Per diem and local contract
Per diem and local contract staffing
Single shifts, block bookings and local 13 week contracts without relocating. For nurses who want contract rates and control over their own schedule, and for facilities covering call-outs, census spikes and holiday gaps without mandating overtime.
What per diem actually means
Per diem is shift by shift work. You are not committed to a schedule, the facility is not committed to giving you hours, and you are paid a higher hourly rate in exchange for that mutual lack of guarantee. The rate is higher partly because there are typically no benefits attached and no paid time off.
Local contract sits between per diem and travel. It is a fixed term, usually thirteen weeks, at a facility within commuting distance of where you already live. You get contract rates and a guaranteed schedule without the housing and relocation part of travel work.
Who this suits
- Staff nurses topping up an income. Picking up two per diem shifts a month at a higher rate, without adding them to your primary employer's overtime calculation.
- Nurses with caring responsibilities. You choose which days you are available. This is the single most common reason nurses move to per diem and it is a legitimate long term arrangement rather than a stopgap.
- Nurses easing back in. After a career break, after an injury, or approaching retirement, per diem lets you set the pace.
- Nurses who do not want to travel. Contract rates are available locally. A lot of nurses assume they have to leave the state to get them.
The trade offs, stated plainly
Higher hourly rate, no benefits. You are typically arranging your own health insurance and your own retirement saving, and there is no paid time off, so a week not worked is a week not paid.
You are usually first to be cancelled when census drops. Some facilities have a minimum shift commitment per month or per quarter to stay active in their pool, and some require a set number of weekend or holiday shifts.
You will be expected to be competent on arrival. Per diem orientation is short, sometimes a single shift, and you will be walking onto units where you do not know where anything is kept. This is a real skill and it gets easier quickly, but it is not a soft option.
What we need from you
The same credentialling standard as our contract nurses, because facilities apply the same standard regardless of shift length. Licence verification, BLS plus ACLS or PALS where the unit requires it, immunisation and titre records, a physical, a drug screen, a background check, a specialty skills checklist and two clinical references.
We collect it once and keep it current. A complete file is the difference between being offered a shift on Thursday for Saturday and not hearing from anyone.
For facilities
Per diem is how you cover sick calls, census spikes, vacation blocks and the stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year without mandating overtime on your core staff. Mandated overtime is the most expensive way to fill a gap, because it converts a short term shortage into a medium term resignation.
What we can offer that a general pool cannot is continuity. Where a manager wants the same three per diem nurses rotating through a unit rather than a different face every week, we book it that way. Nurses who know the unit are safer and faster, and the permanent staff stop treating agency cover as an obstacle.
Read our note on staffing ratios and patient outcomes for why filling the gap properly is cheaper than running short.
Questions
Common questions
What is the difference between per diem and travel nursing?
Per diem is shift by shift with no commitment on either side, usually local, at a high hourly rate with no benefits. Travel is a fixed term contract, usually 13 weeks, generally away from home, with housing and travel stipends and guaranteed hours. Local contract is the middle option: fixed term and guaranteed hours, but close enough to commute.
How many shifts do I have to commit to?
It depends on the facility. Some have no minimum, others require a set number of shifts per month or per quarter plus a weekend or holiday commitment to stay active in their pool. We will tell you the requirement before you join a pool rather than after.
Does per diem work come with benefits?
Generally no, and that is part of why the hourly rate is higher. If you need health coverage and retirement contributions, factor the cost of arranging those yourself into the comparison rather than comparing the hourly rates directly.
Can I do per diem alongside a full time job?
Yes, and many nurses do. Check your primary employer's policy on outside employment first, because some have restrictions or require disclosure, particularly if you would be working for a competing facility.
Do you place LPNs and CNAs per diem?
Yes. Per diem is one of the areas where LPN and CNA demand is strongest, particularly in long term care, rehabilitation and skilled nursing.
How much notice do I get for a shift?
It varies from a few weeks for block bookings down to same day for a sick call. You tell us how much notice you need and we will not keep calling you at six in the morning if that does not work for you.