What challenges will I face becoming per diem at a bigger hospital than I'm used to?

[tenderfootjoe]

I've worked med surg at a small hospital for a year now, full time. It's a tiny 98 bed facility.

i want to try the big city hospital an hour away from me, but "on call". There is an opening for med surg on call nurse, and they want one year of med surg experience, which is what I have.

we use the same computer system.

will it be really difficult and different to be just on call in a large hospital?

Also, is on call generally the same as per diem?

thanks

[brownbook]

You will have to ask someone at the big city hospital exactly what the position is. What those terms mean. The two terms are not at all the same from my experience.

When I have been on call it was for PACU, I was scheduled on call from 1 - 3 days a week to be on call after normal OR hours. Than meant from 5 pm to 6 am on weekdays, and from 5 pm Friday to (it varied) 5 pm Sat. I had to come into work within 30 minutes after being called for after hours emergency surgeries. That doesn't make much sense for a med/surg floor?

When I worked per diem I worked with the scheduler. I told her what days I was available to work. I was then called from 2 - 4 hours before my shift and told whether or not I was working that day.

If you work per diem get it in writing how many hours they expect you to be available. Maybe even a vague idea of can you expect to work 16 - 24 hours every week or only 3 - 4 days a month?

Find out how to let the scheduler know for sure what days you cannot work, what do you do when you plan a vacation.

Find out who would be calling you in for your shift. Is it ok to call that person a few hours prior to the shift to ask if they know if you will be working.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

I've worked med surg at a small hospital for a year now, full time. It's a tiny 98 bed facility.

i want to try the big city hospital an hour away from me, but "on call". There is an opening for med surg on call nurse, and they want one year of med surg experience, which is what I have.

we use the same computer system.

will it be really difficult and different to be just on call in a large hospital?

Also, is on call generally the same as per diem?

thanks

I think brown book answered your questions about "on call" vs. "per diem" -- make sure you clarify with the big city hospital exactly what your obligations are in terms of availability and what (if any) obligations they have to you. Will that guarantee you 40 hours a month? 16 hours every six weeks? What exactly are you getting into.

As far as the larger hospital -- you're going to see more. The patients may be sicker, there will be more specialization. They may have Oncology Medicine and Oncology Surgery, Hematology, Neurology, a transplant Med/Surg floor, and all sorts of different flavors of Med/Surg. So do they want you on call for one specific unit? Or for any floor that falls under the "Med/Surg" umbrella? Is that OK with you, or would you be more comfortable working on just one floor?

These are all questions to ask at your interview. Good luck!