A locum tenens nurse practitioner (NP) substitutes for a regular nurse practitioner while providing similar services, including disease prevention education, physical patient examination, interpretation of diagnostic tests, writing medical prescriptions, and patient counseling.
Depending on their contracts, NPs may work for as long as a year in various working environments. Why would nursing professionals work as a nurse practitioner locum tenens?
Many Travel Opportunities
In 2020, American travelers spent $680.3 billion on domestic travel alone. Travel provides people with the opportunity to see new places, meet new people, enjoy new experiences, and become open-minded.
Therefore, becoming locum tenens enables NPs to enjoy travel opportunities and live among individuals of different cultures. Traveling NPs get reimbursements for their travel expenses or deduct these expenses from their taxes.
The Freedom to Design Your Lifestyle
Permanently employed nurse practitioners may have no choice but to work in whichever setting the employer has assigned them to, as long as they qualify to provide care there. But that is not the case with locum tenens NPs. Such professionals work on contracts based on their areas of specialization, but they can determine the work environment in which they serve.
Those who want to work for underserved populations can do so. For example, NPs could work in rural settings in government facilities, nonprofit clinics, or community health care centers serving those receiving inadequate health care. Others could opt for work within inner cities serving those within the low-income communities.
Locum tenens NPs can also choose to improve their work-life balance by working part time throughout the year. They can also choose to work during busy times of the year and take breaks or go on volunteer missions the rest of the time. The ability to design one’s lifestyle is what makes locum tenens work so desirable.
Above-Average Compensation
Due to the massive demand for the medical services that nurse practitioners provide, many health care facilities are willing to pay higher wages. The salary and benefits can be excellent in areas where service providers are in higher demand.
Some recruiters may provide housing. According to TravelNursing.org, salaries for traveling nurse practitioners vary from state to state, with the average annual salary determined by your years of experience as a nurse.
Diverse Range of Work Experience
Since traveling NPs work in many environments, they tend to amass varied work skills and experiences.
In areas where nurse practitioners work independently, they learn how to be self-driven, manage medical practices, and acquire good leadership skills. When they work in larger health care facilities, they learn how to be team players with excellent collaborative skills.
In addition to enjoying all the benefits of traveling, NPs acquire adaptability, an excellent skill to have in any situation. Over time, they know to make decisions amid rapidly changing situations despite the pressures they may face. Thus, employers find them very valuable.
The Talent Society serves health care facilities and NPs by connecting them. If you are an NP who wants to travel and help others or a health care facility needing qualified service providers, contact us today.
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