The Growing Role of Locum Tenens in Surgical Staffing Solutions

Hospitals are under ever-growing pressure these days. They have to manage numerous factors, not the least of which are maintaining the highest quality of patient care, handling fluctuating volumes of patients, and dealing with workforce shortages. Surgical teams are up against extreme responsibilities, and staffing gaps can take a tremendous toll on them. It also has a negative impact on patients, leading to longer wait times and less access to the medical care they need. 

Locum tenens providers are becoming increasingly important to surgical teams, and they can help prevent many of the problems hospitals face. They can play numerous roles in surgical staffing solutions. As such, they’re crucial members of the healthcare workforce.

Covering Absences

For one, locum tenens providers cover absences when the need arises. Whether permanent staff members need to use their much-deserved vacation time or take unplanned leaves, locum tenens can step in to bridge the gap. In doing so, they help prevent hospitals from placing extra strain on their remaining staff members. They’re also readily available to fill the gaps left behind when staff members leave permanently until hospitals can find new permanent team members. 

Helping With Increased Patient Volumes

Additionally, hospitals can bring in locum tenens providers to help with temporary increases patient volumes. In some cases, these upticks can be predicted. Other times, they’re unexpected. In either situation, locum tenens are available to provide the extra support hospitals need to continue providing high-quality care for their patients. They also help hospitals avoid having to hire new permanent staff members that they may not need once volumes return to normal.

Providing Better Access to Care

Locum tenens providers can also aid in giving patients better access to the surgical care they need. Smaller hospitals and those in rural or underserved areas often struggle to keep up with the demands that are placed on them. That, in turn, may leave their patients in the lurch, forcing them to delay their surgeries or go elsewhere for the care they need. This is another gap that locum tenens providers can fill. They not only ensure patients have access to care closer to home but also help hospitals maintain their reputations. 

Fostering Staff Members’ Well-Being

Locum tenens can help foster permanent staff members’ well-being too. Surgical teams deal with long hours, being on call, significant responsibilities weighing on their shoulders, and many other challenges. That can lead to fatigue, burnout, and high turnover rates. Studies show it’s also one of the leading reasons for the ongoing and growing shortage of medical professionals.

Hiring locum tenens providers helps ease that burden. In doing so, it can lead to improved job satisfaction, less burnout, and lower turnover rates. It may even keep more surgical professionals from permanently leaving the field. 

Supporting Telehealth

Finally, locum tenens providers are increasingly playing key roles in the growing field of telehealth. Though surgical procedures themselves are hands-on undertakings, consultations, pre-operative assessments, follow-up care, and certain other measures can be handled remotely. Still, many surgical teams are already stretched too thin, and some medical facilities don’t have enough staff members on hand to handle telehealth services. Locum tenens providers can help lighten that load by covering telehealth visits.

Giving Surgical Teams the Support They Need

Locum tenens providers play several essential roles in surgical staffing solutions. They give hospitals added flexibility and adaptability. They also help them provide the care their patients need and expect even during times of high demand or in the face of staffing gaps. They help foster permanent surgical team members’ well-being and improve patient outcomes as well. Moving forward, their roles are likely to grow and evolve.