A few months ago, I was talking to a nursing friend who had just switched from years at the bedside to an outpatient role in an IV clinic. She called it her “soft nursing era” (which made me chuckle). But it also made me wonder: “I’ve been at this a long time — what would my soft nursing era look like?” 

Most nurses are starting to come to terms with a simple truth: healthcare and nursing are changing incredibly fast, and, for many, the profession looks different today than when they started. Now, more than ever, clinicians ask themselves: How do I make this career work for me?

Nursing isn’t “one-size-fits-all” anymore, and careers don’t follow a straight path. These days, our careers evolve in seasons — some seasons are about growth, others about stability. Some seasons push you forward, others call for rest. What you need from nursing will change, and that’s okay. Actually, that’s the best part.

That’s why more nurses are choosing per diem nursing

. It’s not just about picking up extra shifts — it’s about staying connected to the work while having control over how, when, and where you do it. At the same time, hospitals rely on per diem nurses more than ever to adapt to constant change. What was once a “side gig” is now a key part of how nursing works today.

For nurses at a crossroads, per diem is a way to explore all your options. It lets you test different units or hospitals without the long-term commitment of a staff job. Before I became a traveler, I worked per diem. That experience gave me the space to figure out what I actually enjoyed before jumping into a travel assignment or my next permanent job. In a way, it’s like travel nursing — minus the travel. The freedom to work when, where, and how often you choose is what made it so appealing to me.

Stepping back and looking at the bigger picture, clinicians today want more flexibility, and per diem is making that possible. Staffing analysts predict the demand for per diem nurses will keep growing, and technology is making it easier than ever to access those opportunities. With apps like Shifts, nurses can claim open hospital shifts with a quick swipe in seconds. In just six months last year, per diem RNs picked up 113,000 shifts through the app.

Per diem isn’t just changing how nurses work—it’s changing who it works for. For nurses over 50 (who make up nearly a quarter of the nursing workforce), per diem offers a way to stay in patient care, share their knowledge with the next generation, and work on their own terms. For younger nurses with a few years of experience, per diem offers the freedom to build a family, take time off for a vacation, or focus on a side hustle. Nursing is shifting, and we’re seeing it happen in real-time. More nurses are choosing flexibility, and per diem is at the center of that shift. Hospitals depend on per diem staff to keep up with changing demands, but more importantly, nurses are using it to create careers that actually fit their lives.

If you’ve been thinking about trying per diem nursing, consider this your sign to give it a shot. Even just a few shifts might change your perspective. Here are some tips to help you get started. That’s what it did for me. It gave me balance, breathing room, and time to figure out what I actually wanted from my career. I don’t know if I would call my experience in per diem my “soft nursing era,” but it gave me something I hadn’t realized I needed — a chance to step back without stepping away.

Just the other day, I saw my friend — the one from the beginning of this story — post a picture on social media as she walked into a hospital. She had a stethoscope around her neck, her badge clipped to her scrubs, stepping into something new. She had left the IV clinic and picked up her first per diem shift—she told me she missed the bedside and was going to try per diem to see how she liked it.

She didn’t have to make a grand career overhaul or take a huge leap. It was a small step toward something that fit her life a little better. And sometimes, that’s all it takes.

The post Your Nursing Career: The Right Season, The Right Fit first appeared on Daily Nurse.