How to Overcome the Challenges of PRN Jobs

You've probably heard that per diem work is a way to control your own schedule and have more money.

But what does per diem work involve? What advantages are there? What disadvantages exist, and how can nurse professionals overcome them?

Let's find out together what the challenges of PRN jobs are.

Per Diem Meaning

First, let's define per diem.

Per diem is a term used in medicine that means “per day.” Per diem nursing is precisely that: nurses working one day at a time when needed. Also known as PRN, per diem nursing describes when a facility contracts nursing professionals on a temporary basis. Generally, the facility offers a higher pay rate due to its urgent need to fill a shift.

What Is a PRN Job?

PRN jobs allow nurses and nursing assistants to work on demand. Generally, nursing professionals fill in for other nurses or supplement a facility’s internal staff in times of high demand, such as when hospitals have a high patient census or when internal staff nurses are unavailable.

Some features of PRN jobs include high flexibility when choosing schedules, variety in work environments, high pay, and greater experience with different patient populations.

Why Per Diem?

There are numerous advantages of PRN jobs for nursing professionals, patients, and healthcare facilities.

Nursing professionals: As mentioned above, nursing professionals have greater flexibility in their schedules. Thus, they can choose when to pick up jobs and refuse to work on certain days when they have commitments. They also tend to have higher hourly pay. Additionally, the professional autonomy and the variety of environments in which they work make per diem jobs excellent options for nursing professionals.
Healthcare facilities: Contracting per diem nurses offers many advantages. For example, healthcare facilities can access a pool of qualified local nurses when they have sudden shortages. Per diem work can also help lower staff turnover rates caused by stress. In general, healthcare facilities save money by contracting per diem nurses. Although the hourly rate is higher, the facility does not pay benefits and only contracts nurses during peak times, making PRN staffing cost-effective.

Patients: Patients also benefit from per diem jobs because adequate staffing levels improve the overall quality of care.

Per diem nursing positions are becoming increasingly popular. Many nurses and nursing assistants prefer this type of work. Of course, there are also disadvantages that professionals must face.

How Can I Overcome the Challenges of PRN Nursing Jobs?

While there are many advantages of per diem jobs for nursing professionals, some people consider per diem work risky. In reality, with the right organization and attitude, per diem jobs can pay off.

On that note, here are some disadvantages and how to overcome them.

Work Hours

PRN work can sometimes be inconsistent and unpredictable. Nursing professionals do not always get work when they need it.

With no guaranteed schedule, nursing professionals need to implement organizational strategies. For example, you can have a calendar or a planner to stay organized. This way, you can know how many shifts you have already worked and how many more you need to meet your financial goals. You can also keep track of your availability for future shifts.

Stay proactive and seek assignments constantly to avoid job stability problems.

Different Facilities

Working in many facilities involves adapting to different environments quickly and navigating multiple supervisors. In general, this adaptation can cause extra stress on nursing professionals. However, overcoming this challenge helps healthcare professionals develop adaptability. Many healthcare facilities value nurses who can quickly adapt to different environments and meet almost any of the facility's needs.

Furthermore, many nurses prefer a challenging work environment rather than a repetitive one. Regardless of your preference, when working PRN jobs, you will need to get used to adapting easily and quickly to the jobs that become available.

Adaptability is a highly valued trait in nursing. To develop adaptability, nurses need to stay organized, embrace new experiences, prepare in advance for each shift, and prioritize ongoing learning.

Co-Workers and Bonding

Many nursing professionals are concerned about integration problems with new teams. Of course, having a long-term job in a facility typically creates more permanent bonds and a sense of belonging to the team. Luckily, there are many ways to join the team and make friends as a per diem nurse.

You can develop communication skills to get along better with other team members. Being open-minded and approachable also helps. Other tips include attending social events, being friendly, and being proactive in communicating.

Another great way to achieve healthy relationships is to be part of a group of per diem nurses going through the same challenges as you. This way, you can interact with other nursing professionals going through the same difficulties in PRN work.

Benefits

Lack of benefits may be one of the biggest fears of nurses and nursing assistants.

PRN jobs do not usually offer health insurance, paid time off, or retirement plans. Therefore, you should consider getting private health insurance and saving for time off and retirement. While it may seem more complicated, in the long run, it pays off. The high pay and flexible schedules offset the hassle and added expense of paying for your insurance.

While per diem work has some disadvantages, digital solutions, such as Nursa, make it easier to get high-paying jobs.

Per Diem Nursing Positions

Nursing professionals have different position options, such as part-time, full-time, and per diem independent contractor work.

There may be differences between working as a PRN independent contractor vs. working per diem at a hospital, both in employment status, benefits, and job security. To find out which option is best for you, read about some of the differences between these per diem nursing positions.

Per diem independent contractor: PRN independent contractors are generally classified as 1099 workers and are responsible for filing their own taxes and paying for their own insurance. They tend to have more flexibility regarding work locations, as they work at different facilities. Generally, they can get jobs with better pay since they can choose their shifts.
Per diem at a hospital: Per diem nursing professionals may also work in a specific hospital. If you are a per diem nurse in a specific hospital, you are typically a W-2 employee for tax purposes. This means that you may have some benefits from the hospital. However, the hospital may prioritize full-time nurses over per diem workers, leaving per diem nurses with fewer shifts. Depending on the facility, per diem hospital nurses may or may not earn more per hour.

You can read this article for more information on the difference between 1099 and W-2 nurses.

Find Per Diem Shifts in Your Area

One of the best ways to get PRN nurse jobs and PRN CNA jobs is with Nursa.

Nursa connects facilities and nursing professionals directly. Clinicians can request the shifts they are interested in and get high hourly pay. Try Nursa today; you just need to create a profile and add your license and other credentials for verification.

Find out for yourself how per diem jobs pay off. Searching for high-paying, flexible nursing jobs near you has never been easier.

Sources: