If you have no healthcare providers, your hospital, clinic, rehab or healthcare facility can’t meet the needs of your patients. If you’re unable to accommodate your patients, you’ll lose money. It’s just that simple.
But, what are you to do when your nurses, therapists, physicians, and other medical staff, can’t, for whatever reason, do their job. How do you solicit and secure the necessary staff to keep your doors from closing? A locum tenens agency can equip your healthcare facility with the appropriate staff, if only on a temporary basis, so that you can continue to provide quality patient care.
The Answer for Medical Staffing Needs
Locum tenens, or locum, agencies, can provide physicians, and many other medical professionals, to cover gaps in your clinic or facility staff. Whether due to absentee staff members on medical or personal leave,, or because of an increase in workload, when you need a licensed professional to fill in and provide medical care at your facility, a locum agency is the answer.
With today’s increased healthcare needs, medical recruiters and locum agencies are on the rise. Eager to match the right professional to your immediate needs, the many recruiting agencies out there are vying for your attention, with plenty of candidates to do the job. Finding the best locum agency can be daunting, so here are a few things to keep in mind when you need the services of a medical recruiter.
Reliability
It should come as no surprise that the number one attribute of a recruitment agency is reliability. When you call on your locum agency to fill your staffing needs, you expect someone who is fully qualified and able to work ASAP. Rely on your medical recruiting agency to provide for your staffing needs immediately.
Your current staff shouldn’t be concerned with pulling together, working overtime and filling in the gaps any more than is necessary. To demand that your nursing, or other, staff members add extra hours onto an already long shift, can lead to burnout and exhaustion. Which, in turn, can pose a risk to patient care. Working with a reliable locum agency lets your staff know you recognize the needs of the facility and you’re doing something about it.
Placement Record
Another consideration you should make in choosing a locum tenen agency is their placement track record. A superior agency will be more successful at placement of qualified candidates who fit in with the culture of the hospital, nursing facility, or clinic. The best agencies do their “homework”, going beyond vetting for clinical skills and experience, and finding the right medical professional to fit with your unique team.
Ethical Practices
Anyone who works in the medical field understands that a high degree of ethical standards are necessary. Not only must the locum agency, and those professionals they represent, be compliant with ethical practices and standards set forth by HIPAA, but the agency must respect the privacy of both the candidate and the healthcare practice. Contractual agreements must always be honored and upheld.
Communication
Even after placement, a quality medical recruiter will be in communication with both the candidate and the facility, to ensure successful placement is ongoing. Should there be any dissatisfaction on the part of either party, the recruiter must resolve the situation immediately.
Expertise in Vetting
When you need someone to fill in the gaps in your medical staff, you shouldn’t have to spend time and money on background checks, verification of licensing, employment records, and the like. A reputable agency should rise to the occasion to ensure that the candidate’s certification is in order, there are no judgements against the candidate professionally, and a clean and thorough background and drug screening has been performed.
How a Locum Agency Can Help You Retain Staff
If used effectively, a locum agency can help you keep quality staff members. The professionalism shown by the hire you secure through the right medical recruiter will improve the morale and boost productivity, naturally. You’ve demonstrated that you recognize the need for additional staff, and you’re not willing to ignore that need, in defense of an inflated bottom line.
You gain respect in the eyes of your staff, and your patient care doesn’t suffer. Choosing the right locum agency means more than just a replacement doctor, therapist, nurse, or other medical professional. A superior medical recruiter will go beyond a “replacement” and provide you with a staff member who’s a member of the team from day one.
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