My 1st Locum Tenens Assignment

As discussed in my first post, the term “locum tenens” encompasses all work for healthcare providers that is temporary. That being said, my first locums assignment was actually in South Florida (where I lived). So locums work doesn’t have to include travel. It can be work you do in addition to your full-time job. Although at the time I was working full-time between being a nursing instructor and a family medicine provider, I wanted to test the waters of being a locums Nurse Practitioner. I wanted to see what it felt like to step into a new environment for a short period of time.

I wanted something local that would be per diem, and All Medical Locums Agency found me just that.

So my first assignment as a locums provider ended up being at Target Clinic! When I mentioned to my family and friends that I would be working at Target they were super confused. They couldn’t understand why I would suddenly work as a cashier. They had no idea Target even had clinics. Wearing the standard uniform; red shirt and khaki’s (can’t say I was a fan); I began work at Target. The good thing is I was provided with 32 hours of training. I know some people think that working as a locums provider, they are thrown into a new environment cold turkey. That isn’t usually the case.

Working at a retail clinic was a different experience because customer service is the top priority. I was the sole provider and had to take vital signs, give vaccines, and perform rapid strep tests etc., something I was used to delegating. However, I did enjoy working at Target because everyone who worked there was always positive and friendly (something hard to find in South Florida). I also liked seeing a variety of ages and treating mostly acute cases, which was a change from my typical chronic patients at my permanent clinic.

After several months of working at Target, I was confident that I was ready for the next step. I was ready to leave everything I had behind, and become a Travel Nurse Practitioner!