PRN wages

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Specializes in Long Term Facilitly.

I am to go to a second interview WED. Currently there are no shifts available on days, thus I explained to them I could work PRN (and keep my current job as well) until a day position opens. Regarding pay.....do PRN nurses get more/less per hour? I hear it is more...but never have worked PRN prior to this. How do I negotiate my wages?

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In my hospital, PRNs make the same as all the other nurses. In my opinion they should make the same since when they are at work they are doing the exact same job as the rest of us.

Jessica

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Where I work, PRN wages are set by the hospital. The wages differ by shift and weekend to reflect differentials, but there is no negotiating a wage rate.

I make substantially more at a PRN rate, but I do not get health insurance, pension, paid time off or any of the other benefits. Most of the PRN or per diem nurses I work with are either working it as a second job(the first job provides benefits, the second PRN generates money at a higher rate) or are parents with small children who need maximum flexibility of schedule.

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In my hospital, PRNs make the same as all the other nurses. In my opinion they should make the same since when they are at work they are doing the exact same job as the rest of us.

Jessica

Yes, but "the rest of you" get benefits - insurance, retirement, vacation, sick pay, etc. PRN employees do not get this, so they get extra hourly pay to compensate (most places, and I wouldn't work for a place that didn't do this for their PRN employees). Without the extra hourly pay, the PRN employees are making LESS for the "exact same job".

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Yes, but "the rest of you" get benefits - insurance, retirement, vacation, sick pay, etc. PRN employees do not get this, so they get extra hourly pay to compensate (most places, and I wouldn't work for a place that didn't do this for their PRN employees). Without the extra hourly pay, the PRN employees are making LESS for the "exact same job".

My facility differs from yours. Our PRN employees do accrue vacation, retirement, and sick pay but at a lesser rate than the full timers. They do still, however accrue it. But good point, I did forget some facilities dont offer those things to PRNs :)

Jessica

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Specializes in Emergency Dept.

At our hospital the PRN employees do not receive any benefits or sick leave. They do however make substantially more. This helps make up for no benefits and never being guarenteed hours and having to be so flexible with your schedule. I worked PRN at our hospital as an aide before I graduated. I could sign up 5-6 days a week (3-11 8 hr shifts) and some weeks I would only get to work 1 day, others I would work all 6. At our hospital, they do staffing by census 2 hours prior to the start of the shift, so for my 3pm-11pm, they notified me around 1pm if I was working or not. Quite a hassle, but it was what the hospital needed and I made about $3-$3.50 more than the people who were scheduled. (And that was as an aide, I know the nursing staff makes more)

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

At my current workplace, PRN nurses are paid the same starting rate as the full-timers.

At a previous workplace, PRN nurses were paid several dollars more hourly than the full-timers. Neither facility offered benefits to the PRN staff.

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Specializes in ER, Outpatient PACU and School Nursing.

I have always worked per diem and make a higher rate of pay in the hospital and in the outpatient setting. I do not collect vacation, health benefits, etc.. It works out for us since I take dh's health insurance and I can work around my home life not the other way around..

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Specializes in LTC, Sub-acute, correctional.

At several LTC facilities I've worked at, the PRN nurses had no benefits but made 10% more that the part time or full time staff.

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Specializes in Addictions, Corrections, QA/Education.

I make about $4 more (an hour) than the staff nurses.

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My facility differs from yours. Our PRN employees do accrue vacation, retirement, and sick pay but at a lesser rate than the full timers. They do still, however accrue it. But good point, I did forget some facilities dont offer those things to PRNs :)

Jessica

Wow - I've never heard of a facility offering any benefits to PRNs, just extra pay. Do they get the same as part-time, or are they pro-rated somehow based on how much they work? Are they required to work a certain number of hours?

It's a good idea, but I think I'd rather have the higher rate and then decide what I'm going to do with it. I did work at one place that allowed their full-time staff (maybe part-time and/or PRN too? I don't know the specifics because I was working as a traveler there) to pick and choose their benefits and then extra was added onto their base pay depending on which benefits they didn't take. I thought that was a great idea.

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