The 9-5 grind can be challenging and doesn’t meet everyone’s needs. For example, maybe you’re a morning person who loves to be up at dawn. Or you may be a night owl who loves to stay up late and is at their best at 11 PM.
You may have kids and a partner who works a daytime role and are searching for an evening position that allows you to work around their schedule and sleep overnight. Or perhaps your ideal position allows you to work overnight after the kids go to bed, see them off to school, and then catch your sleep while they’re out of the house.
Whatever your personal needs are, one of the best parts about working in healthcare is that there are various schedules you can try to meet your work-life balance needs. So here are a few ideas to get you started. And the great thing is that these are only a few options. If you have specific needs, you can use this to brainstorm what will work best for you!
Work 3 12s
Several healthcare providers work three twelve-hour shifts over a week. While the shifts themselves are long, it offers the opportunity to consolidate the work week into just a few days.
The 12s can be daytime hours, PMs, overnight shifts, or a combination. For example, if you have school-age children, some parents prefer to work a 19:00-07:00 shift. They find they are up in time to have dinner, spend time with their kids after school, and then leave for work as their children are heading to bed. And with work time consolidated, it means being available the other four days of the week for appointments, practices, and other activities.
With healthcare as an in-demand field, working various shifts may also be possible. You could start your week on a daytime shift, then work a PM midweek, followed by an overnight shift.
Or you could work straight PMs (i.e., 11 PM – 11 AM), consecutive days, or another combination. The point is that there is often flexibility when you work your shifts during the week to meet the needs of the healthcare organization and yourself.
Work the Weekend Program
Several facilities offer a program where staff only work the weekends. The hours required may differ by facility. For example, a weekend program may include Friday through Sunday hours in some places. Or it may consist of only Saturday and Sunday hours. If you’re working overnights, a facility may count Friday and Saturday nights as weekend hours but not the Sunday night shift once it switches to Monday at midnight.
These positions sometimes come with higher pay rates and other incentives, such as full benefits for part-time hours. Just be sure to clarify what hours the facility is looking for since there can be variation in what’s considered weekend hours.
Consider a PRN or a Per Diem Role
A PRN or Per Diem position allows you to work very part-time. Usually, with these roles, you’re filling gaps in the schedule. So the needs of the facility may vary.
Most healthcare facilities also have policies around how much and often these workers can pick up shifts. For example, it’s common to be required to work so many hours within a scheduled period.
However, you may also be capped at working above a certain number of hours. This is because if you consistently hit a certain number of hours per pay period, you qualify for benefits and would no longer qualify as a PRN or Per Diem team member.
Since a PRN or Per Diem role typically isn’t a benefit-eligible position, they are often paid a higher hourly rate. These are usually excellent, flexible roles you can do in addition to a current role. Or, depending on your need for benefits, you could work in this type of role at more than one institution.
Finally, many individuals find a part-time role like Per Diem or PRN attractive after a significant life event where they want to maintain their skills but need to cut back on hours.
Try Contract Staffing
Lastly, a fourth option is to consider contract staffing. There are often roles available for a variety of shifts. Additionally, contract staffing is a great way to test a new facility or area, with a few extra perks.
For example, maybe you’ve wanted to live in Los Angeles but are nervous about making a big move. 365 Healthcare Staffing Services, an established and trusted healthcare staffing agency, often has roles to fill in this area.
If you choose to work with 365 Healthcare Staffing Services, you’ll get top industry pay, several employment benefits, and the support of 365 Healthcare Staffing Services.
If healthcare contract staffing is something you are considering to change your current 9-5 or work conditions, check out their open positions! As a national healthcare staffing company, there are several positions across the United States. Positions are often in California and Georgia, with other locations served as needed. And if you have any questions, they’re always happy to get in touch and help.
