With the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic and the past two difficult years due to it, heaps of job spaces have been left open in the healthcare industry. Facilities and hospitals in dire need of new workers and support, and even running out of supplies to accommodate patients with necessary and proper care they deserve. However, akin to light in the darkness, numerous people search for jobs, ready to fill the empty spaces that desperately desire assistance. When considering working in the healthcare industry, there are various professions and ways to work in healthcare. If you're someone who wants to assist hospitals that are experiencing difficulty due to shortages specifically, you are in the correct place; we're here today to learn all about PRN vs. travel nursing jobs.
Those with the desire to assist in filling in spots at hospitals or facilities that are in dire need of being filled must be prepared to not stay in the same facility for extended periods due to the nature of the nursing shortage and just how large and spread out it is, locations all over the world are constantly in need of new workers to fill in whether it be for a while or just a single day. This is precisely where nurses and healthcare workers working in PRN or travel nursing come in; these nurses and workers are just what these facilities need.
What Are PRN Nursing Jobs?
So what are PRN nursing jobs, and what makes them so wonderful? For beginners, PRN stands for a Latin phrase, "pro re nata," this phrase means "as-needed." Nurses and healthcare workers that work PRN are thus, working on an as-needed basis; these nurses working PRN don't always have a set schedule, instead work for hospitals and facilities whenever they are needed; these types of workers fill in for staffing shortages wherever they may be, providing much-needed assistance during the amplified lack. Due to this type of work, to make a living off of working PRN, those picking up PRN jobs may fulfill full-time hours or more, which may be spent at one facility or a variety of healthcare settings in the clinician's local area.
However, this all being noted may be quite a bit easier than you may ever imagine. When working PRN, you can choose where you wish to work and how often you'd like to work; essentially, one is their own boss, which is fantastic for this line of work as it can be pretty time-consuming if not organized correctly in moderation. Additionally, since those working PRN are not employees of the facilities they work at, the nature of this allows for nurses working PRN to make a substantial amount more than those in travel nursing since PRN nurses don't receive the same benefits as travel nurses or full-time employees, not only do PRN workers make more, healthcare facilities hiring PRN workers will as well.
What is Travel Nursing?
Although working as a PRN nurse may already seem the better option, having as much knowledge as possible in various areas is still essential. Thus, we must also learn a bit more about travel nursing and what exactly it is. Contrary to being a PRN nurse and your own boss, travel nurses work for healthcare staffing agencies that specialize in placing workers in temporary jobs all over the country. These agencies take a percentage of what a facility may pay a travel nurse in exchange for furnishing their travel nurses with necessities such as transportation and secure housing.
Unlike working PRN, where you can choose where you wish to go at any time, travel nurses sign a contract to fill temporary positions that could last days, weeks, months, or perhaps even longer. When these contracts end, travel nurses can extend their stay at their location or move on to a new one. The length of contracts varies and can be anywhere from eight to 26 weeks. Lastly, a travel nurse's average national yearly salary is around $85,530. Keep in mind that average varies depending on what parts of the country the nurse works in, and that PRN nurses make on average more than travel nurses because the pay is higher minus the benefits.
How to Find PRN Jobs Near You
Now that you've been given all the knowledge you need on the differences between travel nursing and working as a PRN nurse, you've probably concluded the same thing as us, that working PRN is even better than working as a travel nurse. However, how do you go about finding the right PRN jobs for you? It must be somewhat challenging, right? Contrary to this belief, finding PRN jobs is easier than ever today! With a healthcare staffing app, you can begin finding PRN jobs in minutes, and here at Nursa, we have just that. Sign up for an account with us today, and you can start searching for jobs quickly!
