When it comes to the world of healthcare, you’re going to hear a lot of terms that you might not be familiar with. One of these is per diem.
Per diem is short for “per day,” and it refers to a payment or employment status by an employer to an employee for each day they work on a needed basis.
If you’ve ever wondered what per diem means in healthcare, then this article will provide some helpful information about how this type of employment status works, who qualifies for it, and how much per diem pay can vary based on where you live (and even what kind of job you have).
What is a Per-Diem Nurse?
As the name implies, per-diem nurses are called in on an as-needed basis for work. They can also pick up shifts as their schedule permits as long as their employer has any availability.
They typically work for agencies, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities to fill positions vacated because of illness, or vacation.
The majority of per-diem nursing jobs are located in large urban areas such as New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. However, there are also opportunities available in rural areas where hospitals may be in need of staff.
Per diem nurses usually work flexible schedules that can be changed at any time based on the needs of their employers and based on their availability. So there’s a lot of flexibility for nurses that work on a per diem basis.
Hours or benefits are typically not guaranteed for per-diem nurses. Per diem pay is usually higher than regular staff pay due to the fact that they usually get no benefits from their employers and might go some days or weeks with no work. This happens when their employers have no nursing needs.
A per-diem nurse is allowed to turn down shifts if they have no interest in working those shifts. you have the freedom to turn down available shifts if you cannot work or are uninterested in taking them.
Per-Diem Nursing Salary
The average per-diem nursing salary is $25-$50 per hour or $106,429 per year. The amount varies by state, but it’s typically higher in states with a lot of medical facilities and lower in states where there are fewer facilities.
Per-Diem Nursing Requirements
You need to have your associate’s degree in nursing or bachelor’s degree in nursing. Having an advanced degree will give you an advantage over other applicants because it shows employers that you have taken the time to further your education.
In addition to having an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, prospective per-diem nurses must also have certification from an accredited organization such as the American Nurses Association (ANA).
The ANA provides certification by passing their exam after completing an approved course of study and clinical experience at an accredited facility.
Benefits of Per-Diem Nurses
The benefits of working as per-diem nurses include:
1. Flexibility
The ability to choose your own schedule is one of the biggest perks of working as a per-diem nurse. This can be especially appealing if you are looking for more flexible hours than your current job offers or if you need more time off for personal matters or other professional opportunities.
2. Learn New Skills
Per-diem positions allow you to experience different medical facilities and procedures daily. You may find yourself in a hospital one day and then visiting an assisted living facility or private home on another day. You’ll have many opportunities to learn new skills and gain new knowledge while working in various environments and helping patients deal with illnesses and injuries.
3. It’s an easy way to make money.
As a per diem nurse, you won’t need to find a new job every so often like other types of nurses. Instead, you can pick up shifts when available and take as many or as few as you like. This flexibility makes it easy to earn some extra cash when you need it most.
4. You get paid for each shift.
With some per-diem jobs, you’ll be paid by the assignment rather than on an hourly basis. So if you work a nine-hour day and receive $1000 per shift, that’s all you get paid even if your actual time was closer to 10 hours or less than eight hours total. You can still work overtime and make more money if needed, but it’s up to the employer whether or not they want to pay for extra hours in addition to the rate for each assignment itself.
Most per- diem jobs though pay on an hourly basis and pays overtime and holiday pay.
5. Freedom
You’ll have the freedom to work wherever and whenever you want unless you are only working for one employer. That means you don’t have to worry about finding a new job every time. You can also choose which shifts you want to work each week and take time off when necessary, such as for vacation or illness.
6. Great Work-life Balance
Working as a per-diem nurse also provides an outstanding work-life balance because you can choose how many shifts you want to work each week. This gives more flexibility in your schedule so that you can spend more time with your family or doing other leisure activities during non-work hours.
7. Decreased risk of burnout
One of the most significant risks for nurses is burnout. Nurses often feel overworked and underappreciated by their employers, leading to emotional fatigue and even physical exhaustion.
The lack of consistent scheduling makes it difficult for nurses to plan their schedules and have time off.
Per-diem nurses can choose how many shifts they want to work each month and when they want those shifts to be scheduled, which helps to reduce stress caused by inconsistent schedules.
What Are the Duties of Per-Diem Nurses?
Per-diem nurses are on call for work or for short-term assignments at various facilities. They may be called to work at different times and are sometimes not necessary assigned to one location.
The duties of per-diem nurses vary depending on the facility and their specific job description. Most often, they provide direct patient care, which may include:
- Assessing patients’ needs.
- Listening to their concerns and complaints.
- Teaching patients how to care for themselves at home.
- Administering medications as prescribed by physicians.
- Performing diagnostic tests such as blood pressure readings or electrocardiograms (ECGs).
- Monitoring patients’ conditions and following up with them.
- Attending lectures, conferences, or training programs in order to keep up with advances in medical technology and nursing practices.
- Performing treatments or procedures as required by the facility or doctor/nurse practitioner.
PRN vs. Part-Time Nursing
First things first: what does PRN stand for? PRN stands for “pro re nata” in Latin and means “as needed.”
So, if you’re hired as a PRN employee, you’ll only be working when open shifts are available at your facility or agency.
And since those shifts can be few and far between, it’s not uncommon for PRNs to work fewer than 20 hours per week or even less than 10 hours per week on average!
This is different from part-time nursing because part-time nurses are typically scheduled to work more than 20 hours per week but less than 40 hours per week on average.
As a result, part-time nurses often have set days off each week and may have regular shifts with their employer that repeat every week or every other week.
Drawbacks of Per Diem Nursing
Per diem nurses are a popular way to work as a nurse. You can choose when you work and what type of work you want to do. However, there are some cons that come with this kind of job:
1. Can Be Difficult to Find Work
If you’re looking for full-time employment, then you’ll not likely find it as a per diem nurse. Most facilities have their own staff and do not need per diem nurses unless they are short staffed. This means that you might or might not be able to work a set number of hours unless the facility needs you.
2. Might Not Get Preferred Sites or Units.
Some facilities only offer specific shifts, and if they aren’t available when you need them, there’s nothing you can do about it. If an emergency happens during one of your preferred shifts, you won’t get paid unless another shift opens up for you to fill.
3. Must Be To Work Where You Are Placed
Working as a per diem nurse requires being able to accept any assignments you are given in a facility unless of course it’s an unsafe assignment. This might be a problem for nurses who prefer a consistent assignment. The solution to this is finding aa per-diem job for a specific unit in a facility.
4. No Perks
Since you are working per diem , you will not be eligible for benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance, and paid time off. If you get sick or injured, it will be up to you to pay for any medical bills.
5. Not Always Able to Work With Your Preferred Patients
Since there is such high demand for per diem nurses, this may mean that you won’t always get the exact patient assignments that you want or need. If this is an issue for you, then being per diem on a specific unit again might be the way to go.
Let’s Wrap It!
A common misconception is that per diem workers represent new grads and those just starting in the healthcare field.
This idea has little basis in reality. In fact, the majority of per diem workers are already employed by an acute care facility. Still, they may seek a higher salary or a more flexible schedule.
Many people prefer this employment model because it offers an alternative to being staff at a hospital.
What do you prefer? Full-time, Part-time, PRN, or Per-diem? Let us know in the comment section below!
