You may
have heard about locum
tenens work, or even tried it in the past, but you have been waiting
until the right time to give it a whirl. Well, there is no time like the
present!
As we
move forward into 2019, here are several legitimate reasons to consider this
alternative practice model in the coming weeks or months.
The
top reasons to try locum tenens in 2019:
1. Earn extra money
There can
be several financial perks from working locum tenens jobs. A part-time locum
tenens assignment may involve working a few extra shifts at a local hospital or
clinic on your days off. This extra income can be a real boost for new
physicians and others who need to pay off school loans or save for major
expenses like a home purchase or a child’s college tuition.
Full-time
locum tenens assignments usually involve a longer commute or a travel position
that includes free housing and reimbursements for travel expenses. These
positions also offer generous pay which is often higher than the salary rates
for similar permanent positions. Opportunities for overtime pay, as negotiated
in your contract, can add to the financial benefit of locum jobs.
CHECK OUT
the pay
rates for current locum jobs.
2.
Grow professionally
Working at different facilities, from top research and teaching
facilities to rural hospitals, enables you to broaden your skill set and learn
new techniques. Those who try locum tenens have the unique opportunity to work
for multiple employers, learn from new mentors, train on different equipment
and add more varied work experience than practitioners who stay in the same job
year after year.
3.
Get paid to explore new locations
The lure of travel is one of the main reasons people try locum
tenens, thanks to the multitude of choices for new places to practice medicine.
Perhaps you’re from the Midwest and have always wanted to live on the West Coast,
or you are stressed out from big city living and long to escape to a quieter place
and spend your days off exploring the Great Outdoors—these changes are possible
with the help of your locum tenens recruiter.
You can check locations off your bucket list, try out a city
where you might want to move or let yourself be surprised by an area you never would
have imagined. No matter where you choose to work, your agency can handle the logistics,
cover your travel expenses and set you up with free accommodations.
4.
Add flexibility, and vacation time, to your schedule
Physicians, physician assistants
and nurse practitioners are often overworked, with few options to take a real
vacation or work a schedule that suits their needs. Locum tenens assignments
allow practitioners to choose when and where they want to work, and to plan
their time off between assignments. Some locums schedule their assignments so
they can visit family, take an extended trip or simply drop out of sight for a
few weeks of R&R. Locum jobs are the ultimate tool to create work–life
balance.
5.
Work in an underserved area
Several
areas of the country, including rural communities, are hurting for doctors and
advanced practitioners to care for their population. These patients may have
limited access to services and the medical talents you can provide.
If you
would like to be part of the solution and make a real impact, talk to a locum tenens recruiter about assignments where
there is a particularly critical need, a long-standing vacancy or another
situation where you can “do the most good.”
6.
Spend more time with patients
As independent contractors on a
temporary assignment, locum tenens practitioners are usually able to stay out
of workplace politics and avoid some administrative burdens, allowing more to
time to focus on patients. This extra time allows you to build
trust and improve communication, ultimately improving outcomes.
Spending more time with patients can
also go a long way toward improving your job satisfaction. After all, isn’t working
with patients and delivering excellent care the reason you got into medicine in
the first place?
RELATED: Which
Physicians Spend the Most Time with Patients?
7.
Avoid burnout
The 2018
Survey of Physicians, conducted by Merritt Hawkins, found that 78 percent of
physicians and advanced practitioners sometimes, often or always experience feelings
of burnout, and health care leaders recognize burnout as a key issue for
practitioners, employers and patients alike.
Whether
you’re feeling worn down by your current work situation or simply need a change
of pace in your medical career, locum tenens may be just the revival you need.
Experiencing new faces and places, while continuing to do what you love most, can
make for a healthy and positive step forward.
RELATED: The
Leading Cause of Physician Burnout
8.
Transition to another phase in your career
The flexibility of locum tenens can make it the perfect fit at
various times in your medical career. New physicians can use locum jobs to
provide important work experience while waiting for the right long-term
opportunity to open up; practitioners in mid-career can use locums to continue
earning income between permanent positions; and physicians
near retirement can use locum jobs as a transitional step between full-time
practice and retirement.
9.
Enrich your personal life
Each locum tenens assignment location
can provide a number of personal benefits. You can use your time off to learn a
new sport or skill, feed your love for theater or art, explore national parks, experience
new types of cuisine or discover regional treasures. Locum assignments can also
allow you to provide new experiences for your family, including those who travel
with you and those you are able to visit nearby.
Locum work
can put you in touch with people that you would otherwise never meet, improving
your understanding of patient populations and developing new friendships that
can enrich your life for years to come.
RELATED:
Why
Work Locum Tenens?
10
Questions to Ask Before Accepting a Locum Tenens Assignment
STAFF CARE is a national leader in locum tenens
staffing, offering hundreds of locum assignments across the country. CONTACT
a recruiter to learn how to get started.
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