Two offers for PACU at the same hospital and I keep going back and forth. Staff is $44/hr with benefits, PTO, the 401k match, and one weekend a month plus call. PRN is $58/hr, no benefits, and I'd need to pick up 4 shifts a month to stay active, but nobody guarantees I get them.
My husband's insurance would cover me so benefits aren't make or break. But I've heard PRN gets cancelled first when the OR schedule is light, and PACU volume swings a lot here.
PACU people, how often do your per diems actually get called off? And is the $14 difference worth giving up PTO? Did anyone go PRN and regret it?
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Post replyDon't forget the 401k match is basically free money. Once you factor in a 4-5% match plus three or four weeks of paid time off, the $14 shrinks a lot. PRN wins if you're picking up a lot, but if you're only getting the minimum 4 shifts, staff probably comes out ahead.
Meanwhile my hospital just cut PRN rates and then wondered why nobody picks up. Love that you have two offers to choose from.
Went PRN two years ago and don't regret it at all. No call is worth way more than $14/hr to me. Being able to turn off my phone on weekends changed my life.
Does the staff position's call pay count toward that $44? Our call pay plus callback rate adds up fast, and some months it closes most of the gap.
PRN in PACU at my place gets called off constantly when the surgeons go on vacation or it's a holiday week. December and summer you might get 2 of your 4 shifts. Ask the manager straight up how many PRN shifts got cancelled last quarter. If they dodge the question, that's your answer.