Healthcare practices are looking for local providers because they simply don’t have enough staff to care for their patients. Extra doctors are needed and help to alleviate pressure on overstretched resident doctors and nurses, which can help a healthcare institution maintain revenues for medical care, prevent the loss of patients due to lack of coverage, and help maintain existing clinical staff.
Locum tenens
Any physician recruiter knows one of the best benefits of locum tenens is the ability of staff to move freely for any purpose, allowing health workers to help communities in different places. The practice in locum tenens as an alternative offers several advantages, but a good physician recruitment company will provide you with an experienced consultant who will provide you with the best opportunities based on your training, experience, and wishes.
Locum tenens work has traditionally been more attractive to new doctors seeking the right career path than older doctors seeking a variety of commitments after retirement.
A Medscape article in 2017 found that 94% of health care managers hired local professionals the previous year, and 47% are actively looking for additional staff. It advocates for soon-to-retire doctors to end their medical careers by working in different places. Working as a locum is also ideal for those who want to stay away from clinically demanding tasks and exhausting working hours.
If you are a medical professional who wants more freedom and are close to retirement, working in locum tenens might be the right fit for you.
Meeting temporary needs
Whenever a health facility is faced with a shortage of staff due to vacancy, illness, or other reasons, locum doctors fill the vacancy. When you take a locum tenens job, you have limited administrative and educational responsibilities; you are limited to clinical tasks. Doctors in the region can work for other health care employers for a period of a few days to six months or more.
Professional benefits
Locum tenens recruitment companies offer a flexible service package that is easy to sign and starts on the first day of your deployment. Additional benefits include health insurance for medical and dental care. In many cases, a staff support program is also available to help with issues from mental health to financial advice.
For existing members of the American Medical Association (AMA), you may be able to seek a health plan that includes health insurance for medical and dental care, as well as a mental health plan. Also, you might be eligible for Medicare (Medicare Part D), Medicaid (Medicaid), and Social Security (SSI) benefits as members of AARP. There is also the National Association of Self-Employed (NASE) which provides insurance.
Locum tenens is a good option if you want to build your career as a doctor, nurse, physician assistant, or other professional health care provider. Professional agencies also offer insurance against malpractice, with recognized support as an added benefit. Across the country, health care providers are needed for a wide range of medical, dental, vision, mental, and physical health needs.
Many health facilities experience a growing demand for staff and fluctuations, which often occur in November and December. As a locum, you get flexibility and experience that you can incorporate into your professional resume by working with many different patients in a variety of practice situations and having access to a wide range of healthcare services.
Final thoughts
Even if you have a busy personal schedule, chances are you can fit in with the shifts on-site and weigh up other commitments. For many companies and service providers, working in shifts is a good way to earn extra money and at the same time be flexible. If you want to top up your current full-time income or work exclusively in a locum tenens function, holiday assignments offer a larger financial cushion that allows you to choose when, where, and for how long you want to work.