Making the best of a locum tenens staff is crucial to maintaining a well-run, and most of all, consistent medical practice. Whether one is in charge of the locum tenens for a small, family practice or an entire hospital, setting reasonable expectations for locum tenens staff is key to a consistent, fluid, and most importantly, efficient medical team. 

In the past, most medical practice managers and schedulers may have experienced being overwhelmed when it comes to working with locum tenens individuals. The management, the scheduling, getting the right schedule coverage, finding doctors who can work within the practice’s pay scales, and all of the other bureaucracy involved can be “tricky” to say the least, and even that is an understatement. Working with locum tenens staff is a necessity in any medical practice no matter how large or small, because doctors, nurse practitioners, and all other attendant staff need to be able to take vacation, sick and personal days, holidays, etc. However, isn’t there any way to help make the hiring process for locum tenens easier?

The general expectation for hiring a locum tenens is that the physician will hit the ground running and be able to operate at the same level of productivity and efficiency as the resident physician. Realistically, this is a tough order to fill. However, that doesn’t mean that a great deal of work can’t be done to make the transition process as smooth as possible.

The number one tip that can be offered for addressing locum tenens situations is to plan as far ahead as possible. Time is often the key factor in scheduling a locum tenens staff member. Studies and surveys show that the more advance notice that a medical practice has to line up a locum tenens worker, the better chance that a smooth transition, scheduling, timekeeping, and payment will also ensue.

Using a Locum Tenens Recruiting Agency is an Effective Solution

Having enough time to schedule a locum tenens professional is a sensitive factor, as medical practice managers and schedulers are often pressured with unforeseen scheduling conflicts. A locum tenens firm can work with a medical practice to work out all of the potential, foreseeable bumps and kinks between the medical practice and the locum provider. This is an excellent way in which locum tenens recruiting agencies are able to streamline both the on boarding and the off boarding aspects of a locum tenens process. Locum tenens firms use a proactive approach by doing things like:

  • Assess and understand the specific needs of the medical practice they are providing recruitment for. 
  • Learn about the absent doctor or nurse or other medical staff member and their schedule, day to day duties, and the general feel for the job itself.
  • Work with locum tenens providers to find a candidate who can fill the absentee’s shoes effectively, on the right schedule, in the right setting, and at the right price point.
  • Present that candidate to the medical practice and, if agreeable, arrange a start date.
  • Ensure the locum tenens candidate starts on the given date, and works through the schedule needed until the resident medical practice’s staff member is back on the job again.

Throughout the entire process, the locum tenens recruiting firm will work closely with the locum tenens provider and the medical practice to ensure that everyone and everything is working out well and all parties are absolutely satisfied.

Using a specialty firm that excels at providing locum tenens recruitment, scheduling, and alignment makes all of the difference. This service can save countless man hours and can keep a practice running smooth through even the most hectic of times. Contact Medstaff for more information.