Healthcare systems often experience fluctuating patient volumes throughout the year, particularly during seasonal peaks like flu season or increased travel periods. These surges can strain staffing levels, negatively impacting patient care quality and staff well-being. Per diem nurses offer a flexible and effective solution to these challenges, ensuring facilities maintain high-quality care without overburdening permanent staff.
In this SnapCare blog, we’ll explore the critical role per diem nurses play in addressing seasonal patient surges and the benefits they bring to both patients and staff.
What Are Per Diem Nurses?
Per diem nurses are licensed healthcare professionals employed on an as-needed basis to fill temporary staffing gaps. The term “per diem” translates to “per day” in Latin, highlighting the short-term, flexible nature of their roles.
Unlike full-time staff, per diem nurses are not bound by long-term contracts or fixed schedules, allowing them to work in different healthcare settings, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Their adaptability makes them invaluable during periods of increased patient demand, such as flu outbreaks, holiday seasons, or unexpected emergencies.
Is Per Diem the Same as PRN?
You may also come across the term PRN, which stands for “pro re nata”, a Latin phrase meaning “as the situation arises.” While per diem and PRN are often used interchangeably, there are subtle differences, such as:
- Work Requirements & Schedules: Both per diem and PRN nurses have the flexibility to choose their shifts, but PRN roles often come with more structured requirements. For example, PRN nurses may be required to work a specific number of shifts, such as five shifts a month or fifteen shifts in three months. Additionally, PRN nurses are usually guaranteed their shifts once scheduled, while per diem nurses are not, making per diem nursing a more flexible option.
- Facility Commitments: Per diem nursing offers greater freedom when it comes to facility commitments. If you find that a particular unit or facility isn’t the right fit for you, you’re not obligated to return after completing your shift. However, for per diem nurses who discover a facility that aligns well with their preferences, they often opt to pick up additional shifts at that location.
It’s important to note that the distinctions between the two largely depend on how an individual facility defines and uses them. In most cases, “per diem” and “PRN” are used interchangeably to describe nurses who work as needed. Both options still provide the flexibility and the opportunity to tailor your work to fit your lifestyle and professional goals.
Want to explore flexible nursing opportunities? Check out our job board to find per diem or PRN roles that work for you!
The Importance of Per Diem Nurses During Seasonal Patient Surges
1. Meeting Increased Patient Demand
Seasonal peaks often lead to a significant rise in patient volume. For instance:
Flu Season: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that during the 2017–2018 influenza season, there were 60.8 million people who contracted the virus, with 274,304 hospitalized. Alarmingly, the hospitalization rate reached 59.9% for every 100,000 people just 18 weeks into the season.
Holiday Season: According to 2023 U.S. data, influenza cases peak at the start and end of the year, with the Winter Holiday season seeing the highest activity levels, surpassing 2 million cases in a single month.
Per diem nurses provide essential support by filling in for last-minute absences or supplementing the existing workforce during seasonal patient surges, such as the flu or holiday seasons. This ensures that facilities can manage the influx of patients effectively.
2. Preventing Staff Burnout
Burnout among healthcare workers is a critical issue, with demanding schedules, long shifts, and high patient volumes contributing to physical and emotional exhaustion. Busy periods, such as seasonal patient surges, amplify this problem, leading to decreased job satisfaction and even higher turnover rates.
However, integrating per diem nurses into the workforce can help address these challenges and foster a healthier work environment for permanent staff. They help prevent staff burnout through the following:
- Balanced Workload: Per diem nurses play a crucial role in distributing responsibilities more evenly among the team. By sharing the load, permanent staff can focus on their duties without feeling overburdened, ultimately improving their ability to deliver high-quality care.
- Increased Flexibility: Another key benefit of integrating per diem nurses is the ability to adjust staffing levels dynamically based on patient volume. Healthcare facilities often face the challenge of being either overstaffed during lulls or understaffed during peak times, both of which lead to inefficiencies. With per diem nurses, facilities can scale their workforce up or down as needed, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently.
- Enhanced Job Satisfaction: With additional support from per diem nurses, full-time employees gain more control over their schedules, enabling them to take needed breaks or plan time off without worrying about leaving their team short-staffed.
3. Ensuring Continuity of Care
When permanent staff are stretched too thin, the quality of care may suffer, leading to delays, inconsistencies in treatment, and even increased risks to patient safety. This is where per diem nurses play a critical role in bridging the gaps during high-demand periods.
- Timely and Consistent Patient Care: Per diem nurses step in during high-demand periods to fill critical staffing shortages, ensuring that patients receive the attention they need when they need it.
4. Optimizing Operational Costs
Integrating per diem nurses not only ensures high-quality care but also brings significant financial benefits to healthcare facilities.
- Reduced Overtime Costs: Without per diem nurses, facilities often rely on overtime for permanent staff, which can be costly and lead to burnout. Per diem nurses offer a cost-effective alternative by filling gaps as needed.
- Better Resource Allocation: Per diem nurses allow facilities to scale their workforce based on patient volume, avoiding the inefficiencies of overstaffing during slower periods or under-resourcing during surges.
- Increased Savings from Turnover Prevention: Supporting permanent staff with per diem nurses reduces burnout, enhances job satisfaction and decreases turnover rates. Retaining staff is significantly more cost-effective than the expenses associated with hiring and training new employees.
Key Benefits of Hiring Per Diem Nurses
Flexibility
Per diem nurses can adapt to a facility’s immediate needs. Whether it’s covering a single shift, filling in for a sick nurse, or providing ongoing support during a busy season, per diem nurses can step in on short notice.
This flexibility gives healthcare organizations the ability to scale their workforce up or down based on demand, ensuring optimal staffing levels without overburdening permanent staff.
Cost-Effectiveness
With no long-term financial commitments, healthcare facilities only pay for the shifts they need. This makes it a budget-friendly solution, especially during seasonal surges or unexpected increases in patient volume.
By reducing reliance on costly overtime or the expenses of hiring permanent staff for temporary needs, per diem nurses help organizations keep costs in check while still delivering high-quality patient care.
Access to a Diverse Skill Set
Per diem nurses often come with a wealth of experience from working in a variety of healthcare settings. This exposure to different environments—such as hospitals, clinics, or specialty care centers—gives them a versatile skill set that can be applied to a wide range of situations.
This diverse experience also means that per diem nurses can contribute across multiple areas of patient care, from general nursing to specialized departments, further enhancing the care provided to patients.
Rapid Deployment
Working with healthcare staffing agencies like SnapCare allows facilities to quickly access and deploy credentialed, highly skilled per diem nurses—typically within 8 days—ready to step in when needed.
This speed-to-fill and rapid deployment helps minimize disruptions during critical times, ensuring patient care continues uninterrupted, even in the face of sudden staffing shortages.
How SnapCare Supports Your Per Diem Staffing Needs
SnapCare specializes in connecting healthcare facilities with a vast network of vetted clinicians nationwide. Our platform combines advanced technology with a user-friendly interface, ensuring quick and accurate matches between facilities and per diem nurses. Here are the key reasons that make SnapCare a trusted partner for your staffing needs.
Extensive Network of Vetted Clinicians
SnapCare has built a robust network of over 380,000 clinicians nationwide. This extensive pool of professionals allows us to provide healthcare facilities with immediate access to a diverse range of skilled per diem nurses who are ready to step in when you need them most. Our network spans across the country, ensuring that no matter where you are, we have the right talent available to meet your needs.
National Reach with Local Expertise
With our national reach, SnapCare serves healthcare communities coast to coast. We understand that different regions have unique staffing needs, and our extensive network allows us to provide localized support with the expertise necessary for each area. Our local presence also ensures that we can tap into clinicians who are familiar with the local healthcare environment, enhancing the quality of care you provide.
Speed-to-Fill
Time is of the essence in healthcare staffing—and we know it better than anyone else. While the healthcare industry’s average time-to-fill ranges from 49 to 250 days, SnapCare sources and fully deploys credentialed staff in just 6 to 8 days on average. This quick turnaround means that you can fill critical staffing gaps during seasonal surges swiftly, minimizing disruptions in patient care.
Tech-Enabled Workforce Solutions
Our tech-driven platform doesn’t just make staffing easier—it also optimizes cost efficiency. SnapCare takes the heavy lifting out of recruitment, offering full visibility and AI-powered matching that helps you find precisely the right per diem clinicians while keeping costs manageable. This allows you to scale your workforce based on demand, avoiding overstaffing during slower periods while ensuring you’re adequately staffed when patient volumes rise.
A Reliable Solution for Seasonal Surges
Per diem nurses are an essential resource for healthcare facilities facing seasonal patient surges. Their flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and ability to provide high-quality care make them invaluable in maintaining smooth operations during busy periods.
Facing seasonal staffing challenges? SnapCare can connect you to a nationwide pool of credentialed per diem nurses in as little as 6–8 days. Contact us today to build a resilient workforce that ensures exceptional patient care year-round.
