Stafffing

[RN08021982]

So I was hired on my unit 2 years ago, non benefitted but was told that I would be able to get full time hours. I do not need benefits so I thought it was a good fit. I am classified PRN but like I said I was to work full time hours non benefitted. Over the last 2 months I have been cancelled at least 1-2 times a week, so I do not get my hours, I used to work 36, now I am getting MAYBE 18?...also other PRN staff are getting cancelled, for example today 3 PRN nurses got cancelled. They are opening a position for another full time nurse...I asked my team lead should I apply for that position to get my hours? I was told they have someone to take that spot (guess there is a wait list to work here) I asked my team lead last night, if we are cancelling 3 people and I cant even get hours why would they consider filling a slot that they have been having to cancel staff already.

I am thinking at this point I will just need to find another PRN job to subsidize my schedule, I try to be as flexible with my current place, they can schedule me mon-fri and I can work whenever ( I was told this was the best way I could get hours) yet I still continue to get cancelled, last week it was 2 days of my 3 day work week...

I guess my dilemma is why would they staff a position that we have been cancelling current staff for and second I don't want to pick up another job but at this point I may have to.

[JKL33]

They should staff a position if they can. Your employment arrangement with them specifically doesn't entitle you to expect that they provide the hours that have been available up until recently.

It stinks for you now, but that's the exact agreement you've been working under. They haven't been cancelling FT staff, they've been telling "as needed" workers that they aren't needed.

Pick up another position. It's not good to have all your eggs in one basket, anyway.

Chin up, and best of luck!

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I worked on a unit with a fair number of PRN people. When most FT positions were occupied, PRN nurses were getting next to zero hours. When positions were vacant, some PRN nurse were practically working full time.

The problem in the latter situation was that there was no guarantee empty shifts were going to get picked up. For example, weekend or holiday shifts would often not get picked up by PRNs. As such, the unit was best off making and filing full time positions since, if the positions are filled, those shift will (barring call-offs, etc.) be covered.

[RN08021982]

I just think that they tell me they are hiring someone outside of the hospital and i get totally looked over and I'm willing to take a full time position. So instead of having one of their own staff fill a position thats open and wanted that they hire outside...which to me makes no sense

[psu_213, BSN, RN]

I just think that they tell me they are hiring someone outside of the hospital and i get totally looked over and I'm willing to take a full time position. So instead of having one of their own staff fill a position thats open and wanted that they hire outside...which to me makes no sense

Is the position posted? Did you/are you going to apply for it?

[JKL33]

You said you've been told that the position has essentially already been filled from a wait list, but you also believe they'll be filling it from outside. Do you know for sure which of these two things is the case?

You might as well apply if this position is something you want. They may indeed already have internal candidates waiting for such a position, but if you sense it's more like they're making excuses to not hire you FT, then finding additional work elsewhere is wise anyway.

[RN08021982]

Not yet...i keep looking everyday

[RN08021982]

They are filling from outside

[Kallie3006, ADN]

Can you bid to work on other floors?

[Neats, BSN]

I have spent nearly 3 decades with scheduling. PRN means "as the situation demands". You were hired as PRN. Usually PRN staff do not get benefits, you ar offered shifts that I cannot fill for a variety of reasons i.e. sick, vacation, disability of staff member, FMLA.... I cannot fill those shifts and if I use my fulltime staff they may occur overtime. I do not want to use my staff like this for they have lives, need a break to recharge. I turn to PRN to fill those voids. I do not use PRN to fill consistently needed staff for my routine scheduling, this is bad practice.

This bad practice does happen, it maybe that the higher ups say no to a new position, a manager has to prove to those who approved staffing ratios that these slots are needed as evidenced by X/X/X. There could be multiple reasons why PRN staffing is being utilized like this.

My suggestion to you is this if you want full time then apply to positions you want. Talk with your supervisor and explain you have been PRN but now want to go full time. Ask her to assist you, if she does not want to do this I suggest you find a different department and apply.

I can tell you I have hired many PRN nurses/Staff happily. There have been a few nurses that were PRN and decided to go full time I did not hire. The reasons were they always said no to offered positions, they did not work well along side the other nurses (always something wrong during the shift about staff) and I always had to order them to give me their information so I could update in HR. In short they were more trouble than they were worth.

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

I have seen desirable units over hire with the intention of floating staff to a more undesirable unit that can't seem to fill its staffing slots.