Benefits of Per Diem?

Anyone have any advice for per Diem nursing? Benefits and drawbacks? I've been offered a job as a per Diem nurse on a unit I love and wanted to know what people's thoughts are on it?
I've been working PRN/per diem for two years and enjoy the flexibility. I can pick and choose the days that I prefer to work, earn a significantly higher hourly pay rate, schedule myself to have a week off in a row, and so forth.Drawbacks include no fringe benefits such as health insurance, 401k retirement plans, PTO, etc. In addition, in the event of low patient census, per diem/PRN staff members are usually the first ones to have their shifts cancelled.

I am prn and I love it! I make more per hour and have benefits through my husband. It allows me to go to graduate school because I can pick and choose my schedule.

Benefits: you have more control over your schedule including the exact days/shifts you want, you can work as much or as little as you want, usually (but not always) a higher pay rate than the permanent staff, and lots of opportunities for floating.However, as a per diem, they owe you NOTHING. You have to commit to X hours a pay period, but you are not guaranteed a single one of those hours. If you get called off every shift d/t census or too much staff, too bad so sad--it's not their problem but yours. You also don't learn about being cancelled until a few hours before the shift begins. And even if turn into a long-term per-diem person at one facility, don't get too comfortable because at any time they can replace you with permanent staff...or another per-diem.If you do decide to pursue the per-diem route, try to get a second per-diem or agency job. That way, if hours are skimpy at one, you may be able to make up the difference at the other job.

In my opinionPros: Not being obligated to the unit: hence management isn't down you back like the regular staff nursesBetter hourly pay (as stated before)Flexibility of schedule!!!!Ability add a part-time or full time job around your per-diem schedule and not have it conflictSafety net- For extra money or when you leave or lose your full time gig! lolKeeping one foot in the door- you'll have a leg up on external candidates on getting a full time job there or transferring to another unitCons: Loss of benefitsNo guaranteed scheduleBeing dumped on with heavier assignments by regular staff (although the nurses who I worked with who have worked at my job for everrrrrrrr get good assignments when they work, even though they are only part-time)I'm seriously contemplating going PD/PT at my current job and trying out agency nursing. I want to get away from the politics.

Quote from [URL="http://allnurses.com/#"IceGuy[/URL];6856367]Anyone have any advice for per Diem nursing? Benefits and drawbacks? I've been offered a job as a per Diem nurse on a unit I love and wanted to know what people's thoughts are on it?

Pros for me, More pay, don't get caught up in the units politics, no staff meetings, builds character and level of skill.Cons, no unit to call home, have to be well liked, even by difficult people, no benefits, have to go the extra mile to be well liked

do you find it easy to make a living PRN/Per Diem? That would be my one concern.Do agencies offer benefits? Do you have weekend/holiday requirements?I'm considering PRN as well...

@candoit, yes I do. Sometimes I may only get 60 hr a pp around the holidays when regular staff works a lot of overtime. I think some agencies offer benefits, but in house float pool is more secure than agency. I don't work any weekends unless I want to, I do some holidays, but since its double time, most staff snatches those shifts up.

Quote from cantdoitDo agencies offer benefits? Do you have weekend/holiday requirements?