Per Diem work..

If you pick up per-deim shifts from a pool;

PRO's: you can pretty much pick whick days and hours you want to work.

CON's: if your hours get canceled you either go w/o the hours or have to pick another day that you wanted off.

From another Company;

PRO's: your days are pretty much guanteed as you are replacing a person on thier day off

CONS's: most Companies require you to work at least 1 weekend a month, which leaves you one weekend a month off. And you might have to work a holiday or 2.

I have worked a full time position while working per-deim, it's exhausting as you really do have less down time. After a while you just need to take time for yourself and find that the money isn't always worth the toll on your body. They really look down on call-outs from per-deims, in some cases they just offer you what ever left over hours they have (usually the shifts no-one else wants) or just stop calling you.

As stated in the above post, you run the risk of having to work more weeken/holoday time at some places. I have two per diem jobs but they do not require weekend or holiday time, so these jobs are out there. The pro for me of going with a hospital rather than an agency is that in the past the agency was reluctant to pay for PALS/ACLS. Where as the hospital has those classes that I need. I do mostly critical care, so my per diem option in the ED and PICU are a nice escape from my mind-numbing desk job (no weekend or holidays so I suck it up). I personally am a huge fan of per diem work. I also teach clinical for an ADN program. I get $60 an hour and its pretty fun. There are so many different things you can do within nursing.

I have always worked mostly PRN..the draw backs have been listed plus there are no benefits, but I prefer to have control - for the most part - over my schedule. Another way to pick up extra time - if you don't want to be in the hospital - is with home health agencies. They use PRN nurses as well. The hospital I am currently at the PRN's work either from a pool or you are hired directly to a unit - you decide how many hours/shifts you are willing to commit to for a month - you can work over that but have to sign up for whatever you agree to. The only draw back is you can't sign up until all the FT and PT nurses have worked out their schedule. I don't mind working weekends or holidays so for me, it's good. Good luck -

Yup. I work a full time job at one hospital and a per diem job at another hospital. The other hospital has a mandatory 4 shifts per month and pays significantly higher than my full-time job.

I like having 2 jobs, it just feels more secure to me.

I work per diem at an outpatient surgery center. They're only open 4 days a week, no weekends and no holidays so I don't have to worry about those requirements. Sometimes it gets a little tiring and it's not something I'm gonna do forever but for now it makes the pursestrings a little less tight.

Thanks everyone for your replies! I have worked for just about a year now on a pretty fast paced cardiac floor and was trying to decide if I wanna find PRN work in cardiac or if I should try something new. I think something outpatient sounds cool...but I really need to just start looking around more! I think I am going to wait till after the summer that way I will be working for well over a year and I have plenty of time to really decide what I want to do!

Thanks again!

Oh another question...do you usually tell your current employer that you are looking for per diem work? I am looking for extra work and experience, NOT to leave my job for somewhere else and I would hate for my employer to think that. I don't mind being open with my employer, I was just wondering how that has worked out for others?

You will probably have more luck trying to land a per diem job in a type of nursing you already know.

Most places are only going to give you a couple of days orientation, which would be fine for telemetry. Most employers are looking for someone experienced who can get right to work.

What do you need more, money or a change?

If all you need is money, then you can always pick up overtime where you work now.