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Why Locum Tenens is Vacation-Friendly for Providers
For decades, hospitals, clinics, private practice groups, and other healthcare organizations have booked locum tenens physicians and advanced practice providers to cover shifts while staff members take vacations. Indeed, this remains one of the top reasons why facilities utilize supplemental staff. However, have you considered how the career alternative could help you enjoy your own vacations?
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates physicians do not claim all the paid time off they earn throughout a year. In fact, of the more than 3,000 individuals surveyed, nearly 60 percent requested 15 or fewer days off last year and approximately one in five clinicians claimed five or fewer vacation days. Additionally, the study states that 70 percent of respondents admitted to attending to patient-care duties while on vacation. In other words, while traveling for leisure or spending time away from work, these providers also responded to emails or updated electronic medical records (EMRs). When work responsibilities pop up while you are sightseeing, enjoying family outings, or trying to chill on the beach, it can hinder your ability to detach from the job even when you’re far away from the clinical setting.
A locum tenens career helps you separate professional duties from personal time so you create more opportunities to exclusively relax, refresh, and enjoy your well-earned time off.
- Preplan Your Calendar
Locum tenens professionals exercise more control over their work schedules. This approach eliminates the need to coordinate time-off requests with administrators, partners, or fellow staff members. That said, being flexible with when you want to take time off can help facilities make sure they have coverage, too. For example, summer holidays as well as those toward the end of the year tend to be high-demand vacation days among employees, so naturally that’s also when healthcare organizations request locum tenens professionals. Your willingness to accept temporary assignments during popular periods could be offset with having more latitude in choosing your vacation dates during other times of the year. Bonus: You may benefit from off-season travel and lodging discounts. Confer with your All Star Healthcare Solutions consultant if you wish to take off days or weeks between assignments.
- Enjoy Extended Vacations
One of the advantages to being more in charge of your schedule is you have more ability to allocate periods of time to work and periods away from work. This is especially amenable if you wish to take a prolonged vacation or leave of absence to volunteer for a medical mission, as an example. If this is your intention, share the details with your recruiter so they can make sure to present potential locums contracts before and after these hiatuses.
- Turn Assignments into Mini Vacations
Every locum tenens assignment has the potential to turn into a working vacation. Exploring all that a community offers, such as cultural venues, restaurants, and natural highlights, after shifts or on days off can feel as if you are traveling for leisure. You also can opt to spend extra days in a location before or after a locums contract if you want to get to know the city or region on a more familiar level. Key your recruiter in on your plans.
- Invite Family or Friends
Another way to turn locum tenens assignments into mini vacations is to welcome loved ones. Whether they join you for the duration of a short contract or visit for a few days during a longer assignment, being able to hang out with family or friends makes the experience extra special. Plus, on days off — or after the temporary job concludes — you can join them for the fun festivities.
- Find Quality Me-time
The locum tenens practice style supports providers’ ability to disengage from professional responsibilities when not clocked in. On the job, you are afforded the opportunity to devote more of your attention to patient care because you won’t be drawn into extracurricular administrative tasks. When you’re not on assignment, your time is yours. It won’t be interrupted with additional EMR coverage or other patient or personnel management issues. Locum tenens empowers you to dedicate your focus with fewer distractions and truly enjoy the benefits of caring for patients… and of a well-earned vacation.
Are you ready to start your locum tenens practice? Call All Star Healthcare Solutions today at 800-928-0229, or contact us online.
