PRN / Full time/ pros and cons

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Pre Op / home health.

Wanting to have more flexibility with my schedule. But have always been FT for benefits and pto. What are your opinions for pros and cons? I am widowed and my last child just graduated from high school. He is 18 and I have others under 26 whom I pay for health insurance.  Any suggestions for better options.  All healthy! Thanks!

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Why are you wanting more flexibility? Full time and PTO is a pretty good gig. I am assuming your current position covers your kids health care coverage until age 26. Have you done the math  as to what THAT is worth?

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Specializes in Pre Op / home health.

Yes more flexibility,  retiring in 5 or 6 years. I have a granddaughter now in Florida and would like to take off and go for a week but that is hard working FT.  I was just wondering if there are nurses on here that have gone PRN and don't regret it! Thank you very much for your response!

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Specializes in pediatrics, school nursing.

If your older children can/have jobs that offer benefits and you don't feel you have to provide this coverage for them, then I would jump ship, absolutely. I would be per-diem now if my husband's job offered decent benefits! Just keep in mind that they will not be able to enroll in health insurance mid-year, so your leap to per diem must either include COBRA-ing your insurance for them until open enrollment begins at their job, waiting to leave FT until that period begins, or be prepared for them to be uninsured for a chunk of time!

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Specializes in Pre Op / home health.

Very good thoughts!  That'd be great if I had my hubbies still here!  It would be sweet if your hubbies place had decent benefits then you could actually work less but get more pay per hour than a full timer! Thank you for your response!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

If you still plan to work at close to full time hours anyway I'd keep the full-time job. You can also look into cutting hours to part-time but staying above the hours that would keep you benefit-eligible.  Any higher wage/hr you might get as a per diem would certainly not make up for the loss of the value of your full-time benefits. 

It's not just insurance for yourself and your still insured kids that you would lose. Depending on what state you are in though you might be able to find comparable health insurance at around the same rate on your state insurance portal. 

You would lose your PTO benefits as well, plus depending on your employer's policy you might lose your already accrued PTO and sick time by going per diem so for sure check into that before deciding, that could be a lot of money left on the table if you lose that without using it all.  Another depending on the employer policy to check is bonus and holiday pay eligibility. My previous employer did not pay either to casual/per diem employees so that is another potential income stream you might lose. 

If the only reason you are considering changing status is to have more flexibility for travel why not just plan the trip and take vacation time?

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