Most healthcare providers are choosing to work full-time on locum tenens jobs, and it’s easy to see why. After all, it affords them more advantages than a traditional career does. Beyond the flexibility and freedom to create their schedules, they’re also given the opportunity to increase their income. But if you’re still hesitant about making the transition to this lifestyle, here are a few more reasons why working as a locum tenens practitioner is a good idea.
Better Work And Life Balance:
Being a full-time employee for any healthcare organization may have its perks, but it isn’t without its fair share of challenges. Between the daily administrative burden and bureaucratic tasks, long hours, staffing gaps, and insufficient time with patients, it’s not hard for doctors to get stressed out and overworked as their responsibilities begin to bleed into their personal lives. Unfortunately, there aren’t many ways to overcome these difficulties within a traditional working environment.
However, as a locum tenens practitioner, you have a better chance of achieving a better work-life balance since you’ll have a greater degree of control over your time. For example, you can choose to take on several short-term assignments continuously or work on long-term ones but with much longer breaks between each placement. This way, you get to engage in hobbies, spend more time with loved ones, and more.
Variety:
Beyond work-life balance, another reason to consider the locum tenens lifestyle is that it presents medical practitioners with the opportunity to travel and experience different working settings and environments. If you’re unsure of committing to specific facilities for extended periods or full-time, it presents the opportunity to test them out first and see if they’re a good fit for you. As a result, you’re more likely to be satisfied with your assignment.
Less Administrative Burden:
For many healthcare providers, a significant pain point of the job is the administrative responsibilities that they need to complete. In fact, most cite it as the top challenge of working in the field of medicine and a factor that can lead to burnout and stress, especially since it can take a lot of time from the patients while adding more hours to their shifts. But by working in locums, you won’t have to do so much paperwork as a full-time employee would.
Increased Pay:
Lastly, locum tenens practitioners generally enjoy better pay than those working as full-time employees in healthcare facilities. Those working in medical specialties with staffing shortages can even have a higher potential for earning. And this can make a difference to those who are in need of funds, be it to pay off medical school debts or finance a private practice.
Conclusion:
With all its benefits, it’s not surprising that so many healthcare providers are opting to work locum tenens jobs instead of being regular employees for a healthcare facility. However, the experience will depend on the locum tenens company you choose, so be sure to do your due diligence before committing to an agency.
