My name is Scott and I have been working as a locums nurse practitioner for about 6 months. I was turned onto the idea of Locums by the popular traveling ARNP herself, Sophia. I met Sophia on one of her rounds in Lakeland, Florida, my hometown. After working in a permanent position for almost 2 years, I was feeling burned out and ready for a change. I was not ready to commit completely to a new job so I decided to pursue locums instead.
My first assignment was in Pasco, Washington, working for a FQHC, one of my favorite types of work. I was about as far from Florida as I could get, besides Alaska. During my assignment, I was constantly searching for the next assignment, making things a bit hectic. I was fielding multiple calls, daily emails and texts, all while working. As a locums, you always have to be on the lookout for your next position. While on assignment, I found myself networking and trying to keep busy when I couldn’t hop on a plane back home to family and friends.
I was fortunate enough to negotiate a flight back home each month, paid for by the agency. By far, this was the smoothest process and company I had worked for. I literally had all options at my fingertips. I said when I wanted to work and not work. I got to pick my hotel, rental company, and airline of choice. When I was offered the option to extend, they agreed to increase my hourly rate as well.
The Locums opportunity allowed me to see places I never could have being tied to a permanent job. I explored Washington, Oregon, California, and even made it to Alaska, British Colombia, and the Yukon Territory. This experience also taught me that there are more work opportunities as a family nurse practitioner than there are for those of us that specialized in adult health. So, I decided to enroll in a program that would allow me to become a family nurse practitioner after studying (and completing clinicals) for an additional 6 months.
Aside from the experiences, travel, and new sites, I found myself getting homesick. While in school, I am going to be moving back to Florida to start a new permanent position. I am so very thankful for Sophia’s guidance, and tips for travel/credit cards.
Working as a traveling nurse practitioner was a nice “break” and helped me rekindle my love for medicine. I hope my experience helps those consider working in locums during a transitioning phase in your life or career.
I read this blog all the time and right now while my youngest child is still in high school I live vicariously through Sophia. I almost fell off my chair when I saw Scott say he met Sophia in his hometown of Lakeland, FL, because that’s where I live!! I loved reading Scott’s blog post. SO interesting to hear about how it is to work in other states because working in Lakeland is not the best.
Haha that’s awesome! I will let you know if I ever go back!