Why just part time?

[netglow]

The past month or so, in my area the only job postings that might consider new grads (as in, either they say they are entry level, or do not specifically state needing at least 1 year or more minimum experience) are part time jobs. I showed up to interview for one recently, but was told as soon as I arrived that it had been given away already. But they talked to me anyway - heck I drove a full hour at 70 mph to get there.

Why is this? Are there any NM that know the reasons behind it? Most NGs need full time. Isn't full time rec for NGs anyway? I had tried to find out at that previous interview, thinking they wanted to ease their NGs into things. That maybe the option for FT would arise if you oriented well, etc. This was not the case. It was permanent PT. Wouldn't it just be maddening with so many PT new grads -- overwhelming the floor, finding enough preceptors, etc.?

[grandmawrinkle]

Have you looked in the government sector? Most nurses at my facility are FT. On my unit, I think we have about 35 staff and only 4 of them are PT.

[PAROPPY, BSN, RN]

Maybe there are more PT positions open than FT to create more jobs and to expand the number of people able to work any given shift. There are about 21 people on my floor for the night shift (12.5 hours) of those 2 are Per Diem, 3 are full time, and most of the others are .8 (which means 2 shifts one week and 3 shifts the next week). Those who work a .8 or higher don't have to pay in for benefits. For those who work below a .8 (there are only 2) as long as they work above their point to at least a .8 for an entire year, they don't have to pay for their benefits either. Benefits may not have anything to do with why there are more PT then FT positions (at least at my hospital.) Like I said maybe to create a larger work force, if there were only FT positions a lot less people would get hired. Also, maybe to cut down on OT? I know that was long-winded, sorry :)

[drmorton2b]

It is so facility specific its confusing. With the way things are going in this economy and the insurance mess (You pay more for healthcare hospitals seem to get reimbursed less and less) my biggest fear is nursing becoming a "retail" style profession. Hours wise. By this I mean very little true full time employees besides management and mostly part-time per diem people.

Once the economy gets better and nurses retire (I can't stand when a good "older nurse" retires they are amazing) full-time slots will return.

So 19 beds are full on the 20 bed unit who cares about acuity. According to our staffing grid at ABC Hospital we send one nurse home.

It seems to me it used to work this way: Part-Timers and Per Diem (Paid per day 0 benefits) would fill in PRN and have a "full-time job" somewhere else.

Finding that "Full-time job" is very hard the old foot in the door system seems to work the best.

So many variables. Gone are the days in which the employer would try to reasonably work with you. I stress the term reasonably.