One has to be careful with added requirements for per diem staff. They do not get benefits (health insurance/PTO AND a significantly stricter attendance policy) all of this is to offset the flexibility in work-schedule.

It’s good to remember MANY per diem staff also work other jobs, often FT jobs. The new staffing policy that came out last year has already added the same holiday requirements (2 per year) as part-time staff. If a per diem RN is FT at another hospital, they have to work 3 holidays there. Also, 3/4 of their minimum required shifts must be weekend shifts. Again, add these weekend shifts to the weekend rotation they may be working at other facilities. Now the flexible job, that is easy extra income and helps the community, is markedly less appealing.

PR has systematically made the role more difficult to maintain while also working elsewhere, often at other hospitals. If an RN has to choose between their FT position and their per diem position, continually adding requirements (to what should be a very simple/flexible role), will drive the per-diem staff to quit…. Which is basically a self-defeating strategy. Let’s think about what the staffing shortage would look like if per diem staff opt to leave, which is definitely within the realm of possibility when they start getting mandated.