#020 - 3 Priorities for Longevity in Locum Tenens
The problem that most nurses and physicians will eventually come to after they make the jump to contract work is that of longevity.
Inevitably, you will start to feel like you are running out of options: at your desired rate, in your desired locale, or you desired working environment.
The wrong way to deal with the insecurity of independent contract work is to run back to full-time employment.
The whole point of this newsletter and website is to give honest considerations for contract work as a clinician in order to make the best decision for you.
So how do we make it work for the long haul - how do we build locum longevity?
Moreover, how do we consistently find and create opportunities to care for patients in exchange for earning income in spite of all the challenges?
#1 - Formulate a Plan
The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score...Bill Copeland
Everyone needs some kind of goal-setting framework in order to make plans today that will guide us to a favorable future.
Here’s one such example:
Long-term Goals
What is your overreaching goal that you are driving towards?
Why are you making/will you make/have you made the jump to contract work?
Why is it valuable to you?
How will it help your family (money, time, flexibility)?
Medium-term Strategies
SMART framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound
Specific - to have 3 credentialed sites in rotation at a time for diversification
Measurable - 3 is pretty measurable
Achievable - very
Relevant - make sure they are worthwhile and fulfilling roles
Time-bound - Set a deadline to have 2 credentialed in 6 months and all 3 in a year
Short-term Tactics
What actions have you taken that leads to the greatest return on your investment?
What are you best at/ what has gotten you this far in life?
Find ways to leverage what it is you excel at and turn it into:
providing more value in your clinical role (which dovetails with #2 below
finding contract opportunities that will likely pan out well
The sooner you figure out how to find the best fitting contracts, the sooner you will feel comfortable in a safe working environment and the better chance you will have at longer term consistency.
#2 - Build Relationships
Someone is always watching you.
Your patient-based performance day-to-day is only part of your success as a contract clinician.
How do you get along with the rest of the group - all of the secretaries, billers, transporters, nurses, PA’s, doctors, consultant teams, etc.
You can’t refuse work or push it off on your colleagues or call-out when you don’t feel like going to work.
You need to be an unimpeachable teammate in order to have long-term assignments that lead to repeat business year-in and year-out.
Keep in mind that some things will always be out of your control (see Newsletter #009 - Locum Horror Stories), but it doesn’t hurt to try to be a great coworker whatever your specialty.
#3 - Find Mentorship
Unfortunately, most of the people that trained us (and most of those we still work with) are academic medicine lifers who might not have much experience with other business models or practice settings.
The medicine world is full of people with 2 cents to give you.
But you aren’t looking for just anyone to help guide you when tough decisions pop up.
Ideally, we want to find people who have a diverse background: academic vs community hospital, private practice vs private equity-owned, independent contractor vs employee.
And if you’re like me, I want a mentor that pushes that career diversity further into lifestyle diversity.
Summary
You will face challenges with the locum tenens approach, but it won’t come from sick patients or challenging environments.
It will come from the fear that is inherent to the contract world: there is no long-term job security besides what you plan and prepare for.
Whether with your own finances or by diversifying your opportunities for income, the onus will always be on you.