Rozina Aziz If you are considering a career in nursing and unsure about committing to a full-time, fixed schedule position, this could be the right option for you.
What is a PRN Nurse?
A PRN nurse fills in for a regular nurse whenever she’s called, performing all of the same tasks. The Latin phrase “pro re nata” (as required) is abbreviated to “PRN.” An on-call nurse is a registered professional who fills in at a healthcare hospital when they are needed. A PRN nurse fills in temporarily for another nurse or assists the one already on the nurse.
PRN nurses can’t settle down and spend their whole careers in one facility. Since a PRN nurse may work at one healthcare facility today and another tomorrow, their duties may change from day to day. They are free to remain employed by the hospital, but can transfer to different units as necessary.
The number of days in a given work period changes from one assignment to the next. For several weeks, for instance, a PRN nurse might be needed to cover for a regular nurse who is out on maternity leave, for just a few days, in the event of a regular sick nurse. Jobs on an as-needed basis (PRN) don’t have the stability or perks of permanent full-time employment. However, unlike ordinary full-time nurse jobs, PRN positions grant nurses a particular authority.
What roles do PRN nurses have?
PRN nurses have similar duties to those of full-time nurses. They confer with doctors and other healthcare providers to review patient records and discuss ongoing care. PRNs discuss the rationale for medical procedures with patients and their loved ones. When patients are hospitalized due to illness or accident, they provide outstanding bedside care, including medication administration and assistance with daily living duties.
Where do PRN Nurses work?
PRNs often find employment through nursing staffing agencies that fulfill the agencies’ contractual obligations to hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Depending on the medical staffing agency, a PRN hospital may be assigned to work in various healthcare settings. Being open to travel is a necessary trait for a PRN. However, traveling nurses can earn more money by working at different hospitals than they would if they were engaged by the same healthcare provider.
PRN jobs also include opportunities to work directly for hospitals as members of the hospital’s substitute nursing staff. Some hospitals have a team of emergency nurses on call in case a regular nurse needs to call in sick during times of high patient demand. Compared to jobs through staffing firms, the salary for these occupations is lower. The trade-off is a secure job.
How to become a PRN Nurse?
Follow these guidelines if you’re interested in finding work as a PRN nurse:
Acquire a Degree:
An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in nursing from a recognized university is required to enter the field. A two-year program leading to an associate’s degree in nursing takes students to specialize in nursing courses rather than taking a wide range of electives. It takes around four years to acquire a bachelor’s degree in nursing. During this time, you will take both general education and nursing courses and participate in clinical rotations.
Those interested in nursing don’t have to settle for an associate’s or bachelor’s degree; they can even obtain a diploma. It takes two to three years to finish and is designed to prepare students for the workforce. Diploma nursing programs typically take place in a hospital or other healthcare facility and teach students the fundamentals of patient care through clinical rotations and classroom instruction. Therefore, people often work as nurses or nursing aides for long periods before returning to nursing.
Obtaining a licensure:
One must first obtain a license to work as a nurse after graduating from an accredited nursing program. Both the type of nursing practiced and the state in which it is practiced affect the prerequisites for licensure. You must pass the NCLEX-RN to become a practical nurse (RN). After transitioning to RN experience, individuals must wait at least a year before becoming a PRN nurse.
Look for PRN opportunities:
It’s common for people to consider two distinct paths while looking for work as a PRN nurse. Applying to be on a hospital’s temporary nurse pool puts your name in a list of potential employees from whom the hospital can select to fill open nursing positions.
Alternatively, they can contact a medical staffing agency for help finding open nursing positions, albeit these agencies may have stringent standards for applicants. Although some companies may prefer nursing-trained PRN nurses, most of the time, these nurses serve in a more generic capacity.
Bonuses, health insurance, and retirement plans are just some of the perks available to workers via an agency. Even though PRN nurses may work at multiple hospitals and other facilities through their agencies, the consistency of PRN nurses who are part of a hospital’s permanent workforce is greater.
Do you know the duties of a PRN nurse?
A PRN must have the same credentials as a registered nurse to work, so they are responsible for many of the same duties. Among these responsibilities is carrying out and analyzing diagnostic procedures.
- The process of getting patients ready for medical procedures.
- Drug distribution and administration.
- Making preparations for the care of patients.
- The method of keeping and documenting patient medical records.
- Patient and family counseling around medical care management.
- In-depth patient history and symptoms should be reported.
- Work in tandem with other healthcare team members to map out the entirety of a patient’s treatment and care.
- A patient advocate who is prompt with medicine administration and provides necessary treatment updates
- Familiarity with medical machinery and its use
- Discover the ins and outs of conducting diagnostic procedures
- Support and counsel patients emotionally while educating them on medical practices and disease management.
Flexibility is a significant asset for PRN nurses because of the nature of the profession. Because their hours may change from week to week, they should be able to reorganize their sleep routine as necessary. Since they may work in various hospitals and medical settings, they should have a solid understanding of standard operating procedures and hospital policies.
What is the salary of a PRN nurse?
A PRN nurse can expect higher compensation than a full-time RN. The median hourly compensation of a PRN nurse was found to be $42 in the poll of self-reported earnings, with greater pay rates being offered by numerous employers. If a PRN nurse works full time, they can expect to make an annual salary of $78,444, or $37.17 per hour.
The agency may provide benefits such as insurance and retirement plans if a PRN nurse performs several weekly shifts. Some companies will pay a PRN nurse as soon as their shift is over. Packages for PRN nurses are offered by some hospitals and agencies in exchange for a predetermined number of weekly shifts worked.
Motivating Factors for Considering a Career as a PRN Nurse:
Now that you have all the information you need to decide if being a PRN nurse is an excellent opportunity, it is time to discuss the benefits of working as one. Below are a few incredible benefits of working as a PRN nurse.
You must decide on free-will assignments:
When a PRN nurse’s schedule conflicts with an assignment or when the nurse just does not want to work that shift, she is free to decline the change. A PRN nurse can reduce growth if, for instance, he plans to hang out with friends that night.
Accepts seasonal employment:
Temporary healthcare workers (such as PRN nurses) often get to choose the seasons in which they work. There are periods during the year when hospitals need more operational staff, such as during a pandemic or a nurse’s strike. Pandemics and epidemics create a high demand for PRN nurses because hospitals need additional staff to care for the influx of patients. Pay increases. Since PRN nurses don’t receive benefits or set working hours, they typically earn more per hour than full-time RNs. Pay for PRN nurses varies by state in terms of the hourly rate.
Possess the ability to fit their timetable:
The schedules of PRN nurses are entirely flexible, allowing them to choose whether they want to work every Monday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. They have complete control over their professional and private lives.
There will be more chances to expand one’s knowledge:
Since PRN nurses can work in any specialty, they have access to more educational opportunities than their full-time counterparts. A PRN nurse might, for instance, spend one shift in the ER and the next in gynecology.
The ebb and flow of a working day:
Regularly scheduled nursing hours are optional for PRN nurses. Nurses who work on a PRN basis have the flexibility to work extra shifts during peak periods, such as the winter flu season or the summer vacation season. Give it a bit, rest up, then get back at it.
There is no lapse invalidity of the license once retirement is reached:
Practicing as a PRN nurse after retirement is a great way to keep your license current and your skills sharp. Learning new skills and gaining experience in various fields might help you find your niche.
Consequences of working as a PRN nurse
You should consider PRN nurses’ trade-offs before deciding to pursue a career in the field. The use of a PRN nurse should replace a staff nurse who is called in at the last minute. A PRN nurse performs the same duties as a regular RN but receives no benefits from the state or any other organization. Furthermore, PRN nurses are frequently thrust into medical situations with varying presentations and treatment needs.
PRN Medication
The definition of a PRN nurse also applies to the medications given on an “as needed” basis. In the same way that an on-call nurse is brought in only when necessary, only as much medication as is absolutely necessary is ordered. There are directions for using each and every medication. Some drugs are prescribed daily, while others are meant to be taken only in emergencies (such as when someone has a fever, cold, constipation, or an allergy).
A good illustration of this is someone who takes from diabetes and must take insulin daily. But the doctor has warned him to keep an eye on his weight and start taking obesity medication if it rises above a certain threshold. Obesity medications in this setting are considered “as required” or “PRN” medications.
How does PRN order work?
A physician’s order for treatment, diagnosis, or medication administration on an “as needed” basis is known as a “PRN order.” A patient’s clinical profile and unique symptoms inform the decision to issue a PRN order. Individual symptoms, medicine tolerance, age, gender, and allergies all play a role in the PRN order given to a patient.
In addition, the PRN protocol specifies the steps to take when administering the PRN drug. The patient should be aware of when to take the PRN medications. Hence a PRN protocol is required for PRN medication orders. Information regarding PRN orders is provided in greater detail by the PRN protocol.
The PRN protocol will include the following:
- Details regarding PRN prescriptions and medications Information on:
- What symptoms indicate the need for PRN medication
- How much medication should be taken at once
- What to do in the event of an emergency (such as going to the hospital or callin
Conclusion
A PRN nurse is a nurse who works on an “as needed” basis, taking shifts at different times and in different specialties as needed. They typically don’t receive benefits of any kind but do have the flexibility to work extra shifts during peak periods. PRN nurses also have access to more educational opportunities than their full-time counterparts. A physician’s order for treatment, diagnosis, or medication administration on an “as needed” basis is known as a “PRN order.” The PRN protocol will include details regarding PRN prescriptions and medications and instructions on how much medication should be taken at once.
