Locum tenens physicians, NPs, PAs, and other advanced practice providers can be highly instrumental in keeping your health facility running efficiently. Such physicians can fill in when gaps exist within your workforce. Finding the right locum tenens professional will avert disruption of care. That will ensure continuity of service during maternity leave, vacation, or sudden absence. For healthcare practices, especially those with APPs, the selection of locum tenens staff requires top qualifications.
Specialization and Skillset Alignment
Before selecting a locum tenens provider, consider the speciality of the provider along with the skill set. For instance, if you need an APP, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or advanced practice providers, their capabilities must cater to your practice.
If your speciality is family medicine, make sure that the locum tenens provider hired is versatile in either paediatrics, geriatrics, or general family practice. In case of specialty clinics like, cardiology or orthopaedics, the provider should have the correct skill set and proper certification. Their clinical expertise should meet your state and practice needs.
Electronic Health Record Experience
The current healthcare system uses EHRs to manage patients. Any locum tenens provider has to be computer savvy, specifically when using the EHR system utilized in your practice. That includes navigational skills, usage of software, and correct entry of information to ease into your practice.
Check to see if the locum tenens provider has experience with the specific EHR platform your practice utilizes. Most providers can learn any new system. However, experience with your system will help them be more efficient and reduce their learning curve.
Licensing, Certification, and Compliance
For any locum tenens provider, verify their licensure, board certifications, and continuing education requirements before hiring.Also, the advanced practice providers must adhere to the state laws on their scope of practice and prescriptive authority. Make sure the provider is licensed and has appropriate malpractice insurance and a background check.
Cost Considerations and Budget
Cost is most likely to be a key issue for most physicians while considering locum tenens providers as it may be costly to acquire temporary providers. Therefore, it is wise to consider whether their rates will work within your budget and bring value to your practice. The costs of the different specialities and providers will vary according to experience, speciality, and location. Specify hourly or daily rate, plus travel and housing expenses.
References and Reputation
A locum tenens provider should always be hired based on references and reputation in the field. Discuss their background with previous employers or colleagues. Ask them about their work habits, ability to treat patients, and teamwork. Reliable staffing agencies perform extensive background investigations of the candidates. They also supply in-depth references for candidates. That will be aided by choosing a provider with strong references to make sure you hire someone who fits into your practice and improves your team.
Finding a locum tenens who fits your specific needs requires critical considerations especially for advanced practice providers. Meet the balance of skills from your particular requirements and consider a number of further attributes, such as cultural fit and proper licensing standards, in your review for smooth transitions. The assurance that service levels of healthcare are not going to falter depends on finding a knowledgeable, competent, licensed locum tenens.
