Hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and other outpatient healthcare facilities often hire providers on a temporary basis – whether for a few days, a few months, or even longer timeframes.
Locum tenens – a Latin phrase meaning “to substitute or temporarily take the place of another” – providers fill employment shortages caused by medical leave, vacations, or scheduling demands. Locum tenens providers can also offer gap coverage as facilities recruit and hire permanent staff.
As a provider, if you fill a temporary position, you meet an important need in the healthcare industry, but you also gain access to the many advantages of working locum tenens. Many healthcare providers choose to take locum tenens jobs because they present opportunities for professional and personal growth.
3 Reasons to Consider Locum Tenens Jobs
1. Enjoy flexibility and variety.
With locum tenens positions, you have more control over when and where you work. You can choose to take jobs that fit your professional interests or your family’s schedule. You can avoid burnout and boredom by changing your work environment regularly. One placement might be in a huge hospital, and the next could be in a small GI center. You will have diverse opportunities to improve your existing skills and connections.
It’s a common misconception that flexible or temporary positions pay less than permanent assignments. The expertise of anesthesia providers is in high demand, and locum tenens jobs have significant earning potential.
Locating to a rural setting can provide locum tenens with higher wages due to rural facilities having a harder time recruiting providers, making them more willing to offer competitive wages to attract candidates and keep turnover in check. Some providers apply their unused paid time off (PTO) to locum tenens work. If you have PTO that will expire soon, think about investing those days into locum tenens work.
2. Explore places.
Locum tenens jobs are available all over the country. Some providers want to stay within a certain geographic area, while others are excited about the possibilities of traveling far from home.
Taking a locum tenens position in another city gives you a chance to experience a new place without a serious commitment. If you’re considering moving or changing full-time jobs, you can do a test run and discover if a location is a good fit for you long term. You’ll get a feel for the place, becoming immersed in local sights, cultural offerings, and neighborhoods. You’ll also get to know people, expanding your network of colleagues and friends.
3. Relish more time with family.
You can select locum tenens jobs that adapt to your needs. It’s often possible to bring your family with you, so you don’t have to worry about time away from your spouse, your kids, or even your pets.
If you have school-age children, for example, you can search for a summer position that will allow you to combine work and leisure. Locum Tenens can opt for a job along the Great Lakes, the Atlantic shore, or the Gulf Coast trading in a small town for the big city, or head somewhere close to nature where you can do more family activities you enjoy like camping, hiking, boating, and fishing.
Become a locum tenens provider, and take advantage of the many benefits in your career and personal life.
Interested in locum tenens positions? Contact a Radar Healthcare recruiter.
