I'm a SAHM looking to ease back into the work force (am anxious about leaving my baby, but it's been 1.5 years and I really need to get my feet wet again!)
Am waiting for my new nursing license in my new home state, hopefully will get that in the next few weeks.
The local hospital has a PRN nursery job posted now which is up my alley since I used to work L&D.
Could be a way to get myself in the door. Am open to L&D, postpartum or nursery and am not in a huge rush to start. Would just like to slowly start the process and get an initial interview where I can talk to them about their per diem needs.
I'm tempted to apply once I get the license. Only complication is I'm planning to be out of town for all of Sept (vacation and then helping my SIL out of state who is having twins).
I know most per diem jobs have a 2 shifts per month minimum requirement, not sure how set in stone that is.
Ideally I'd apply in May, interview process may take a few weeks, then if I get the job spend the summer doing the on-boarding process (I know that can take awhile). I let BLS and NRP lapse so I'd need to get those again. Then there'd be hospital and unit orientation etc. I'd want to space all that out so I wouldn't leave my son too many days in a row. (Am thinking 1-2 days a week if possible). I've never left him for more than 2 hours so we need to ease into this slowly. But it has to happen sometime!
If I got an interview near-term I would tell them up front about my travel plans and maybe make my official start date in Oct.
Does that sound ok?
Or should I just wait and apply for jobs in Oct when I'm ready to work?
But waiting till then may mean I don't actually work till 2015, and am a bit anxious to bite the bullet and do it before I lose my nerve!
I've never applied for a per diem job before so not sure how strict or relaxed the process is.
Yes you should apply now. Applying is not a guarantee of a job. When you have some interviews and possible offers on the table is when you should really give it some serious thought.
Do some per diem jobs require 4 a month?? I thought most were 2. See these are things I need to find out during interview process....
Was thinking I could come back home mid Sept after our vacation, work a few shifts and then fly back up North when my SIL has her babies (which may not be till late Sept or early Oct. Hard to predict.) Not very efficient, but could be done. I would just hate for these plans to make me delay the application process several months. Because I may not get the first job I apply for anyway and delaying could mean I don't work until 2015.
While most hospitals only require a set minimum shifts per month, most places will not want to hire you if you only want to work the minimum. I have a per diem job that requires 24 hours per month with at least 8 of those hours being on a weekend.
Every new hire orientation I have had required full time (4-5 days) for two weeks for hospital orientation, even the per diem job. There was some wiggle room but not much. After the two weeks most places preferred full time for their orientation period but all required at least 2 shifts per week until I met their hour requirement.
Even after orientation I would think you would want to work 2 shifts per week for a while in order to familiarize yourself with the facility and the system, and to be a safe worker. I personally do not know if a per diem job is the best way to jump back in to the work force after being out a while, especially with a new company. Just my personal opinion but a part time job, 2 days a week might be better for you in the long run and for the company.
If you feel ready to go back to work I am sure you could find a way to cut short helping your family with their twins by a couple of days in order to meet the hospitals requirement for the month of September. You have to be ready to actually go back and out in the hours in the beginning though, hospitals probably will be hesitant to hire you if they feel like you aren't going to be available to pick up shifts and just want to work the minimum. Would working 4 shifts per month really be too much for you? It is expensive to train new employees. I think it would take a very long time to feel comfortable at a new hospital if I only worked twice a month.
4 per month would be ok. Was thinking ideally I'd start with about one shift a week once off orientation and see how it goes. Maybe up to it to 2 shifts per week some weeks if my son is doing ok at home with my husband and I'm enjoying the work.
I just think that while 1 shift per week will be good for your home life, more shifts per week at first would be better for you in your work life. It is hard to feel comfortable and really like a job when you are not there enough to feel comfortable with the place, the people, and the job itself. Just my personal opinion. It is easier to be per diem at a place you have worked before versus someplace unfamiliar.
Maybe up to it to 2 shifts per week some weeks if my son is doing ok at home with my husband and I'm enjoying the work.
Why would your child not be okay being home with his/her dad? Often it is the mom that has the trouble letting the dads parent. My kids loved the simple meals my husband prepared when I was at work. Might not have been what I would make but they were fed. I remembered the first and only time I overheard my husband tell someone he couldn't do something one night because he had to babysit his kids. I couldn't believe it. It is not babysitting when it's your own kid. When my husband came home from work and he asked what I did that day I never said " well I baby sat our kids and took them to the grocery store and then the park" It's all a part of parenting. Mom or dad it is never babysitting, it is living life. Okay off my soap box.
Why would your child not be okay being home with his/her dad? Often it is the mom that has the trouble letting the dads parent. My kids loved the simple meals my husband prepared when I was at work. Might not have been what I would make but they were fed. I remembered the first and only time I overheard my husband tell someone he couldn't do something one night because he had to babysit his kids. I couldn't believe it. It is not babysitting when it's your own kid. When my husband came home from work and he asked what I did that day I never said " well I baby sat our kids and took them to the grocery store and then the park" It's all a part of parenting. Mom or dad it is never babysitting, it is living life. Okay off my soap box.
I know, that annoys me too. But sadly the reality is I do about 100% of babycare and my husband really doesn't do anything. So I'm actually more worried about my husband than the baby. Lol. He wants me to go back to work and says he can handle it.... But 12 hours with a toddler is a lot if you're not used to it. My son still nurses and won't drink cows milk yet, so that does worry me. But we'll figure it out.... I'm still probably months away from my first shift at this point.
Just clarify what they want from per diem staff! The place I worked per diem as a CNA before graduating nursing school had the same requirements for CNAs as for nurses, and it was two shifts per schedule. The schedule was for six weeks, so it was two shifts every month and a half instead of every month. You never know - this place might be more like that instead of two shifts a month and you could be totally safe missing a full month. You just need to ask. :)
I know, that annoys me too. But sadly the reality is I do about 100% of babycare and my husband really doesn't do anything. So I'm actually more worried about my husband than the baby. Lol. He wants me to go back to work and says he can handle it.... But 12 hours with a toddler is a lot if you're not used to it. My son still nurses and won't drink cows milk yet, so that does worry me. But we'll figure it out.... I'm still probably months away from my first shift at this point.
Sounds like he should be doing some of the parenting ASAP so it won't be such a big change when you do go back to work.
Caffeine_IV
1,198 Posts
Yes you should apply now. Applying is not a guarantee of a job. When you have some interviews and possible offers on the table is when you should really give it some serious thought.