Adaptability is a highly important trait for all professionals, but has an especially critical role in the success of locum tenens physicians. This is because the performance of locum tenens workers is dependent on an ability to adapt to constantly changing work environments and practice in a variety of medical settings. As you evaluate locum tenens candidates for your organization, here’s why the trait of adaptability should be a top priority:
- Ever-changing work environments. The fast-paced nature of locum tenens work requires adaptability for working in many types of healthcare settings, both large and small. Locum tenens workers must also be adaptable to different communities, such as facilities in rural settings or large metropolitan areas. A physician who can work in a variety of environments will provide high quality patient care without being intimidated or nervous in their new work settings.
- Relationship-building. To excel in their assignments, locum tenens physicians must possess effective communication skills and know how to work well with others. Because locum tenens workers must work with a new team of people every few months, they must be easily adaptable to working with different personalities and work ethics. Most importantly, they must be able to establish good will among their coworkers during each assignment so workplace productivity or patient care is never compromised.
- New practices and procedures. Successful locum tenens professionals are those who can easily adapt to new practices and procedures at the various facilities in which they work. One way to gauge adaptability in locum tenens candidates is by asking them how many types of workplace practices they’ve been exposed to and how they’ve adjusted to them during their assignments. The more locum tenens workers can adjust to new workplace procedures, the easier it will be for them to get acclimated and up to speed at your organization.
No matter what, adaptability should always be a paramount trait when evaluating locum tenens candidates in the recruitment process. Always aim to find locum tenens candidates who can deliver the best quality care and fulfill your organization’s needs with ease.
