What Does PRN Mean in Nursing? – Simple & Essential Guide
Have you ever heard a nurse say “PRN” and wondered what it meant? It’s quite a unique term that’s used by nurses! PRN simply means, ‘as required’. Quite literally, it is like being a substitute teacher but only in the case of a hospital or a clinic. The work of PRN nurses is whenever additional help is required. This is such a nice thing because it helps the nurses to be pretty flexible in terms of the times they choose to work.
In this article, I would like to explain the meaning of PRN, the advantages and disadvantages of working as a PRN nurse, the various types of PRN nursing jobs along with PRN nurse tips that would help one in becoming a successful PRN nurse.
Let’s begin.
How Does PRN Work in Nursing
The Latin phrase “pro re nata”, or “as the situation requires”, is referred to as PRN in nursing care. It refers to instructions or guidelines given out for use in certain situations as the need arises. In nursing, the term is most commonly related to schedules that are classed as on-call or part-time. A PRN nurse does not have a set work schedule. Instead, they work when there is a demand such as when there is a fever, full-time staff members are away on vacation, or for certain high-patient periods. Such staff shortages are often met by employing PRN nurses in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes.
For subject matter clarity, PRN nurses may be called upon if a scheduled nurse is unable to work. This ability to respond as the situation requires is characteristic of PRN nursing, making it different from traditional part-time or fully employed nurses who have a rotating shift.
What Are the Benefits of Working as a PRN Nurse?
Flexibility
Working as a PRN nurse can be a blast as it enables you to determine your schedule. In contrast to employees who are assigned hours or shifts, PRN nurses are free to work as little or as much as they want. Because of this, you can prioritize your professional life or other responsibilities like school or family. For example, you may only work a few shifts per week when your schedule allows, or you may take additional shifts when it is necessary.
Higher Pay
Most of the time, a promise of higher hourly wages attracts PRN nurses. This is due to the fact that PRN nurses often do not get the same kind of benefits that staff nurses get like paid vacations or health insurance. Therefore, the wage provides compensation for the absence of these benefits. Based on pay scales, the hourly ales for PRN nurses can be about 25% more than that of staff nurses.
Work Environment and Tasks
Working as a PRN nurse may enable you to practice your profession in a variety of facilities such as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes which enables you to learn different skills and enrich your knowledge in nursing. If you like change and learning, then you will appreciate PRN’s work.
Work-life Balance
Having a family or other responsibilities is usually a concern with most nurses. However, PRN nursing makes it easier to achieve a balance. People can work as many hours or as few hours as they want, which increases the flexibility of the schedule.
Less Challenge of Stress
Stress and burnout are significant problems of practice for most nurses within the practice. But as a PRN nurse, you get to practice in a different way since you can afford to take breaks as and when you need them, avoiding fatigue, and demanding yourself up completely isn’t necessary because you don’t have a full work schedule.
What Are the Challenges of Working as a PRN Nurse?
Absence of Certain Benefits
One of the cons of getting a PRN position is that it doesn’t provide benefits. Most PRN nurses list any insurance for their health, paid time off, or retirement plans among their many benefits. While some individuals may believe lower benefits are offset by higher income, many may find it hard without these benefits.
Uncertainty of Work Schedule
One of the biggest downsides of the job, despite the fact that this is a flexible schedule, is that there is no guarantee of the amount of hours worked. Simply put, one can only hop on various shifts as and when available. This unpredictability makes one’s finances as well as one’s personal life a bit hard to scheme.
Less Job Security
Being a PRN nurse comes with its own set of risks and challenges. For starters, there are no guarantees of being filled for shifts, leading to an inconsistent income stream. Especially during peak seasons, nursing assistants, and therefore, it becomes a very covetable role.
Lack of Connection
Being a PRN nurse means you’ll be floating between different units or facilities and because of this it would be a challenge to establish firm bonds with your co-workers. You may also feel less connected to the organization as a whole since you aren’t a regular part of the team.
Need to Adapt Quickly
In understanding their need to adapt quickly, as a nursing assistant, you have to from time to time get accustomed to working with new units, new personnel, and even new places that you have never worked at, which increases the stress of the job even more.
What Are the Different Types of PRN Nursing Jobs?
Such nursing jobs are divided into four types generally. These can be determined by your qualifications, work experience, and also the institution’s requirements:
PRN Nurse in a hospital
Nursing staff in different hospital units like the emergency room, intensive care unit, or maternity ward, are substituted with hospital PRN nurses. Although there is a great deal of diversity in this type of work this type of work can also be stressful and often in a fast-paced environment.
Home Health PRN Nurse
Patients in their homes are treated by home health PRN nurses. Such patients may require assistance through dressing alterations, medication management, or after surgery. Patients’ homes are where this job requires travel from one to another although the pace is often much slower than in hospitals.
Nursing Home PRN Nurse
Nursing homes have those gaps filled with PRN nurses who are always needed at these centers. Such employment has a great potential for impacting aged individuals for a long period and the shifts may be both day and night time hours.
Clinic PRN Nurse
In times when clinics are busier, such as during flu season some clinics hire PRN nurses. The duties of these nurses include assisting in vaccinations, and patient triage, among others. Since clinics do not operate like hospitals, it makes the hours more set because they are more likely to be more regular than in hospitals.
How Can You Get a PRN Nursing Job?
The search for a PRN nursing job has been greatly simplified due to online job boards, agency websites as well as hospitals. The following are some of the channels from which one can obtain PRN jobs:
Nursing Job Boards
Job boards on websites such as Indeed, NurseFly, and Monster among others provide postings for PRN nursing positions. To facilitate a more focused search, you can look for locations, pay packages, and facility types that are most suitable.
Hospital and Clinic Websites
Some hospitals and clinics have their job openings posted on web pages. In looking for the jobs, type in the keywords “PRN” in the “Careers” or “Job Opportunities” sections. You may also ring the HR department seeking PRN positions if any are vacant.
Nursing Agencies
Temporary employment for nurses who work through staffing agencies is often coordinated by PRN nursing staffing agencies. Agency roles are often not promoted, but advertised jobs are one area where agencies excel.
What Can I Properly Prepare for Interview of PRN Nursing?
PRN nursing interviews tend to be more focused on answering the typical questions posed during full-time job interviews. However, they may also examine your level of flexibility and your ability to adjust to circumstances. Expect the following, among others:
- Questions about Flexibility: Since PRN nurses get called to work “as needed,” interviewers may be more concerned with how flexible your schedule is. Nights, weekends, and holidays will all need staffing, so the organization will want to know if you can fill those shifts.
- Experience in Various Settings: They may also inquire as to your familiarity with other forms of health care. Be sure to mention if you have worked in various units or types of care.
- Ability to Adapt: As mentioned above, what is unique about PRN nurses is that they are expected to adapt quickly to new environments. Tell how you coped with conditions in which you were required to conform to new policies or work with new colleagues.
Tips for Success as a PRN Nurse
- Time Management: Because you are going to be in different places, it is important to be able to remember your schedule and assignments. Do regular planning using a planner or the internet to remind you of the shifts you intend to work.
- Be Flexible: The more flexible you are the more shifts you might be getting. Employers consider this when you can work at nights, weekends, or holidays.
- Keep Your Skills Sharp: Since you do not work every day, it’s essential to practice your nursing skills regularly. Try considering enrolling in courses or in-service training to update and polish your profile.
- Build Relationships: Even if you are not a regular employee, make sure that you have a good rapport with your co-workers as well as with the supervisors. This can boost satisfaction at the workplace and enhance the chances of being called for extra shifts.
Last Words
Working as a nurse PRN can be very beneficial since it offers, flexibility and diversity, and opportunities to gain experiences in varied environments/ settings. Obstacles such as no benefits and calling in the schedules can be frustrating, most nurses agree that the combination of better pay and work-life balance makes it worthwhile. There is a risk that some essential things should not be ignored, and if those are not ignored, a nurse can be a productive PRN. It doesn’t matter whether you are a novice or a professional looking for a change, PRN nursing is designed for you.
