Types of Nursing Roles – Which One is Best for You?
As a nurse, there are several career paths you can take outside of a traditional staffing job to best fit your personal goals and needs. If you crave adventure and want to explore the US while doing what you love, you may decide on a travel nursing career. Or if you prefer to stay local with shorter contracts, maybe per diem is best for you. While travel, per diem, and staffing are the more common roles you can take, there is also strike and remote. Not sure which one is best for you? Continue on as we dive into the difference between each nursing role to help you choose which path is best for you!
Travel Nursing
Travel nursing opens up a world of opportunities; from visiting new cities and exploring new cultures, to learning new techniques and expanding your knowledge. While many have general knowledge on how travel nursing works, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to this career choice. For starters, most travel staffing agencies require a minimum two years of experience before traveling. If you plan on traveling outside of your primary resident state, you may want to apply for a Compact Nursing License. Click here for more information on how a Compact Nursing License works.
Secondly, just because you sign a travel contract, does not mean that you have to travel far from home. Some nurses travel throughout their hometown or within a short radius, but do not take tax-free stipends. The key to traveling locally is to understand the tax rules and what you can and cannot do regarding stipends and housing.
Most travel contracts are 13-weeks and typically offer some form of guaranteed hours with a possibility of overtime. One of the pros to travel nursing is you get to choose which contracts you want to take. If you have a specific state on your bucket list, ask your recruiter which assignments are available there. After your contract is up, you have the choice to travel somewhere new, extend your current contract, or take a break. Essentially, you can work when you want to work, and go wherever you want to go!
While travel nurses tend to earn higher wages than staffing nurses, like any industry, the market has its highs and lows. Contracts may be cancelled or other issues may arise throughout your contract, so it is important to have a plan in place for if certain situations arise.
Per Diem Nursing
Per Diem, often referred to as PRN, is similar to being an on-call nurse, but with more flexibility and is typically local. As a per diem nurse, you may work with a travel agency or directly with the hospital. This nursing role is great for staffing nurses who want to earn extra income, or for travel nurses in between assignments as you have the option to work as many shifts as you’d like each week that best fits your schedule.
Per diem nurses typically make more than a staffing nurse. You also have the ability to either stay local or work out to town, just make sure that you meet requirements. At TotalMed, we require CNAs to have a minimum 6 months of experience, and RN, LPN, and Therapists have 12 months of experience.
One major downfall to PRN is that hours aren’t guaranteed, and shifts can be cancelled up to two hours prior to the start time. Similar to travel nurses, you may have to float to other units from time to time to help fill patient to staff ratios.
Staff Nursing
Staff nursing is the most common nursing role, and one where every nurse starts at the beginning of their career. Even though pay is typically lower than that of travel or per diem nursing, staff nursing offers more opportunities to advance your career by gaining leadership skills and more responsibilities. Since you won’t be traveling to different facilities like a travel nurse, you will have the consistency both in hours and types of patients to help focus on building your skill set.
Staff nursing offers several benefits such as consistent hours, PTO, and certifications and credentials paid by your employers. As mentioned earlier, you will have the opportunity to form relationships with leaders to grow beyond the bedside and take on leadership roles. Staying in one location also provides you with the possibility to join committees or participate in hospital-wide councils, which can be a great way to further enhance your skillset and become more involved with your facility.
Strike Nursing
Strike nurses are a special kind of travel nurse who take contracts at facilities with planned nursing strikes. Strikes typically occur when a facility’s nursing staff is part of a nursing union, and agreements cannot be made between the facility and the union.
This type of nursing role is one where nurses need to be ready at a moment’s notice and hit the ground running. If working a strike through an agency, your start date can be as soon as 3-7 days out depending on the notice. Most contracts require you to work 48-72 hours each week, with contracts lasting anywhere between a few days to several weeks or longer depending on strike and the institution’s needs. Payment is usually premium as strike pay is typically categorized as crisis or hazard pay. Airfare, transportation, housing accommodations, and even meal allowances are usually provided.
One advantage of strike nursing that is if the strike happens to resolve early, you will still get paid for the full length of your contract. However, some cons to strike nursing include not having proper orientation as you’ll typically be tossed in to work right away, demanding hours, and possible bullying for crossing the picket line. Striking nurses are fighting for certain right and processes and may see you as not supportive for working during the strike. Regardless, remember that your job is safe, and you are doing what you do best – taking care of patients.
Remote Nursing
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, remote healthcare, also known as telehealth, has taken over the healthcare industry. Similar to most remote jobs, you will utilize technology such as webcams and telephones to perform duties and provide medical care from a distance. Some popular telehealth careers include Case Manager, Telemedicine Clinic Nurse, Compliance Nurse, Triage Registered Nurse, and Insurance Claims Nurse. Before you start a remote healthcare career, make sure you have the required certifications, credentials, and experience as some companies may require at least one year of in-person training.
Which Role is Best for You?
Need help deciding which role is best for you? Take some time to answer the following questions to help you decide which nursing role is best for your plans and personal goals.
- How much flexibility do you desire? Do you want a consistent job such as staff or remote nursing? Would you rather work when you want to work and choose your hours like per diem nursing? Or do you want something in between like travel nursing where you work for 8-13 weeks at a time and can take breaks?
- Do you want to travel? Both travel nursing and per diem nursing offer travel experiences. While you have the opportunity to work local contracts, maybe you want to spend some time traveling to a new city to explore new sites and cultures, meet new people, and learn new techniques through other facilities and coworkers.
- What are your financial goals? Staff and remote nursing typically don’t pay as much as travel, per diem, or strike nursing does. Spend some time considering your financial goals and what you want to achieve. Keep in mind that you can always travel for a few years before settling down in staffing career.
- Are you comfortable with the unknown? As mentioned earlier, staff and remote nursing provide consistency, so you always know what to expect. With travel and per diem nursing, your hours may vary from days, nights, and variable depending on your contract. Another thing to consider is how comfortable are you with traveling alone? While you can get local travel and per diem contracts, there may be times when contracts aren’t available near you. Travel nursing is a great opportunity to experience new cities, and while it may seem scary to go off on your own, it’s definitely worth the risk!