Sumo Medial Staffing

Are you researching what you need to do to hire locum tenens healthcare professionals for your hospital/healthcare facility? 

Before starting, here are four questions you should answer to help you get the most benefit out of this valuable resource. 

What are your specific needs?

Before you reach out to a locum tenens agency, take a minute to ascertain exactly what you need. Are you looking for an RN to cover a night shift in your emergency room? Or a cardiologist to fill in during a staff member’s family leave? 

Start by taking a look at your staffing calendar and highlight all planned absences for the next half year or so. Then, take a look at your patient load for the last 12 months and look for patterns. Does the pediatric ward become swamped in the fall, during flu season? Is your orthopedic department stretched thin every summer as weekend warriors discover that they’re not 18 any more? 

Once you see your facility’s patient-load trends, quantify them: 

• How many additional hours of coverage did you need? 

• Which skills were in highest demand? 

• And so on. 

Such a detailed look at your needs will help you talk to the locum staffing company clearly, helping it find terrific matches for your situation. 

Will the locums have mentors to help them onboard quickly? What other steps will you take to help the healthcare pros hit the ground running?

Once the locums arrive, how will you train them on your particular ways of doing things? You want them to be able to start providing value within minutes of their arrival. Do you have an onboarding procedure that can help get them up to speed quickly? What about “mentors”: permanent team members who will be on hand to answer their questions, as needed?  

What are the implications of hiring locums?

Locum tenens pros can be true lifesavers when staffing levels are short and patient loads are high. But what about possible drawbacks? For example, will these temporary personnel affect team dynamics or patient relationships? (This shouldn’t stop you from hiring locums, of course, but it bears consideration.) 

Take a look at your facility’s long-term goals and strategy. Are you thinking of bringing on locus to “test” potential new permanent hires? Or are your bringing them on board to “just” bridge any gaps in your employee roster while you look for a permanent addition to the team? (Note; many locums are open to moving to a permanent position.) 

How will you ensure a high quality of patient care continuity?

Maintaining high-quality care consistently is imperative, no matter who is providing it. Do you have standards in place for temporary team members? I 

Review your communication protocols. Are they strong enough to ensure smooth transitions between permanent staff and locums? If not, consider creating a standardized procedure that includes key patient information, ongoing concerns and treatment plans. 

Set yourself up for success by remembering that bringing locums on board isn’t just about filling staffing gaps, but also about enhancing your teams’ capabilities and providing great care for your patients. 

Learn more about how SUMO Staffing can recruit top-notch locum tenens healthcare pros for your medical facility.