When you hire a temporary clinician through your locum tenens partner, you know that their assignment is for a defined period of time. Therefore, you want to ensure a solid return on your investment for the duration of the assignment.
A great way to do this is to reduce operational inefficiencies that could be hindering your facility when the provider is on site.
By working to reduce these inefficiencies, you will give both your locum staff and your permanent staff the ability to improve patient care, streamline flow of information, and better manage patient outcomes.
Locum tenens services are great for filling your schedule gaps. However, some facilities end up wasting time and money on these providers when operational inefficiencies prevent them from fully doing their job.
To get the most bang for your buck, set goals to reduce these inefficiencies. Some of the best ways to do this include:
Situational awareness is key to reducing inefficiencies around your locum provider. To get the most value from their time, take note of the areas that need the most help and come up with a plan that organically includes your temporary physician.
Coordinate your provider’s orientation with key in-house personnel, confirm dates and times of the orientation and that necessary resources are available to properly orient the clinician to your facility. Include a wrap-up session with your provider to provide an opportunity for questions and confirming next steps.
Communication is one of the most essential tools for any workplace. And by improving your communication and information transfer across your staff, you’ll enable your locum physician to step into your facility and get right to work.
By eliminating delays in communication and information transfer, you’ll not only set up your current locum physicians and permanent staff for success, but you’ll also create a clear path to success for future employees.
Identify an individual within your organization who can be a “go-to” resource to support your locum provider with any questions related to processes, location of resources, or questions related to the local community.
You may ask yourself: “Is locum tenens worth it?”
When you stop and consider the benefits they provide for your facility, especially during times of increased patient census , the answer becomes obvious.
A locum tenens agency will work with you to ensure your specific needs are met. Once you’ve found your temporary solution, you can begin putting a focus on reducing the inefficiencies around them so they can effectively work with your staff to provide a consistent level of quality in patient care.