What is Locum Tenens?

The word “Locum” comes from the Latin term meaning ‘place holder.’ A provider working as locum tenens is a person who temporarily fulfills the obligations of another. Therefore, In healthcare, a locums provider can be employed at a hospital or community healthcare facility that may be short staffed or need temporary coverage when another provider is on leave.

Locums providers are employed by private agencies. Working as a locums offers many opportunities to experience working in a variety of environments and specialties which may include for-profit agencies, academic health centers, state agencies, federal sites such as the Indian Health Service, individual hospitals, and or international staffing companies.

Are you a new physician not sure what area to work in? Or an Advanced Healthcare Provider looking for a change of scenery? Do you want to travel and work in a diverse area in your state or try a new state? Are you a provider who is ready to semi retire but would like to still maintain some kind of professional practice? Locum tenens may just be your sweetest gig!

Locum tenens work offers a broad range of experiences. Flexibility is also a desirable advantage. This ‘gig’ can fulfill your career and economic goals. It offers short term assignments as well as long term assignments that can lead to permanent placement is so desired. If you are looking for a healthier more controllable lifestyle, locum tenen is your gig.

What is Locum Tenens?

 Locums may open up many career opportunities you never thought were possible. The gig can lead you to bigger and better career journey with an opportunity. You can meet interesting patients, learn about local culture, see how practices are organized, learn adaptability, and broaden clinical skills.

As a provider, you may be approaches by your facility for a more long term assignment that can turn permanent. It’s best to evaluate what type of lifestyle you are looking for? If you are just looking to make extra money on a short-term assignment or an opportunity into something more long term. Those are all possibilities. It’s best to communicate your availability and career goals with your locums recruiter and facility you may be assigned to.

A long-term repeat assignment may offer you creative ways to contribute that may benefit both you and the facility you are working assigned to. It’s best to evaluate your personal career goals as well as family obligations.

Credentialing

Credentialing is the process of assessing the academic qualifications and clinical practice history of a healthcare provider. Any licensed, independent, healthcare professional who has been permitted by law and regulated by a licensing organization to provide services and care without supervision or direction within the scope of the individual’s license needs to be credentialed.

While every state has unique laws regarding medical practice, simply having a license in a healthcare profession does not mean one can start doing anything they want. For example, an advanced nurse practitioner cannot independently start to prescribe medications, or a family physician cannot begin inserting central lines. Even independent nurse practitioners have to follow specific rules, and in certain states, they work under a physician. Simply being licensed does not mean the healthcare professional is at liberty to perform all types of clinical services.

Locum Tenens have in house licensing teams that will professionally walk you through the credentialing process. They do all the work for you and send all your appropriate credentials to specific licensing boards. They may also proactively license you for assignments paying the state fees.

Work-Vacay

Always wanted to travel and get paid for it? Locum Tenens can also be considered paid the ultimate ‘Work-Vacay’ Experience. It’s literally paid tourism. You can work in amazing places that offer historical and local attractions that will add to your work life balance.

All Roses Have Thorns

While working locum tenens may seem all roses, there are some ‘thorns’ to consider. Various assignments may have you learn new EMR (Electronic Medical Records) programs. The facility may offer you a training period to learn their system. Each facility may have a different credentialing process. You may have to undergo drug testing, and physical exams for each new facility you are assigned too.  Flexibility is key when working for locum tenens.

Locum Tenens offer a variety of diverse experiences and the opportunity to see how various healthcare systems work. Locums also offers a diverse patient population from working in inner city to working in rural farmlands. If you are a health care provider looking for a change, are open minded, adventurous and flexible, you should definitely give Locum Tenens a try. It just might be your sweetest gig!

Ersilia Pompilio RN, MSN, PNP

References

The post Can Locum Tenens Be Your Sweetest Gig in Healthcare? appeared first on Medcare Staffing.

We all know germs are prevalent in airports and airplanes, but did you know that research suggests that changes in your sleep cycle (i.e., when you are jet-lagged) can throw off your circadian rhythm, which can affect your immune response. The stress of travel also has a significant effect on your immune health, as well. Here are some travel tips to help keep you on top of your game.

Before you go

To help prevent jet lag, you can pick up some melatonin at your local grocery store or pharmacy. The best way to use the melatonin is to take it at a time that you would typically go to bed but in your new time zone. Taking this step can help with getting you accustomed to a new sleep routine as quickly as possible.

Checking the Travelers’ Health section of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website for travel health warnings, vaccination recommendations, and preventive health tips can help prepare you for what might happen in your new location. 

On your way there

If you suffer from motion sickness, a natural and safe remedy is ginger. You can take ginger powder with water, ginger capsules, ginger root tea, or ginger chews. Ginger, unlike Dramamine, will not make you tired, making it is okay to take at any point.

Antibacterial wipes are a great product to carry with you so that everything you touch is clean. The best way to ensure that you stay clean is to wipe down everything you might contact on a plane, especially the tray table in front of your seat as it does not always get wiped down after every use.

When you arrive

Making sure that you do some sort of exercise after getting off the plane is a sure-fire way to ensure that you get the blood flowing again. Doing this will also help to knock out any sickness you might have caught on the journey.

Vitamin C is crucial to keeping your immune system in tip-top shape and can help ensure that you don’t feel terrible after a long journey. You can drink it in juices, a water-soluble powder or gummies and chews. 

Making sure you are taking care of your health is one way to ensure that your locum tenens assignment is as enjoyable as possible. When you feel healthy, you are able to help your patients do the same. 

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, Advanced Practitioners, Dentists and Pharmacists in Locum Tenens, Contract Positions and Permanent Jobs

To contact MedCare Staffing call 888.474.3380 or visit or website by clicking here!

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