Everywhere you look there are reminders that the holiday season is here in full-force. The stores are busy with shoppers. Neighborhoods are strewn with festive lights and decorations. And permanent staff are excited to take time off work.
Of course, requests for vacation days during the holidays are not uncommon and hopefully submitted months in advance. That way, managers and administrators can employ alternative staffing strategies, including hiring locum tenens professionals to fill temporary voids.
Indeed, partnering with locum tenens staffing firms guarantees facilities have enough qualified clinicians to provide uninterrupted service to patients and cover possible spikes in demand for medical care typical this time of year.
Even though physicians agree to locum tenens jobs during the winter season, the next few weeks are full of holidays, which can trigger homesickness or seasonal blues. After all, these providers are missing out on family traditions and celebrations. As the host facility, though, there are some simple solutions you can implement to make their short stay more festive.
Invite locum tenens providers to participate in staff activities
Nothing makes someone feel more like an outsider than being left out of planned events among full-time staff. If a unit or department plans to celebrate the season, be sure to include the locum tenens clinicians. If there’s a potluck lunch, ask the doctor to prepare his or her favorite dish; maybe coworkers will get to taste a different regional recipe.
Compile a list of community events
Locum tenens providers are definitely on site to care for your patients, but they’re not on duty 24/7. They will have some downtime and may wish to experience the local holiday fare. Put together a list of events, concerts, performances, or anything that might be a fun outing during the season. Be sure to include dates and locations to make it easy on the out-of-towner.
Also, if your city has one of those neighborhoods that are crazily decked out in lights and decorations, clue the locum tenens doctor in about the best time to see the outrageous displays.
Schedule a few days off for locum tenens providers
Of course you want to give permanent staff first choice for vacation days, but if you have locum tenens providers on contract for several consecutive weeks or even months, consider giving them a few days off before or after a holiday. This allows them to reschedule their family celebrations while still covering for vacationing staff members on the actual holidays. Be sure to accommodate travel time, too.
Be conscientious about time differences for holiday shifts
Locum tenens professionals know they very likely will be assigned to work on the actual holidays. However, it’s considerate to schedule around time zone differences with their families at home. This lets providers call or video-chat with family while little ones are awake or during get-togethers. If this isn’t an option, see if you can provide a quiet room so they can connect with loved ones during a break.
Inquire about holiday traditions
One way to make someone new to your facility feel welcome is to talk about their experiences, both professional and personal. Ask questions about which holidays the locum tenens professionals celebrate. What are their favorite traditions? What do they look forward to every year? How will they celebrate this year while they’re on assignment or when they return home? Perhaps some of these elements then can be incorporated into the unit or department holiday efforts to make them feel more at home this time of year.
Who knows? By trying to lift your locum tenens providers’ spirits, you might also lift permanent staff members who are struggling — and you’ll probably have a happier holiday season yourself.
