5 Things You Didn’t Know About Per Diem Nursing in Oklahoma
Travel nurses get to do something we could only hope to be able to do for a living, traveling and getting to work in different states and getting paid for it, and being in the front line and helping all of the people who are in need. If you are a travel nurse and are interested in accepting an assignment in beautiful Oklahoma, here is a guide to per diem nursing in Oklahoma. There are a lot of questions when it comes to per diem nursing, like What is a per diem nurse schedule? Do per diem nurses get shift differential? Do per diem nurses get orientation? Is per diem better than full time? Here are 6 things you didn’t know about per diem nursing in Oklahoma.
What is Per Diem Nursing?
Per Diem is Latin which translates to “per day”. This type of temporary nursing staff would allow you to get paid premium waged in hospitals and clinics in areas that you are assigned. They are usually used by hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities to meet the staffing needs in times of unusual huge census like during flu season or natural disasters. Here are a few things you didn’t know about per diem nursing in Oklahoma:
- Try before you stay on your nursing specialty
If you want to explore more career options, then per diem nursing is an excellent way to do that. You could dip your feet into all of these different specialties and see if they are the right ones for you by working some low-impact shifts in different healthcare facilities. You could work with your recruiter to make that happen.
- Per diem nurses could be employed by more than one agency, hospital, or healthcare system
You have to consider all of the employment opportunities by looking into more than one agency, hospital, or healthcare system to allow you to have better bargaining power when you are negotiating with each entity for possible shifts and wages. If you want per diem nursing your career, then contracting with different agencies and facilities would help in improving your opportunities.
- Make more money by going per diem
When you are a full-time nurse, your shift would usually consist of three 12-hour shifts or more, and that is not always easy. Having 4 days off a week, on the other hand, would provide you, as a nurse, more opportunities to work overtime. Per diem is like a side hustle because you could be able to work with a recruiter to fit shifts in local facilities that you think fit with your schedule. They also make higher hourly wages than other traditionally employed nurses because they do not have to offer other benefits to per diem nurses.
- Per diem nursing can improve your work-life balance
In per diem nursing, your work schedule would allow you to capitalize on your preferences of off-shifts because those shifts are known to be hard to fill and you could work the shifts that you choose, rather than being subject to the needs of a unit to work full-time. You have to remember this: if you work then you get paid, but you need time off, you won’t get any penalties, but you would also not have any sick days or vacation time.
- Per diem nursing is not the same as PRN nursing
Pre Re Nata (PRN) means “as needed” and PRN nurses are employed by the unit so they have to meet the staffing requirement of that specific unit that they are going to be a part of. This means that you are going to have to work certain numbers of shifts and you might even have holiday or weekend requirements.
Per Diem nurses on the other hand do not have to work a certain number of shifts since they get paid when they work. You would have more flexibility with your time and with where you work.
Oklahoma Cities That Pay The Most for Registered Nurses
City Average Weekly Salary Max Weekly Salary
Kingfisher $3,418 $4,488
Bartlesville $3,362 $5,165
Tishomingo $3,346 $4,488
Claremore $3,298 $4,536
Guthrie $3,169 $3,859
Owasso $3,133 $5,113
Coalgate $3,035 $3,240
Admore $2,989 $4,698
Watonga $2,875 $4,540
Types of Registered Nurses that Make the Most Money in Oklahoma
Specialty Average Weekly Salary Max Weekly Salary
Electrophysiology Lab $3,802 $3,802
Nephrology $3,802 $3,802
House Supervisor $3,757 $4,158
Administrative $3,418 $3,515
CVP ICU $3,275 $5,113
Pediatric Intensive Care $3,275 $5,113
Manager $3,151 $4,158
Long Term Acute Care $3,076 $7,035
Preoperative $3,070 $3,802
Coronary Care Unit $3,039 $4,930
Registered nurses do more than help doctors when it comes to their specialties, they also administer patient care and help in educating patients and their families about all of the different health conditions. Oklahoma is a beautiful state with a lot of sites and amazing healthcare facilities that would help you hone your skills as a registered nurse.