although there are other occasional commitments I must make. I have to work one major winter holiday, for example. Every employer has different requirements for per diem staff and different levels of enforcement when it comes to those requirements.

As per diem staff, you typically give your employer available days and they schedule you on the days they might need you. You're first to get canceled (except maybe for registry), and you're first to get floated.

Your expectations are not unreasonable if you're willing to make a few concessions. It just depends on what employers in your area are looking for.

I think it's definitely possible to only work the weekend at a hospital per diem.

However, you will still likely have to go through orientation, which is typically weekdays. Where do you work now? Can you switch to per diem there? That's the only way I can think of to avoid the orientation process.

Edit: come to think of it, though, prns usually still have a meeting and inservice requirement. Unless you want to use vacation time to attend those, I am not sure how feasible your plan is. If you only worked part time during the week, it wouldn't be as much an issue.

The real answer....It depends on the hospital.

I work per diem on weekends. All that is required in my unit is one 12 hour shift per two week period, although that is not strictly enforced. I go on the scheduling software with all the full-time staff and plug in the days I want to work. Ninety percent of the time I work Saturday or Sunday. Every once in a while I get cancelled or floated in census is low.

I have worked with nurses who work non-bedside jobs and work a weekend shift every other shift to keep their ICU skills and contacts up while earning extra money. Some nurses worked in research, another worked in a clinic and worked every other weekend when her ex-husband had the kids.

Some per diem hospital work is through a central float pool. In most places, nurses who want to work weekends are welcome.

You really won't know that answer until you are interviewing with the nurse manager. He/she will know what the unit's needs are. My hospital did hire PD nurses for weekends only. Some nurses worked all Saturdays or all Sundays. Us full time nurses were always grateful for the PD nurses.

As others said, depends on the facility. Some have requirements like "2 shifts every 5 weeks" or whatever. Some also come with holiday requirements so be aware of that. Congrats on getting into Case Management!