While the holidays can prove to be the busiest time of the year, working as a locum tenens worker comes with its challenges. Trying to juggle your sanity during the holiday season can often be hard to do, but we’ve come up with seven-holiday tips to hopefully help you stay sane.
1. Try to plan favorite holiday traditions so you don’t miss out
Whether you’re working on Thanksgiving or have planned shifts on Christmas, this doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favorite holiday traditions. It’s possible to find the time to do them so that you can enjoy them with family and friends. Scheduling your family celebration the day before or after, or even earlier in the day can help prevent you from missing out. There are also many different forms of technological communication for events you can’t reschedule such as FaceTime or Skype.
2. Get your flu shot
If you haven’t gotten your flu vaccine yet, you need to! With the exposure to patients with the virus, and the exhaustion that often comes with holiday stress you are more susceptible than ever. It’s even possible that the facility you’ll be working in will require it anyway.
3. Anticipate patient scenarios
The flu and other similar cases seem to show up more frequently around this time of year. A 2018 study done by the BMJ reported that the incidence of myocardial infarction tends to spike around Christmas time, noting that it was highest among the old and sick patients. It has also been noticed that there tends to be a higher number of patients with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) after the influx of big holiday meals, without patients appropriately adjusting their insulin.
4. Do your holiday shopping online
If your holiday tradition includes the exchanging of gifts, utilize all that the internet has to offer. You can save valuable time by skipping the crowded shopping malls. You can have gifts arranged to be delivered directly to your chosen recipient, and you can even have them pre-wrapped. All of this can help to ensure you can spend the most time with those you love.
5. Make sure to treat yourself
Be sure to get enough sleep and make time to relax and recharge your batteries so that you can be sure to make it through the hectic holiday season. If you are going to be away on a locum tenens assignment this holiday season, don’t be ashamed to make time to do things for you. You could do this by scheduling a massage, having a nice dinner, or adding holiday decorations to bring you some holiday cheer.
6. Try volunteering
Volunteering for a local cause can be a great way to spend your off-hours during an assignment. The holiday season is the busiest for local charities, and they are often in need of extra volunteers. You could help by serving holiday meals, handing out food at a food pantry or participating in a toy drive. All of these options can help you feel good during the holiday season.
7. Enjoy where you are
Wherever your locum tenens assignment might take you, you can enjoy fun holiday activities. If you’re in a state that gets a bunch of snow you could go ice skating, or catch a holiday parade or festival. Despite being away from home you can still enjoy fun holiday activities.
You have a chance to make a difference by taking an assignment during the holiday season. Patients you will be seeing over the holidays are typically very sick and being there for them can truly make an impact.
MedCare Staffing wants to take this time to wish you a very Happy Holiday season. We hope these holiday tips can help you during this time. Cheers to the New Year!
Who are we? MedCare Staffing is a small, veteran-owned, family-oriented team. We start every day with gratitude because we LOVE what we do! We are a team on a mission to make a positive difference in the lives of our clients and providers.
What we do: We place Physicians, Dentists & Advanced Practitioners in Locum Tenens, Contract Positions and Permanent Jobs
To contact MedCare Staffing call 888.474.3380 or visit or website by clicking here!