Working in healthcare is deeply meaningful yet quite challenging. With heavy workloads, complex administration, and constant changes, providers need access to resources that support and empower them. For clinicians interested in locum tenens to add flexibility and variety to their practice, there are excellent resources to help launch and sustain this rewarding career route.
When considering locum tenens opportunities, it’s essential for healthcare providers to have comprehensive healthcare coverage that meets their needs. One valuable resource for exploring healthcare plans is UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage Plans. These plans offer a range of benefits tailored to individuals’ healthcare requirements, providing peace of mind and financial security. To find plans that suit your preferences and requirements, visit Find plans for more information.
What is Locum Tenens?
Locum tenens involves taking on temporary provider positions, usually ranging from a few weeks up to a year. Locum tenens physicians and advanced clinicians step in when permanent staff is absent or a facility needs additional coverage. Common reasons a healthcare organization may need locums: vacations, medical leaves, recruitment gaps, fluctuating patient volumes, and demand fluctuations. For providers, locum tenens offers the freedom to control when and where they work. It also allows experience in diverse work settings, patient populations, and geographic regions.
Benefits for Clinicians
There are many advantages of locum tenens for healthcare professionals:
– Autonomy in schedule and location – Providers can choose assignments suiting their preferences and lifestyle needs.
– Avoiding burnout – Exposure to new challenges and places helps stave off career stagnation.
– Supplemental income – Clinicians can take on extra locum assignments for additional earnings.
– Developing skills – Working at different facilities expands medical knowledge and makes providers more well-rounded.
– Tax advantages – Travel, meals, lodging and other costs related to locum assignments may be deductible expenses.
– Career flexibility – The ability to control the work schedule allows for pursuing other opportunities or interests.
– Trying new facilities – Locum positions let clinicians “test drive” different practices or health systems without commitment.
With this range of benefits, locum tenens clearly offers advantages that appeal to many doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other medical professionals.
Finding the Right Locum Tenens Jobs
The key to success in locum tenens is identifying and securing assignments that are a great match. Clinicians have a few options to search for suitable locum tenens opportunities:
– Locum staffing agencies – Firms like comphealth.com work with thousands of healthcare facilities to provide temporary coverage. They manage all aspects of placements.
– Online job boards – Websites such as LocumTenens.com allow browsing and searching available locum jobs nationwide.
– Hospital/clinic websites – Some facilities post locum provider needs directly on their own job boards or careers pages.
– Location preferences – Bigger metropolitan areas tend to have a greater need for temporary clinicians.
– Duration considerations – Assignments could be a few weeks or many months. Providers should decide what terms work best.
– Specialty needs – Primary care, psychiatry, emergency medicine and other specialties tend to have high locum demand.
– Licensing requirements – Clinicians should ensure they have necessary active medical licenses for desired states.
With a clear sense of preferences and a thorough search across these options, medical professionals can identify locum assignments that are an ideal fit.
Getting Started
One of the best resources for locum tenens positions is CompHealth. As one of the largest locum tenens firms, CompHealth provides temporary staffing services to healthcare facilities across the U.S. They are a trusted choice for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs, and clinicians pursuing locum roles.
Here are some key advantages of using CompHealth:
– Vast job inventory – CompHealth’s network encompasses thousands of healthcare employer partners with locum needs.
– Customized search – Clinicians can specify preferences like specialty, shift length, facility type, and location to only see relevant matches.
– Full-service placement – CompHealth handles contracting, onboarding, credentialing, and all details stem-to-stern for assignments.
– Cost-free for clinicians – As the healthcare provider, there are no fees for using CompHealth’s services.
– Travel planning – They can assist with travel arrangements and lodging if desired.
– Dedicated support – Personal guidance is available throughout the job search, application, and placement processes.
– Right fit placements – With abundant options, clinicians can find assignments aligning with their interests, skills, availability and career goals.
For doctors, nurses, and advanced practice clinicians seeking to incorporate locum tenens work, CompHealth is an optimal launchpad. Their expertise and resources empower providers to find locum positions that fit their needs and further their careers.
Support Services for Clinicians
Here is an expanded section on support services for clinicians considering locum tenens:
For doctors, nurses, and medical professionals pursuing locum work, having access to robust support services is critical. It alleviates hassles and helps clinicians succeed in locum roles. Resources are available that offer an extensive range of back-end support:
– Licensing assistance – Help managing medical license applications and renewals in every state needed for locum assignments.
– Digital portal access – Clinicians have a personal online dashboard to manage profiles, search for jobs, communicate with staff, upload documents and more.
– Malpractice insurance – Coordination of necessary malpractice coverage for every locum assignment.
– Health/dental/vision insurance – Access to group provider rates on medical insurance plans.
– Payroll administration – Handling of payroll processing, taxes, and distributing pay so clinicians can focus on work.
– Expense reimbursements – System for submitting approved stipends, mileage, travel expenses, and more for prompt reimbursement.
– Mobile app – Provides alerts on new locum jobs and keeps clinicians updated on application status when on-the-go.
– Career coaching – One-on-one expert guidance focused on advancing long-term career goals and getting the most from locum work.
– Online resources – Library of video tutorials, e-books, salary data, checklists and other tools to set clinicians up for success.
– Contract review – Assurance that all locum contracts and terms are favorable for the clinician.
– Assignment onboarding – Seamless transition into each new locum site with pre-arranged facility access, lodging, etc.
– Ongoing assistance – A dedicated account manager is available to resolve any issues that arise during assignments.
With this full suite of support services administered by CompHealth behind the scenes, clinicians are free to focus on providing excellent patient care. The burden of paperwork, logistics, and administration is removed, empowering doctors, nurses and advanced practitioners to maximize their success in rewarding locum tenens roles.
A Rewarding Path Forward
A career in healthcare is challenging yet profoundly rewarding. Locum tenens provides doctors, nurses, and clinicians a way to exercise more control over their practice. It opens doors to new experiences that prevent burnout and stagnation. With trusted resources like CompHealth, providers can readily identify and secure locum assignments matching their needs and preferences. For any medical professional seeking more freedom, flexibility, and adventure in their practice, locum tenens is an exciting and fulfilling path forward.
Iskra Banović is our seasoned Editor-in-Chief at Blufashion. She has been steering the website’s content and editorial direction since 2018. With a rich background in fashion design, Iskra’s expertise spans across fashion, interior design, beauty, lifestyle, travel, and culture.
