5 Tips to begin Locum Tenens

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  • Do your research: Research which places you would like to practice in. Are you willing to travel? Do you only want to practice locally? Are you interested in working in a state with full practice authority? During your initial conversation with a recruiter, they always want to know where you are interested in working.
  • Identify agencies you would like to work with: Do you prefer to be paid via W2 or 1099? Do you need benefits? Do you need travel and lodging? I suggest searching the agencies current job availabilities to see if they are similar to your needs. For example, one agency may have an abundance of opportunities in your state, while another agency may have more job opportunities in your specialty.
  • Establish a relationship with your recruiter: You should have at least 5 agencies and recruiters that are actively searching for you. A good recruiter will be following up with you and returning your phone calls. It is common for locum tenens providers to bounce back and forth between agencies, depending on what jobs are available.
  • Get organized: Gather all of your licenses, certificates, CEU’s, vaccination records, and other documents you may need to submit. I recommend having them scanned to a computer so you can easily email them to your recruiters and credentialing team.
  • Have several references available: Most agencies and sites will ask for at least three references. Optimally one reference will be a supervisor or physician, and the other two references should be co-workers (other nurse practitioners or physician assistants). You should always have more than three references available, in case the agency cannot reach someone, to keep the process moving along.

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