How To Become An PRN: What It Is and Career Path

What is an prn and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

The initials PRN stand for pro re nata, which translates as a Latin phrase to "as needed or as the situation arises." A PRN employee works when called to fill in for an absent employee or cover a particular situation. It allows one to work independently but practice in the field. A PRN nurse helps perform diagnostic tests, prepares patients for tests or treatment, records medical histories and symptoms, gives patients medicine and therapy, uses medical equipment, and helps devise care plans for patients.

They are the nursing equivalents of freelancers and temps. There are advantages to being a PRN nurse, such as having more time for family and working in different departments, thus getting a broad range of experience. But the cons to this role include no insurance coverage, paid leave or maternity leave, or paid vacation time.

A PRN nurse typically earns $38.43 an hour, which translates to $79,931 per year. The PRN career is expected to grow by 12% between 2018 and 2028, creating 371,500 new opportunities across the US. As it is nearly impossible to become a PRN nurse with only a high school diploma, you'll need to seek a nursing degree and certification to secure the career.

ScorePRNUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,642

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.5

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.86%

Asian 8.32%

Black or African American 11.04%

Hispanic or Latino 13.56%

Unknown 4.85%

White 61.36%

Gender

female 78.95%

male 21.05%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress Level

8.5

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.0

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for PRN in Columbus, OH

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Key steps to become an prn

Explore prn education requirements

Most common prn degrees

Associate

41.1 %

Bachelor's

30.4 %

Master's

10.9 %

Start to develop specific prn skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	29.05%
Healthcare	8.63%
Occupational Therapy	7.04%
CPR	5.12%
Rehabilitation	4.94%

Complete relevant prn training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New prns learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an prn based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real prn resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed prn usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed prn in most of states. 43 states require prns to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License Url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Licensed Practical
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Vocational Nurse
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Licensed Practical Nurse

Gain additional prn certifications

Prn certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific prn certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for prns include Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research prn duties and responsibilities

Develop discharge plans base on individual patients' medical and ADL needs to ensure safety and security issues are addressed.
Experience with ICU patients including ventilator and non-ventilator dependent patients.
Tend to the physical and emotional needs of patients recovering from critical injury or extensive orthopedic surgery.
Provide patient rehabilitation to primarily geriatric short/long term care patients of different diagnosis and document treatment sessions appropriately.

Prepare your prn resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your prn resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an prn resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable PRN Resume templates

Build a professional PRN resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your PRN resume.

Apply for prn jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an prn job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do prns rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

PRN reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020

Cons

Underpaid.. Work overload. Sometimes unorganized management. Unfairness...number one is understaffing