Locum Tenens: The Answer to Physician Stress? Recent surveys by several prominent medical entities have revealed some disturbing trends among America's doctors. Those surveys suggest that stress among physicians is at all-time high and, as those physicians admit, high enough that it is having a measurable impact on patient care. In order to reduce distress and return the quality of care to where it should be, the healthcare industry needs to take a step back and honestly assess where it is. By all accounts the healthcare delivery system in this country is stretched to its limits everywhere you look. Just as an example, staffing agencies offering locum tenens healthcare workers are practically begging for new workers in order to keep up with the demand. In every area of healthcare workers are putting in longer hours, performing more duties, and generally working harder than their counterparts of just a decade ago. All of this puts stress on doctors, nurses, technicians, and so forth.
Relieving Stress with Locum Tenens Some of the surveys also suggest one of the ways to relieve the stress is to give doctors a change in surroundings. In light of the fact that many other industries already embrace this idea, it makes good sense within the healthcare industry as well. Doctors facing tremendous amounts of stress in their current positions could get a break by moving to a different facility in taking on a new caseload. Taking that to its logical conclusion suggests that locum tenens as a career might be one of the best ways to help relieve physician stress. In a locum tenens environment the doctor takes a short-term assignment to fill the staffing needs of the hospital, clinic, or private practice. Most doctors will go into a new assignment fresh and ready to jump in with both feet. And just about the time he's been there long enough for job stress to kick in, that assignment ends and he's off to the next one. The opportunity to work as a locum tenens physician is also the opportunity to stay fresh and enthusiastic from one assignment to the next.
More than Just Doctors It goes without saying that the locum tenens arena is more than just doctors working on temporary assignments. There are professionals from every area of healthcare involved in the locum tenens industry. You'll find locum tenens nurses, nurse practitioners, surgeons, anesthesiologists, and so on. The fact remains that the shortage of qualified workers in the healthcare industry means plenty of opportunity for staffing agencies and their locum tenens workers. Embracing the locum tenens model may not relieve the stress among healthcare workers completely. But it may be one part of a larger set of strategies the healthcare industry can begin to employ for a brighter future. If using locum tenens physicians reduces stress and increases the quality of patient care, it's something that should be seriously considered by both doctors and medical facilities. After all, healthcare is more about patients than anything else, isn't it? Source: 1. Vista Staffing: http://www.vistastaff.com/physicians/us-locum-tenens