Some healthcare professionals want to find permanent positions in a hospital where they will work for decades. They want to enjoy a steady routine and a consistent workplace where rules rarely change. However, healthcare providers who wish to work in different locations, improve their earning potential, and enjoy better work-life balance should consider locum tenens positions.
There is another group of health providers who are torn between a permanent position and locum tenens options. This article will highlight the advantages of getting a locum tenens position to help them make an informed decision.
Freedom to Travel
Healthcare careers are demanding, which reduces the time the professionals in this field can travel to different destinations. However, getting a locum tenens position allows the healthcare professional to travel to these destinations on purpose. As they report to their workplace every few weeks or months, these professionals get opportunities to explore new cities and see what the country has to offer.
Locum tenens workers can go on vacation after completing assignments to experience different lifestyles, cultures, and foods as they interact with people from diverse backgrounds. Some positions allow healthcare providers to travel to different countries to work and, in the process, make memories and see how other people live.
Diverse Healthcare Experiences
One characteristic of locum tenens opportunities is that the assignments are temporary. They allow providers to work in different workplaces and expand their scope of experience when they move from one environment to the next. Healthcare providers in permanent hospitals may not understand how it feels like to work in a different location or do specific assignments.
Locum tenens positions allow professionals to try out their dream assignments, test new positions, seek advice from seasoned professionals, and decide the best careers. The locum tenens providers can choose to continue working under new terms or leave for another assignment when they complete their work.
Improved Work-Life Balance
Working in the same permanent position for decades can be tedious and exhausting. During the peak seasons, when the demand for healthcare services increases, the permanent employees can experience burnout. They work in the same location with the same uniform, routine, culture, and workmates, which makes many unsatisfied with their careers.
On the other hand, locum tenens providers can switch workplaces and take assignments in a different state, city, or town. They also get time to prepare and familiarize themselves with the new environment, which reduces the risk of burnout.
Higher Income
Locum tenens positions attract generous allowances and higher rates to entice competent professionals to work on temporary assignments. Specialties that require advanced skills and are in high demand earn more than their counterparts in permanent positions. This means that locum tenens providers who take assignments frequently can make much more within a short duration. They can use the extra income to improve their lifestyle, invest, pay student debts, travel, or pursue other interests.
Flexible and Hassle-Free Career
Locum tenens jobs rarely involve administration tasks such as teaching, billing, writing letters, or solving management issues. They focus on providing health services and have a flexible schedule that tells them when they will be at work and when they will be off duty.
They can also choose when and where to work depending on the opportunities available and personal preferences. Permanent positions, however, are rigid, with tight schedules and administrative tasks.
With the advantages of locum tenens in mind, it is clear that these positions are more enticing and rewarding. Healthcare providers interested in this career path should partner with recruitment agencies to get the available assignments. However, they should read and understand the terms of the new positions to avoid inconveniences.
