What Is a PRN Nursing Position?

by Ellie Williams, studioD

Per diem nurses work on an on-call, temporary basis, filling in for nurses on leave or providing additional help when patient intake rises. Some work for nurse staffing agencies and might fill in at a different hospital each day, while others work for a hospital or health-care system, floating between departments or facilities as needed.

Work Schedule

Assignments for PRN nurses might last only a day or up to several weeks, depending on why they’ve been called in. If they’re filling in for a nurse on maternity leave, the assignment could last several weeks, but if they’re filling in for someone who’s out sick, they might only work a day or two. PRN nurses can often choose the kind of work schedule that works best for them, opting for only one or two days a week or only taking on short- or long-term assignments lasting several weeks. Because of the flexibility and the high demand for their services, they can often set their own schedules, choosing assignments that work around their children’s needs, for example.

Working Conditions

PRN nurses might work at different facilities or in different units every day and must be able to quickly adjust to new duties, policies and colleagues. Nurses who work for an agency might have assignments at hospitals in various geographic locations, offer diverse services and operate under significantly different policies. Nurses can also sign on with a hospital’s pool of per diem nurses, so while they might work in different departments and have different responsibilities each day, they benefit from familiar environments in which they know the policies, practices and possibly many of their co-workers.


Most agencies and hospitals require PRN nurses to have RN licenses, and staffing agencies have strict requirements, including excellent references and credentials and one year of critical care experience, according to Nursevillage.com. They also often require drug testing and current immunizations. Agencies might also administer competency tests to determine if nurses have the knowledge and experience to quickly adapt to new situations.

Pay and Benefits

PRN jobs often pay more than full-time nursing positions, said Jeff Fox of Nursefinders, in the NurseZone article “Per Diem Nursing Offers Flexibility and Financial Rewards. Agencies typically offer higher rates than hospitals. Many agencies offer benefits packages with everything from health insurance to retirement plans for nurses who accept a minimum number of shifts per week, and some pay PRN nurses immediately following each shift they work. Some hospitals also offer benefits packages for PRN nurses who commit to working a certain number of shifts per week in the facility’s per diem nursing pool.

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