There are common misperceptions about what’s it like to work as a per diem nurse. But you might be surprised at how much these roles have changed over the past few years. Per diem nurses are highly coveted professionals who call the shots in a candidate-driven market. Extensive nursing shortages are just beginning, so the per diem worker is highly sought after. The aging Baby Boomer population and nursing shortages along with low unemployment make today’s per diem roles higher quality positions that anyone would be interested in. Given these market changes, let’s debunk some of the per diem myths and assumptions for 2020.
Per Diem is a Short-Term Way to Earn Fast Cash
Well, that is still true but it’s a lot more than that today. Per diem nurses do earn top dollar so it’s still an attractive way to bulk up savings or pay off debt. But because these professionals earn such high incomes, there are many nurses that now choose per diem work over a traditional full-time role. That’s because, as we mentioned, the per diem nurse calls the shots both in the type of role they choose, the income, and the facility they work in. Today’s per diem nurses choose this path as a career option because they have so many more choices over a full-time role. Too, these positions allow the per diem to try a role before accepting it full-time, which is a nice way to ensure the position is just the right fit long-term.
Per-Diem Nurses are Second Class Citizens in the Nursing World
The perception that per diem nurses are not respected as more than temporary workers just isn’t true. The staffing shortage is so great today that per diem nurses are welcomed, nurtured, and cultivated. The goal of the hospital is typically to keep these professionals long-term and full time if they can get them to stay. That changes from the old school substitute teacher mentality to an environment where per diem nurses are recognized as providing a critical helping hand when hospitals experience a staffing shortage—which is far too often these days. Per diem nurses are welcomed as members of the team with an important role in the hierarchy of the healthcare facility.
Per-Diem Nurses are Pigeonholed into Temp Roles and Can’t Get Hired Full-Time
This one is so wrong now, that it’s laughable. Hospitals know that per diem workers are sometimes the most skilled nurses on the floor because they’ve seen so much during their tenure. That makes per-diem nursing an important resume skill that hospitals need and these nurses are more sought after for this very reason, not less. Per diem nurses not only run into a variety of clinical settings and situations, they’re fast on their feet and are particularly good at building relationships with teams quickly.
Today, per diem nurses are more in-demand than ever. These professionals have great resume skills, receive top pay and benefits, are leaders on their team no matter where they are. It’s a great time to be a per diem nurse. Talk to the team at MAS Medical and reassess your options in the new world of per diem nursing.
