PRN position?

stargurl2006 · May 23, 2013

In my hospital, I give them what days I am available and they schedule me for coverage on those days. I don't know about other hospitals, but very rarely have I been called off or not scheduled on days I have put myself available for.

oceanblue52 · May 23, 2013

I agree with stargurl2006, in the past 2 jobs I've had there is a minimum number you are required to work per month, and you sign up for shifts as you like. I dont get benefits or PTO but there is a lot of flexibility in my schedule. The only downside is that you are often required to submit your availability (e.g. shifts you want to work) at least a month ahead of time, so it is good to be organized and plan ahead of time.

Depending on the hospital you work at (e.g. size, number of staff), it will depend on whether you get called in to work or get taken off the schedule. It helps to talk with staff to figure out what the trend is regarding management and staffing levels. I worked PRN at a Psych Hospital (as a Tech) for two years working 32-40 hours a week and rarely got called off, so it functioned well as a full-time job, but allowed me to explore other options. We were understaffed though, so it could go the other way at another place. To sum up: If you are trying to get rid of your other job, sign up for as many available shifts as you can reasonably work, see what the trend is like, and go from there.

PRN work can be frustrating because you are called out a lot and are looking for benefits, but is also nice because you control your own schedule. Good luck! :)

MommaTy · May 23, 2013

PRN is per diem (as needed). I believe they all have their own requirements. Like where I work you are only required to work 1 day a month. But they may call you like crazy if there are call outs/vacations. Some people call it a casual position as well.

AM326 · May 23, 2013

Normally if they know you want the hours, they give it to you.

Pros.

You can get FT hrs

You don't have to give a notice before leaving *but its nice to do anyways :3*

Paid more

you can work PRN in different places at the same time :3

More flexible hours

Cons

No benefits

called off first

the first to be laid off *at least in my area they are *

Not guarantied hrs.

I worked PRN and it was ok. I have medical insurance already so that wasn't a big deal. It's a pretty good position if you are a student :3

TurtleCat · May 23, 2013

I have a question about PRN. I might be having two PRN CNA jobs soon in addition to a full-time fast food job I work, I'm just wondering if they are usually ok with it if they call you and you can't always come to work because you have to be at another job that day, as long as it isn't a constant thing. My main concern is that I don't want to wind up fired from one of the jobs because I can't always be everywhere at once, sometimes you are stretched thin trying to balance 3 jobs.

AM326 · May 23, 2013

I have a question about PRN. I might be having two PRN CNA jobs soon in addition to a full-time fast food job I work, I'm just wondering if they are usually ok with it if they call you and you can't always come to work because you have to be at another job that day, as long as it isn't a constant thing. My main concern is that I don't want to wind up fired from one of the jobs because I can't always be everywhere at once, sometimes you are stretched thin trying to balance 3 jobs.

It depends from facility to facility. Find out what their requirements are...ex. Facility A) PRN guidelines require you to work atleast 2x a week to keep the position... Facility B) Requires you to work 2x a month.

I would just ask the employer what the requirements are. It will be crazy hectic...but if you can balance them all then go for it :3

hope this helps some :)

TurtleCat · May 24, 2013

Oh, and to answer the OP's question: It varies from place to place. At one place I work for, it seems to be a strictly on-call position: They call me whenever they need me, whenever someone else calls out or can't come in. At the other, it's a combination of working a couple days a week + being on-call when they need someone to cover a shift. In general it's a lot more casual and flexible than FT and it's easier to work it into a schedule if you have another job, are in school, etc. However, the downside is that the hours are not always regular. I actually went a whole month without any hours at one facility.