Each month I will include a blog entry answering some of the most common questions I get from readers about locum tenens as a nurse practitioner. Feel free to comment any questions you have or email me at travelingNP.com@gmail.com.
- How do you know if you are ready to become a traveling nurse practitioner?
I believe anyone can work in locum tenens, but it’s all about choosing your assignments wisely. If you do not have a lot of experience under your belt, you should initially choose an assignment with a low patient volume so that it will give you enough time to manage the patient. If your dream is to work in Los Angeles, CA, maybe you should wait until you have enough experience. Large urban areas usually have a high patient volume. In comparison, you can work in states such as Montana, which have a low patient volume – seeing about 8 patients per day. This means you have 1 hour per patient! Sure maybe Montana doesn’t sound exciting, but 1. It is somewhere new. 2. There aren’t many distractions so you can fine-tune your skills as a nurse practitioner. 3. It has a national glacier park and close to Yellowstone national park etc.
As long as you are flexible, open minded, a quick learner, and interested in a traveling – locum tenens is for you!
I agree!! With less than 2 years experience, I can’t imagine having to see more than 20 chronic care patients in a day!
Some of the best money I have made has been going to very rural places and seeing very few patients. These clinics get a lot of grant money and therefore have to be open and staffed certain hours which equates to bonuses just to complete an 8 hour day!
Good point! I think it’s all about what’s most important to you at that time – income vs locations vs experience etc.