Want to feel like part of the care team when you’re on a locum tenens assignment? Here’s how NOT to feel like an outsider when you’re a locum.

Has the fear of being an outsider kept you from making the leap to locums? 
 Are you planning to embark on your first locums assignment but wondering how 
 the existing staff might treat you? Have you ever been 
 on a locums assignment where you didn’t feel like a part of the team? 


 First of all, permanent providers and support staff are usually thrilled to have 
 locum tenens join them. Locums support means relief! Locum tenens providers bring 
 fresh faces and renewed energy to a care team. They give existing providers a 
 much-needed break and significantly ease the patient load and administrative burdens. 


 But if you’re a new locums provider or you’re thinking about becoming one, 
 you may have concerns about what permanent providers think of locum tenens physicians and 
 advanced practice providers. Perhaps you feel apprehensive about how they’ll treat you. 


 We’re here to assure you that, chances are, you 
 won’t be treated as an outsider. 

 In the rare case that you are (and to ease any imagined scenarios), we’ve thought of 
 possible concerns about not fitting in and come up with 
 solutions to avoid feeling like an outsider 
 when you’re on a locum tenens assignment.



<h2>Concerns About Being a Locum Tenens Outsider and Ways to Become Part of the Team</h2>
“The existing team will be able to sense that I feel like an outsider. 
 As a provider, I need to act confidently, and I honestly don’t want other 
 colleagues to know I’m feeling nervous.”
 The Solution: Although it may feel like others can read your mind, 
they can’t. You may feel like an outsider. You may feel nervous or even insecure, but 
no one will know that unless you tell them. Act as if…power through…fake it till you 
make it. You’ll be fine. Give yourself a good pep talk. You’re supposed to be here. 
You were hired for a reason. You will help their team, 
you can learn from them, and you can even share skills you’ve learned along the way.


“I won’t know anyone there. I’m not very extroverted when it comes to meeting 
 people. Plus, there’s not much time during assignments to get to know colleagues and 
 build relationships.”


 The Solution: Use locum tenens as a unique opportunity to build your 
 social skills. Work on nudging yourself to be more outgoing and proactive in connecting 
 with others. Ask your new colleagues about their favorite restaurants and must-see 
 places in the area. Then, if you’re feeling bold, use that opportunity to invite 
 them to join you for an adventure on your time off. And, if the staff asks you 
 to lunch, dinner or social hour, resist the urge to head back to your room and 
 eat a microwave meal or order delivery. Instead, say yes! Building relationships 
 will become easier with time. Plus, 
 you’ll be able to establish lifelong relationships and build your network nationwide. 


“I’ll probably feel left out if I don’t get invited to staff or 
 committee meetings or get brought in on important decisions.”

The Solution: It’s true that since you’ll be a temporary member of 
the care team, you may not be consulted on particular issues as you would if you were a 
staff member. This might make you feel like you’re on the outskirts, but it is one of 
the tradeoffs you make for living the locum lifestyle. Bonus, though: You won’t have to 
serve on any committees. You’ll get to go home when others have to hang around for 
boring meetings. You won’t be taxed with solving any major ongoing problems. 


“What if there are on-staff providers who snub me because they don’t 
 like the idea of locum tenens? What if they feel territorial, skeptical, or 
 indifferent towards me?”

The Solution: There may be the rare personality who doesn’t 
like the idea of locum tenens providers coming into their territory. Or the individual 
who, particularly if they’re feeling overworked or underpaid, might be envious of the 
perks of locums (after all, you’re getting a great hourly pay rate, the opportunity 
to travel, a flexible schedule, and the freedom of working for yourself – 
who wouldn’t want that?). There may even be those who don’t like change or 
don’t want to take the time to show you around.


To best deal with these folks, show them you are a fast learner, can 
 quickly adapt to new environments, and are accustomed to hitting the ground running. 
 Demonstrate through your words and actions that you’re committed, you care about the 
 patients, and you’re not a threat. Jump in and show you are self-directed 
 and can seamlessly adapt to new settings. Soon, they’ll realize you only 
 need a bit of orientation, and your presence will make their lives easier. 


 If you want to break the ice and build relationships with more challenging individuals, 
 combat their indifference with ebullience. Show enthusiasm and passion for your work. 
 Ask them about themselves, their family or their pets. If they’re private about 
 their personal lives, 
 try asking about their clinical interests or current initiatives such as research. 


If that doesn’t work, and you feel you still can’t crack in, you can always ask for 
 honest feedback about better fitting into the team. And if THAT doesn’t work, 
 avoid those who 
 seem toxic and gravitate toward more optimistic personalities whenever possible.


 Working as a locum tenens provides a unique opportunity to grow in self-awareness. 
 Use your interactions with others to evaluate whether the issue is merely a 
 misunderstanding on your part or the natural result of being in a new setting. 
 Consider whether the challenge is likely due to a staff member’s feelings or if 
 it’s an opportunity to spot something about yourself you could work on improving. 
 Locum tenens provides an opportunity to expand clinical skills, refine interpersonal 
 skills and grow as an individual.


“What if I have tried all that, and I STILL feel like an outsider?”
The Solution: We can’t imagine it, but if this happens, remind yourself 
 of one of the many incredible perks of locums: it’s temporary! You can face a 
 difficult person or situation for a short time anyway, especially knowing you’re 
 not locked into a permanent position! You’ll soon be on a new adventure.


“What if providers, staff or patients worry that I’m won’t be reliable 
 or responsive since I’m temporary?”
 

The Solution: If permanent providers or support staff have had negative experiences 
 with locums’ responsiveness in the past, they may wonder whether you’ll be reliable 
 when they need you. If patients find out you’re temporary, they might wonder the same thing. To remedy this, always respond to all messages and requests promptly. Be readily reachable for patients, colleagues and support staff. 
 Be ready to jump on scheduling requests and be as flexible as possible.


“Having a mentor where I work would help me feel less like an outsider, but there probably won’t be time to find an onsite mentor while I’m on assignment.”
 The Solution: To prepare for this, reach out to your mentors from med school or your residency or fellowship and ask them if they’d support you through this next phase. If you 
don’t have a mentor, locum tenens assignments provide opportunities to meet experienced providers you admire. A mentor/mentee relationship may form organically.
 

“Because I’ve decided to work in a different setting than I’m used to, I worry that I’ll REALLY feel like an outsider. I won’t know my way around or be used to the change in setting or pace.”
The Solution: You may have decided to be flexible and a bit adventurous about the 
 locum tenens assignments you have chosen to accept. This is great because it will 
 expand opportunities. However, it might make you feel even more unsure of how you’ll 
 fit in. For example, if you have experience working in a small, slower-paced family 
 practice but decide to try working in a large, fast-paced hospital, you may feel 
 overwhelmed. To deal with this, don’t be afraid to share with the team that you’re new 
 to this type of setting and ask them for their tips and best practices for success. 



“The organization I’m going to work with hasn’t ever used locum tenens providers. I’m 
 concerned they won’t know how to incorporate me into the team.”
The Solution: Working at a facility that typically doesn’t use locums might be more challenging, but it’s more likely that they will be overjoyed to have the help. If you don’t feel like being a guinea pig, you can always ask your recruiter to look for healthcare organizations that use a lot of locums and have for some time. That way, they will be 
 used to working with them, lowering the chances you’ll be treated like an outsider.



“I can’t imagine how the transition of patients into and out of my care will work. How will I feel a part of the team when it comes to patient care?” 
The Solution: Facilities accustomed to utilizing locum tenens providers have a 
 system for patient hand-offs. If you’re working at a hospital, physicians will hand 
 off patients, introducing you to them and updating you on their history, status, 
 treatment and procedures. Before your assignment ends, you’ll hand off patients to 
 another provider. Be sure to keep meticulous documentation and records. If you want to, 
 you can explain to patients why you’re there and 
 assure them that you will provide the same level of care as their permanent provider. 


“I don’t like the idea of only working at a place once. I want to get to know a team 
 and facility better so I’ll grow more comfortable and feel like I fit in.”
The Solution: If you love an assignment and are lucky, it may be an 
opportunity for repeat assignments. Ask your recruiter if they work with facilities that offer repeat assignments. 
This is a great way to enjoy the benefits of locum tenens work but not feel like an outsider. On the other hand, many facilities offer locum to 
 perm positions. If it’s a fit, you can apply to practice as a permanent part of the team. 


“I’m apprehensive that I’ll feel lost onsite or in the new location. 
 I want to feel confident that I know what I’m getting myself into and have a plan 
 for dealing with any issues.” 

The Solution: If you work with an experienced locum tenens staffing 
company with a team of experts, you’ll always have someone to help you. Your specialist 
will address any concerns you have with the facility. They’ll arrange travel and 
accommodations and help with any snags that might arise along the way. 
They’ll ensure you’re paid on time and even get you lined up for your next assignment. 

The locum tenens lifestyle allows you to grow exponentially – both clinically 
 and personally. Becoming part of a team takes time. And while you won’t be there 
 for the long haul, you will have enough time to try some of these solutions. 
 We doubt you’ll have a bit of trouble anyway!


<h2>Locum Tenens Jobs</h2>
 To discover where physicians and advanced practice providers 
 are needed in exciting locations nationwide, search our <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/locums" target="_blank">locum tenens jobs</a> now!

Locum Tenens? Here’s How NOT to Feel Like an Outsider.