Sumo Medial Staffing

There’s a potentially large healthcare crisis coming our way: the U.S. could be “short” 37,000 to 100,000 physicians over the next decade. 

In addition, more than half of all practicing physicians now are older than 55. Their retirements in the next 10-20 years could have a profound impact on healthcare delivery in the U.S. 

As a result, any healthcare facilities, understandably, are grappling with a very important question: 

Who will mentor the next generation of healthcare pros?

This impending knowledge gap is a real threat to continuity and quality of patient care 

Locum tenens healthcare pros can be one answer. 

Locums often can offer more than “just” stopgap/temporary coverage. Many locums are experienced healthcare veterans: they’re often retirees who want to continue serving others part-time. They bring decades of experience to their assignments. Such experience coupled with their knowledge can be used to create strong mentorship programs within medical facilities. 

Benefits of locum mentorship 

Knowledge transfer from one generation to another

Locums could share insights, knowledge, best practices and nuanced skills tips that rarely make it to textbooks or training sessions. Such knowledge learned over their years of practice could be extremely helpful in developing talent healthcare pros in the next generation. 

Continuity of care

As staff members retire, locums can help prevent the disruption of established patient care protocols. Locums can mentor younger staff, bridging the gap and helping to ensure that younger team members learn institutional knowledge and patient-specific insights. 

Flexibility

Many healthcare pros working as locums – of retirement age or not – enjoy the flexibility that working as a locum provides them. They can stay engaged in their profession without the demands and stress of full-time employment and hospitals and other medical facilities can tap into expertise that might otherwise be unavailable. 

Smoothing transitions

Bringing in locum mentors before senior staff retire creates overlap, allowing for a smoother transition of responsibilities/knowledge transfer. 

Implementing a Locum Mentorship Program

Consider the following: 

• Identify key areas. Which departments/specialties at your facility would benefit the greatest from mentors? 

• Create structured programs. Formal mentorship frameworks could pair locum pros with younger/less-experienced team members. 

• Encourage knowledge sharing. Consider setting up regular sessions during which locums can share their experiences/insights with larger groups. 

• Create a “learning culture.” Promote an environment facility-wide in which asking questions and looking for guidance is valued and encouraged. 

• Measure impact of the program(s). Ascertain the program’s effectiveness via feedback from mentors and mentees. 

Using locum tenens pros strategically in mentor programs can help your facility address the coming retirement knowledge gap. Such an approach can ensure not only the transfer of important skills and knowledge but also help maintain high standards of patient care during retirement transitions. 

It’s our experience that many of our locums love to mentor younger/less-experienced professionals while on assignment with our clients. 

Learn more about SUMO Staffing’s locum tenens recruiting services.