As the demand for flexible staffing and support in healthcare facilities continues to grow, hiring Locum Tenens is becoming a popular solution. In fact, as of 2020, 855 of hospitals were relying on Locum Tenens physicians to address staffing shortages and increased patient load.
What Is Locums Tenens?
Locum Tenens refers to a medical professional, such as a physician or doctor, who assumes a temporary role within a hospital or healthcare facility to fulfill their staffing needs. These positions they fill are customarily out of state or a certain distance away from home, making them like travel healthcare workers. As stated previously, this could be because of a shortage, an influx of patients, or a clinician needing time off or needing to provide care to those who would usually go without. While it began as a rural health facility role, it has now grown into every aspect and field of healthcare. Assignments can be anywhere between two weeks to two months and even into a year. It really depends on what the hospital is looking for.
The best part? Being a travel role, Locums who accept the assignments will be happy to join your team in whatever state you are in. Creating the perfect situation for them and yourself.
With a projected shortage of 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by 2033, hospitals will need the perfect solution. If that’s not enough for you to hire Locum Tenens, here are some other reasons you should be.
The Pros and Cons Of Hiring Locum Tenens
It’s an intriguing concept hiring Locum Tenens, meaning that you are continuously taking on temporary assistance in order to make sure your patients can be properly taken care of. And with any positions needing to be filled, there are pros and cons of taking on these types of workers. So, let’s break down what these are:
PROS
Cost Savings For Your Organization
If temporary coverage is what you are looking for, then Locum Tenens are absolutely your best match. They are able to step in and take otherwise empty shifts. Don’t be fooled by the additional costs of such a temporary position or the Locum Tenens salary. You are only paying them for the days they work which technically is less than permanent medical staff. Yes, you could still go out and pick a long-term employee for the position. However, they do come with expenses and can be time-consuming to hire. When it comes to Locum Tenens, they are fast, efficient, reliable and cost-effective.
Serves As A Preventative Measure Against Burnout Among Current Staff
Burnout is one of the most common reasons nurses and doctors want to leave their position or need to take time off. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to go through and a situation that doesn’t just take a day off to get past. Since the pandemic, the rise of burnout has been massive, and hospitalist locums have been a great way to alleviate that burden. For instance, hiring Locum Tenens physicians to work amongst your staff for a consistent period of time can take some of the pressure off of your permanent staff. On top of this, hospitals have been known to even hire locums throughout the weekends to also take off the heavy load of patients. If avoiding burnout is at the top of your list, which it should be, then hiring a Locum Tenens is your best option!
Enhances The Level Of Care Available To Your Patients
When there are more doctors or physicians available, you have more to give to your patients. Sometimes smaller, or more rural hospitals struggle with this due to limited resources. With Locum Tenens, you won’t only have an extra person on the ground, but you’ll have a new set of skills that they can bring with them to your facility. Whether this is hiring hospitalist locums with specific specialties that will enhance your facility or just general skills that locums have been able to collect throughout all of their assignments. It stops you from needing to hire someone and train them to use specialized equipment which in turn saves you some money.
What About Your Revenue?
Once again, if money is on the list of things you expect to be more when hiring Locum Tenens, there is another reason why you are missing the big picture. Say for instance a patient comes in and needs some specialized care that your hospital doesn’t offer. That means they have to be sent to a different facility and your revenue ends up suffering. Not only is it better if patients can receive treatment close to home, but hiring a Locum Tenens with a specialty under their belt can allow you to maintain your revenue. As well as step up your hospital’s care and know that their qualified medical support is there when it’s needed.
CONS
Having To Verify The Locum Tenens Documentation And Licensing
A tedious job, to say the least, hiring a Locum Tenens physician means needing to dig into the paperwork that comes along with them. Making sure documents are authentic and up to date, verifying criminal background checks, their education and training as well as their certifications. Essentially, you want to screen your Locum Tenens as if you would be a permanent candidate. Requesting whatever information you need to make sure you are receiving a competent employee. Then, if you appreciate who you have hired, you can continue with their contract or hire them permanently in the future. In saying this, the trusted recruitment agency you are using – like TheraEx Locums Staffing Agency – will be able to verify these documents before sending an applicant to you.
Having To Work Ahead Of Schedule
Being a physician job recruiter can be a tough gig. Remaining a step ahead of any planned vacation or situations that come up with permanent staff and needing to replace them is one thing, but needing someone ASAP is another. Naturally, having to find someone as fast as possible is where the recruitment agency you work with will do their best to accommodate, but for those that give you time to organize, it’s best to do it 6 months in advance. This allows you to get on top of who is coming in to replace any temporary absences and can prevent you from a headache in the long run.
Having To Hire Another Locum Tenens
Physicians or doctors may not fit quite well into your hospital or facility setting, may not have experience with your type of patients or are just not what you are looking for. Inevitably, and unfortunately, this can happen in every job and any position you hire. The benefits of contracts is their terminability, allowing for the option to seek out a different Locum Tenens that more closely aligns with your desired criteria.
TheraEx Locum Tenens
Consult with us to secure the ideal candidate for your physician vacancies. At TheraEx Locums, we offer providers with the best Locum Tenens around. Our medical staffing agency specializes in Rehab, Allied, Clinical and Locum Tenens staffing with connections and resources to solve your biggest staffing challenges. Our screening process ensures you are getting the right candidate in your facility. If you’d like to find out more about what your best options are or how Locum Tenens can benefit your hospital or facility, click here.
Locum Tenens physicians bring a lot to hospitals all over the country. No matter what your hospital’s situation is, or whether you are in the big city or sitting out rurally, Locums are waiting for the opportunity to work for you. Locum Tenens can yield cost-efficiencies, mitigate burnout among permanent staff members, provide access to specialized medical services, and serve as a cost-saving solution during period of understaffing. It’s the foolproof plan that will get you exactly what you need in a short amount of time.
