Two Nursing jobs

[Cabana]

Hi all! I recently decided to make the transition from the hospital to an office position. I left my hospital job due to some personal anxiety pertaining to the position. With that being said, the unit I was on is a covid unit and hurting for nurses. At my new job I’ll have wednesdays and weekends off. Would it be a bad idea to work the office job and stay PRN the hospital job? I honestly feel bad for the floor nurses struggling and I was thinking it could try to help out on the wednesdays I don’t work the office job. Is this an unrealistic/over ambitious idea? I like the idea of staying bedside PRN for just some hours during the week to keep up on some nursing skills as well as help out the unit, but don’t want to end up being overwhelmed with it. Was just curious on if anyone has done this before or had any thoughts on it, or even hear from nurses that work 8-5 five days a week. TIA!  

[RNperdiem, RN]

Depends on what the PRN job would require of you. Some places just let you stay on the schedule PRN and pick up hours as needed. Other places need to have a place in the budget to hire you PRN and you need to go through the whole job application process with HR.

Do some homework. What is the minimum requirement for PRN? Is it a shift every pay period or more or less? Can you work part shifts if you want to? Is there a holiday or weekend requirement? Does this unit treat PRN staff differently? Do they get fair assignments? With the office job, will there be a pay cut? It is too soon to tell, but will you be too tired on your day off to work a second job?

I can see this working out if you can work only an occasional PRN shift in a unit that treats PRN staff fairly.

I personally only work my PRN job, but over the years have met per diem staff who have 9-5 non-bedside jobs in research or informatics who pick up occasional shifts in the unit to keep up their bedside skills and have extra money to pay the daycare/child support/student loans etc.

[NurseNugget3]

Im currently not working but when I was, I worked a full-time job and worked for 2 nursing agencies on the side. On my days off I was able to pick up hours with my agencies even last minute jobs. It's all about you, can you handle it? Can you handle working more hours during the week? Some nurses I know just want to do their 40 hours and be done, others work 60+ every week (as I was). You also need to check with the hospital and know what your requirements would be ( 1 weekend a month? holidays?). Id say try it out, doesn't hurt to try, you can always stop. Also, just want to mention you mentioned you left the hospital because of personal anxiety pertaining to the job, keep that in mind, if it was causing your body stress, no need to go back, the stress will still be there. I know as nurses we feel pressured sometimes to help, but your mental health is important in all this too. stay safe.

[amoLucia]

Other posters bring up some serious points to consider. I would add that might you be expected to float, not just being on your old unit??? 

One last thing - don't 'feel bad for the floor nurses struggling'. It is Admin's responsibilitiy to provide staffing, not yours. My mantra = 'when you're gone, they'll miss you. For 2 weeks'. Life will go on, and you'll be forgotten.

No 'guilties'.

[Nunya, BSN]

You left the hospital job "due to some personal anxiety pertaining to the position." Do you think that anxiety will go away because you're not there FT?  Do you think it'll go away when you're trying to work two jobs? 

[amoLucia]

^^^^^ good points!