According to some accounts, locum tenens work has officially been an option for about a century now though many experts point out that traveling temporary medical professionals have likely been available for far longer than that. Still, it wasn’t until the 1970s that this type of position truly began to gain steam. Even then, healthcare facilities turned to temporary care providers to help fill gaps in staffing shortages.
Not very long ago, a vast majority of physicians and nurses shied away from locum tenens work, opting instead for permanent positions in medical facilities. At the same time, medical facilities were far less likely to actively seek out locum tenens providers. That has changed at this point, though. More than 66 percent of healthcare facilities now rely on locum tenens providers, and the number of medical professionals rising to the challenge has surged by more than 95 percent over the last decade.
Delving Deeper Into the Locum Tenens Life
If you’re thinking of partnering with a staffing agency like Locumstory to provide locum tenens work, you probably have a number of questions. After all, being a locum tenens provider isn’t quite the same as working in a conventional permanent position, and most people want to learn as much about the locum lifestyle as they can before committing to it. Though doctors and nurses have diverse routines and job parameters and each assignment is different, here’s a general rundown of a typical day in the life of a locum tenens provider.
Starting Your Day
As a locum tenens provider on assignment, you’ll likely wake up in temporary housing and start getting ready for the day ahead. If you find the right staffing agency to work with, they’ll help you find temporary housing close to your job that meets your needs and expectations. Additionally, one of the wonderful aspects of being a locum tenens provider is having the freedom to choose assignments that mesh with your lifestyle and the schedule you want to work.
You’ll likely have a more structured schedule with more regular hours than you would in a permanent position. Once you get to work, you’ll be able to jump right into providing patient care rather than having to start off with administrative responsibilities. Though you may be the newest member of the team and unfamiliar with the facility at first, that won’t last for long. Ideally, you’ll be working at a facility with a fantastic onboarding process that’ll help you quickly acclimate to your role.
Afternoons
Locum tenens providers generally aren’t bogged down with excessive paperwork, meetings, and other tasks that fall outside the parameters of direct patient care. As such, you’ll forge through your mornings with minimal disruptions. Instead of having to work through lunch the way doctors and nurses in conventional positions often do, you’ll most likely be able to take your lunch break on schedule. You may even live close enough to the medical facility you’re working with to go home for lunch if you want.
Evenings
After lunch, you’ll return to work and continue taking care of patients. You’ll finish the day per your agreed-upon schedule instead of having to work well into the night on administrative factors. With that being the case, you’ll be able to find a better work-life balance. Whether you’re on call at any given time will depend on the terms of the assignment. Keep in mind, though, that you have the freedom to choose your assignments based on the responsibilities you want. Either way, you’ll have opportunities to spend your evenings as you see fit, relax, and get plenty of sleep before starting your next work day.
Enjoying the Benefits of Being a Locum Tenens Provider
Some medical professionals are quick to point out that being a locum tenens provider can be hectic. Instead of having a constant fixed routine with a medical facility you’re well accustomed to, you’ll be moving from one facility to another with slight fluctuations in your routines. Regardless, you’ll have a great deal more freedom, a better work-life balance, and far fewer administrative duties and office politics to deal with than you would in a conventional position. Those are only a few of the advantages of being a locum tenens provider.
