Staffing shortages have been occurring throughout the US, and many healthcare facilities are looking for ways to handle them. When a healthcare facility is suffering from a staffing shortage or needs a short-term addition to its team, locum tenens can be an excellent option. This provides short-term assistance from a qualified worker, which can help in numerous different ways to address any potential shortages.
What is the Focus of Locum Tenens?
Locum tenens is focused on making sure healthcare facilities have the professional help needed when there are not enough employees or situations where extra help is necessary. Healthcare facilities can use locum tenens assignments to fill in gaps where needed, whether the worker is needed for a week or a few months. It is a good idea for healthcare facilities to look into the locum tenens resources for providers to learn how to get started to ensure they can have coverage when they need it.
Locum Tenens Vs Per Diem Workers
Healthcare facilities can get help through locum tenens or per diem workers. Locum tenens is generally for short-term assignments lasting between a few days and a few months to a year. Per diem, on the other hand, is typically used when the worker will only be needed for a single day. While this can be helpful in some situations, it may be better to work with a locum tenens worker who can be there the entire time they’re needed for the assignment, as this is more consistent and allows them to get to know the facility better.
Quickly Cover Open Positions
Positions may open up when someone quits or retires. If this happens, there may not be enough notice to find a new worker for the facility. With locum tenens, it’s possible to hire someone to help the facility cover the position right now while the facility looks for a permanent worker. This helps to ensure patient care quality doesn’t decline and there are no gaps in coverage while the facility works to find someone to permanently fill the position. If the facility likes the locum tenens worker and the worker likes the facility, they could even end up being hired as a permanent addition to the team.
Hire Help for Short-Term Assignments
Sometimes, healthcare facilities will know in advance that they’re going to have a staff shortage. They might have the staff they need to cover daily operations, but if one of the staff members goes on vacation, takes time off for parental leave, or has another reason to take time off work, the facility will need to have their position covered. With locum tenens, the facility can make sure everything is covered before the worker returns to handle their position again. This is another way to cover gaps that can occur with staffing and to ensure patients receive a high quality of care.
Handle Surges that May Occur
Healthcare facilities can see surges in the number of patients they’ll treat. This can happen because other facilities are shutting down and patients are looking for healthcare assistance elsewhere or may be short-term, like the flu season. Whenever healthcare facilities experience a surge, whether it’s short-term or not and whether it’s recurring or not, they can look to locum tenens to quickly get the extra help they need. This allows them to make sure the patients receive the care they need without having to worry about there being enough staff to handle the increase in demand.
Prepare to Expand Services Being Offered
When a healthcare facility wants to expand its services, it may need to hire new employees to cover those services. With locum tenens, they can hire professionals who are able to provide the new services. This enables the newly expanded services to be available faster, so patients can start taking advantage of them right away. The new services can start while the facility looks for a permanent worker to handle the expanded services.
Reduce Potential Burnout for Workers
Increasing amounts of workers, especially in healthcare fields, are suffering from burnout. When there isn’t enough staff to handle everything, workers may be expected to work longer hours or more shifts. They may also be expected to do more during their shift. This leads to a significant increase in stress, which can lead to the worker leaving the healthcare field entirely. By hiring locum tenens workers when needed to combat the staff shortage, it can help to reduce the potential for permanent staff members to suffer burnout.
How to Get Started With Locum Tenens
Healthcare facilities and providers who are interested in using locum tenens to fill gaps in staffing will want to find the right provider. It is important to look for a provider who works with a large number of professionals and who has professionals to cover any position that may be needed. They’ll need to then sign up for the service and learn how to create assignments that workers can choose. The locum tenens provider should offer information to help facilities get started using their services.
It is a good idea for the healthcare facility to take the time to write as many details as possible when creating assignments, as this gives potential workers a better idea of what to expect. Along with the start and end date for the assignment, they’ll want to include the pay, the hours, the days worked, the position being covered, and other pertinent details. They may also want to state whether they cover travel or moving expenses, what benefits they can offer, and anything else that might encourage a worker to accept the assignment.
If your facility is suffering from staffing shortages or you’d like to make sure you’re prepared to handle potential issues, it may be a good idea to look into hiring short-term employees through locum tenens. This can provide you with the help needed to keep the facility running and make sure patients receive the care they need and expect. Learn more about locum tenens today to get started.
