VISTA Archived Blogs

What comes to mind when you hear the term Department of Defense? If you’re a clinician, there are a handful of simple but powerful reasons to consider adding DoD to the acronyms on your resume.

Locum tenens is ideal for hospitalists looking for a flexible schedule and virtually no cost of living. A typical assignment will last for three months, or approximately six weeks of seven-on/seven-off shift work. With the potential to make around $160 an hour (up to $170 for procedures) and have travel and lodging covered, it’s a lucrative opportunity. However, the reality is that adjusting to a new assignment in a new location with a new team comes with unknowns.

Burnout is not a new issue impacting the healthcare community, but it is getting worse. A recent Medscape report found that physician burnout jumped from 40% back in 2013 to 51% in 2017. Three out of four doctors say work stress prevents them from getting enough sleep, more than half are overweight or obese by reported BMI (Body Mass Index) and 41% have considered quitting.

To err is human. Most of us have our own collection of horror stories involving travel—forgetting key belongings, remembering some version of “the stove is on” as you’re about to board your flight. And even when you are prepared, sometimes bad luck can still find you.

Wishing nurse practitioners across the country a happy NP Week! We appreciate your skillful expertise, your comprehensive approach to health and all that you do to expand patient-centered, high-quality care for the millions who need it.

National Nurse Practitioner Week is November 12-18 this year, marking 52 years that NPs have provided proven, expert, patient-centered health care across the country.

When you work locum tenens, you know you need to meet licensing and credentialing requirements for each new assignment. But does paperwork get you down? If licensing and credentialing are taking away from the reasons you love your job and giving you a huge headache, we can help.

If you’ve heard that practicing locum tenens is synonymous with being a traveling doctor, don’t let that scare you off. The chance to travel is seen by some as an advantage of the locum's lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean it’s a requirement!

The physician shortage in the United States is not going away anytime soon. New data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) supports previous estimates, projecting shortages between 40,800 and 104,900 doctors by 2030. That means job opportunities will always be abundant, and a career in locum tenens can open doors wherever you want to go—so when looking ahead to future work, the choice is truly yours.

Summer months bring vacation to mind (whether you’re fresh out of school or not). Taking time off is important to work-life balance, but if you have student loans to pay off or you’re like the majority of Americans who leave vacation days on the table each year, maybe it’s time to try something different.