The world is more connected every day, and what made this possible is the Internet. The virtual world opened the door to infinite opportunities in many fields, and medicine is no exception. New tools and techniques exist in healthcare services to make them more effective and efficient.
The virtual world is helping to face problems affecting hospitals and healthcare centers nationwide. One of these problems is the nurse shortage which affects healthcare outcomes, like higher rates of possible errors, nurse burnout, and higher rates of mortality, among others, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Through PRN nursing jobs, hospitals and healthcare centers are finding a way to meet staffing requirements online, and nurses can pick the jobs they like. To better understand this, we will explain the gig economy and how healthcare can benefit.
Learn How Nursa Helps Nurses Pick Up Jobs When Needed Most
The Gig Economy and How Hospitals and Healthcare Centers Can Use It
In the gig economy, hospitals and other healthcare facilities use the digital world to post jobs, and clinicians use it to find those jobs. The gig market opens the opportunity to engage employers and employees on a short-term basis, hiring someone for a specific task. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the gig economy's growth, and more companies are embracing this model.
What are "Gig" Nursing Jobs?
Some examples of gig workers are consultants, independent contractors, freelancers, etc. What characterizes the work or 'gigs' is that the employee receives money after finishing each task. So, to understand better, when someone uses Uber, they are becoming part of the gig economy.
Some terms used in the gig economy regarding healthcare services need an explanation. Therefore, we'll give you some context by answering the following questions.
- What is per diem? Per diem means "per day," so the jobs posted in the gig market are going to be on a short-term basis.
- What is per diem in medical terms? It's usually used when a medication is taken as needed without a schedule or for a healthcare job by the shift.
- What are per diem nursing jobs? Per diem comes from the Latin "by the day," so these jobs are temporary; the nurse doesn't become a permanent employee in the institution.
Now that everything is more precise, you probably want to be part of the gig economy and begin benefiting from it—as a healthcare institution or as a nurse.
How Hospitals and Healthcare Centers Can Benefit from the Gig Economy?
There are two ways in which hospitals and healthcare centers can use what the gig economy offers. The first one is hiring travel nurses, which is a great option, but even if healthcare centers want to hire a nurse for a specific time, they have to do it through a staffing agency that charges costly hire-away fees. The other and more direct way is hiring nurses through PRN apps that allow direct contact between healthcare centers and the clinicians they need.
Through the benefits of the gig economy, healthcare centers can meet the nurse-patient ratio more efficiently and without the costs associated with permanent staff. Using the Nursa per diem nursing app, healthcare centers can shorten the process of finding the right person for the job.
RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and Gig Nursing
Registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are getting more interested in what the gig economy can offer them. Let's see the opportunities that being part of this digital world offers.
There are many benefits of being engaged in the gig nursing wave. RNs, LPNs, and CNAs can use per diem nursing jobs to work extra hours and make more money on top of their salary.
Also, RNs, LPNs, and CNAs have the opportunity to know different healthcare centers and find one with the best work environment for them.
Similarly, a powerful tool like Nursa can help newly graduated nurses who don't yet know where they want to live or want to have the chance to experience different positions in the nursing field to obtain valuable insights.
Something that also is very important in the professional world is to find the balance between family and work. Using Nursa, nurses can manage their time better because they have flexibility in choosing their shifts. Therefore, they have the chance to spend more time with their loved ones.
Nursa not only gives RNs, LPNs, and CNAs a chance to find the right job for them, but these jobs also have great per diem hourly rates. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs' average hourly payment is around $42,80. For LPNs, it is around $26,86, and CNAs earn approximately $17,41. With Nursa, RNs, LPNs, and CNAs can earn significantly more per hour—in some cases, even doubling the average hourly rate—which is why Nursa not only gives flexibility at work but is an opportunity to earn more and have more personal time.
The Gig Economy: Pros and Cons for Healthcare Centers and Nurses
Pros for Healthcare Centers
- The gig economy is an efficient way to meet the staffing requirements for the different units. Having the possibility of hiring someone "as needed" facilitates maintaining the nurse-patient ratio.
- It helps with the staffing budget since gig workers don't have the costs associated with employee benefits.
- It avoids nurse burnout since hospitals will not need to overwork their nurses.
Cons for Healthcare Centers
- Having many nurses who are unfamiliar with the healthcare center reduces efficiency since new nurses need to be trained.
Pros for Nurses
- PRN nursing jobs offer higher hourly rates.
- If you are considering moving to a different state, you can pick up a couple of shifts and see if the place is what you're looking for.
- It can help you find a great workplace, meaning if you like a healthcare center, you can apply to work there when your shifts finish.
Cons for Nurses
- You are solely responsible for paying your taxes.
- You don't have employee benefits.
Nursa: A Key Partner for Healthcare Services
Nursa is an easy-to-use app with a nationwide presence, which facilitates direct contact between RNs, LPNs, CNAs, and healthcare centers.
Through Nursa, whoever is looking for or posting a job can access an efficient way to keep everything working as it should—taking away a lot of weight from the shoulders of healthcare staffing administrators.
