Who here works both part time and per diem?

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2015

I'm confused why you think we would know what your job requirements are at your facility. Did you not ask these questions during your interview?

I work PRN at two different facilities. I have no required number of hours. I work when they call IF it's convenient for me. If not, I say "sorry, can't make it." Your facility may have a completely different policy.

adpiRN · Aug 24, 2015

Are you a new nurse or experienced?

The PRN jobs I've had have no obligation over the minimum.

Right now I'm only per diem but when my son is older and I want to work more I may get a part time job also. Sounds ideal to me. I like variety.

VANurse2010 · Aug 24, 2015

Hello everyone!
I interviewed for a per diem position and I feel pretty good about how it went. I should know this coming week!
I would orient full time for 2-3 months then go to per diem from there.
Obviously, working per diem I am nervous about not getting the hours I need so I am also looking for part time employment.
anyone here work both part time and per diem?
Am I obligated to work more hours than the minimum at the per diem job? For example, if I am only working the minimum monthly hours (24 for example) at the PD job and they call me in to cover a sick call or whatever on a day that I am scheduled to work at my PT job, am I obligated to come in or can I turn them down?
If someone takes a vacation am I obligated to cover those shifts if I have already filled my monthly hour requirement? I'm worried about schedule conflicts.
I have neither job at the moment, I'm just trying to think ahead!

We can't answer for your employer, but generally speaking, at most facilities, the answers to your questions would be "no"

blah_blah_blah · Aug 24, 2015

Are you a new nurse or experienced?
The PRN jobs I've had have no obligation over the minimum.
Right now I'm only per diem but when my son is older and I want to work more I may get a part time job also. Sounds ideal to me. I like variety.

I am a new nurse. I'm surprised they would offer a new grad a per diem position, but I guess they're okay with it, haha

blah_blah_blah · Aug 24, 2015

I'm confused why you think we would know what your job requirements are at your facility. Did you not ask these questions during your interview?
I work PRN at two different facilities. I have no required number of hours. I work when they call IF it's convenient for me. If not, I say "sorry, can't make it." Your facility may have a completely different policy.

No, I did not think to ask this during the interview, because I thought I was being interviewed for a full time position (it was not a formally posted position, a friend that works at this facility let me know about it and told me where to mail my resume. She told me that she THOUGHT the position I was interviewing for was FT)

the manager said that the full time position has to go internal first. She was looking to hire a per diem nurse to get through the transition phase of everyone switching positions (one FT nurse was retiring, a PT nurse wanted the FT position, a FT nurse wanted the PT position that would open up if the PT nurse took the retiring nurse's FT position, then the opening would have to be approved and posted, etc.). She said after I trained and the "transition phase" was over I could apply for whatever position was left, whether it's full time or part time.

Since I did not know this was PD, I did not do any prior research on what a PD position entails. I knew the basics, and that is it. It seems like a lot of PD positions require a minimum number of monthly hours you have to work. The norm seems to be 12 - 24 hours a month, so excuse me for asking.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2015

The PD jobs I've worked had minimum hours -- the scheduler and I agreed on them after all the FT/PT had been scheduled, based on the facility's needs and my availability.

Outside what I had committed to, no, they had no authority over my life.

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2015

No, I did not think to ask this during the interview, because I thought I was being interviewed for a full time position (it was not a formally posted position, a friend that works at this facility let me know about it and told me where to mail my resume. She told me that she THOUGHT the position I was interviewing for was FT)
the manager said that the full time position has to go internal first. She was looking to hire a per diem nurse to get through the transition phase of everyone switching positions (one FT nurse was retiring, a PT nurse wanted the FT position, a FT nurse wanted the PT position that would open up if the PT nurse took the retiring nurse's FT position, then the opening would have to be approved and posted, etc.). She said after I trained and the "transition phase" was over I could apply for whatever position was left, whether it's full time or part time.
Since I did not know this was PD, I did not do any prior research on what a PD position entails. I knew the basics, and that is it. It seems like a lot of PD positions require a minimum number of monthly hours you have to work. The norm seems to be 12 - 24 hours a month, so excuse me for asking.

Your questions are all facility specific. You could certainly ask what others' experiences have been (and the replies here have shown that there is no "norm"), but our experiences have not one iota to do with how your facility might answer those questions.

If I needed a specific number of hours, and especially if I needed benefits, I would not do per diem unless you can negotiate those things or they have some sort of policy guaranteeing you a certain number of hours. Generally, "part time" is different from per diem in that you are expected to work a certain number of hours. This may or may not be important to the per diem employer if there is some expectation of you always saying "yes" when they call you. There may be no guarantee of getting enough hours. At my hospital, if the census ran low, I was always the first to be sent home. I was also the first to be cancelled the morning of if they felt the situation warranted. The needs of full staffers will usually come before the needs and preferences of the per diem. This fact might be important to you.

Tenebrae, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2015

I work 0.6 FTE in a rest home and suppliment the rest of my income working per diem with a nursing agency.

If my agency rings asking me to work with them and I have a shift at my part time job I will say "sorry I am already working" and to the same extent if my part time job rings asking me to work an extra and I am booked to work a per diem shift I will say "sorry I am working with my other job"

If I tell the agency I am avaliable on X day and my part time job gets me for an extra shift I will ring the agency straight away and let them know I am no longer avaliable

Its about communication IMO

blah_blah_blah · Aug 25, 2015

Your questions are all facility specific. You could certainly ask what others' experiences have been (and the replies here have shown that there is no "norm"), but our experiences have not one iota to do with how your facility might answer those questions.
If I needed a specific number of hours, and especially if I needed benefits, I would not do per diem unless you can negotiate those things or they have some sort of policy guaranteeing you a certain number of hours. Generally, "part time" is different from per diem in that you are expected to work a certain number of hours. This may or may not be important to the per diem employer if there is some expectation of you always saying "yes" when they call you. There may be no guarantee of getting enough hours. At my hospital, if the census ran low, I was always the first to be sent home. I was also the first to be cancelled the morning of if they felt the situation warranted. The needs of full staffers will usually come before the needs and preferences of the per diem. This fact might be important to you.

I'm not too worried about benefits at this point in my life, as I can stay on my mom's insurance for another 3 years. They called me today and I accepted the PD position. From what my friend who works at the facility said is that PD workers have a one weekend a month commitment. Then she mentioned working "3 shifts" which makes me think that I have a 3 shift commitment; one weekend and another shift.

Either way, I'm going in to fill out employment paperwork in a week so I'll get all the details then.

As for hours, I plan on keeping my PT non-nursing job until I can accurately gauge how many hours on average I'm getting. Once I'm done training (which the manager said would be full time for a few months) I'll start looking for an additional PT job.

I don't really plan on staying at this place too long, I think I'll enjoy it (its in the psych ED) but my true passion is in peds.

Thanks for the response!

blah_blah_blah · Aug 25, 2015

I work 0.6 FTE in a rest home and suppliment the rest of my income working per diem with a nursing agency.
If my agency rings asking me to work with them and I have a shift at my part time job I will say "sorry I am already working" and to the same extent if my part time job rings asking me to work an extra and I am booked to work a per diem shift I will say "sorry I am working with my other job"
If I tell the agency I am avaliable on X day and my part time job gets me for an extra shift I will ring the agency straight away and let them know I am no longer avaliable
Its about communication IMO

You haven't run into any issues telling one employer you're working at another job? I just don't want to step on any toes! I currently have a non-nursing job (at a grocery store) and I am not allowed to work at a different grocery store because it's a conflict of interest. I take it the same rules don't really apply to nursing?

pookyp, LPN · Aug 25, 2015

I have 2 per diems and 1 part time. If one calls me out the blue and I'm scheduled for another job, I politely decline and say I'm working at my other job. I work my per diem jobs around my part time job. And my owe diem jobs are not strict on how many days I have to work a month or anything. It's just a full in the blanks on the schedule as much as you can or we'll call you if we're short hopefully you say yes. Lol