Healthcare is transforming today, and organizations must find smart solutions for staffing challenges. Staffing shortages have been an issue within the industry for several years, and the global pandemic exacerbated the problem. Countless healthcare organizations are turning to locum tenens for help addressing the issue.
However, organizations must find a way to manage locum assignments and know when to hire these professionals. The goal is to address the shortages while reducing physician burnout and ensuring workers have the right work-life balance. Furthermore, the organization must determine when peak periods occur so patient care doesn’t suffer, leading to unsatisfied clients. Smart solutions for locum staffing can help overcome these challenges and ensure an adequate workforce.
Data-Driven Decisions
Many healthcare organizations are using technology and predictive analytics to resolve staffing issues. This technology helps facilities find the right individuals for open positions. AI-powered platforms are used to review provider certifications and specialties. They are also used to learn a person’s geographic preferences, past performance, and desired assignment length. With the help of these platforms, organizations find that hiring locums takes less time, ensuring a good fit. Organizations reduce administrative tasks while onboarding locums faster, while providers find their assignments align with their goals.
Flexibility
Organizations may hire permanent employees during peak periods only to find they remain idle when patient volume slows. The organization spends money on these workers when they don’t need to. Locum tenens can fill in during peak periods so facilities have full coverage, but the organization doesn’t bear the cost of recruiting, onboarding, and retaining full-time employees. Locums may also step in when one or more professionals take a leave of absence or when a facility is considering expanding services and wants to determine whether doing so is feasible. Healthcare organizations should build relationships with locum providers to simplify finding the right individual for an open position.
More Control
Providers often work as locum tenens to gain more control over their careers. People want career autonomy and flexibility in their home lives. Locums choose when and where to work. They might explore different environments to see which they prefer or take on unique assignments to learn whether they would enjoy doing something new. Some men and women never take a full-time position. They work as locum tenens throughout their careers. Others use these positions to do test runs. When they find an organization that is a good fit, they may seek a permanent position with the facility.
Soft Skills
Locum tenens need soft skills to succeed in their assignments. They must have outstanding communication skills and adapt rapidly to changing environments. Collaboration is essential when working as a locum tenens, and all medical providers need to be empathetic and flexible, as they never know what they will encounter when the next patient comes in. Continuing education and leadership development benefit individuals, and every medical professional should participate in cultural competency training to better meet the needs of their patients.
Healthcare is a rapidly changing industry. New treatments are found, workers choose to specialize, and organizations merge to improve patient care. Locum tenens are vital in this transformation because they help organizations meet dynamic clinical demands. With their help, medical facilities can maintain quality care. Providers benefit because they have more career freedom and the flexibility to achieve a sustainable work-life balance.