You don’t have to commit to a full locums program to benefit from it.
For some organizations, a handful of short-term shifts can help stabilize patient care, prevent staff burnout, or buy time while they recruit for a permanent hire. But figuring out when to bring in temporary help — and how — isn’t always obvious.
Here are three signs it might be time to add locum tenens to your staffing strategy:
- You’re losing money — or staff — because of an open role.
Vacancies aren’t just inconvenient. They’re expensive. Every day a key provider role sits open, your organization is absorbing lost revenue and placing extra pressure on your clinical team. Morale takes a hit, patient wait times grow, and eventually you risk losing more than just productivity.
Locum coverage can give your team a breather while you focus on recruiting the right long-term fit — especially for complex roles that take months to fill.
- You’ve had to delay care or cut services.
Whether it’s fewer clinic hours, closed OR days, or a temporary pause in service lines, these decisions impact more than just the bottom line — they affect your reputation in the community. If you’re routinely making cuts or schedule changes due to provider shortages, short-term locums support could help you maintain continuity of care.
Even a few weeks of coverage can go a long way in keeping things stable.
- Your team is burning out — and you’re not sure how to help.
When providers are stretched too thin, the result is often more PTO requests, rising turnover, and growing tension among staff. Bringing in a locum tenens provider doesn’t solve long-term workload issues, but it can provide immediate relief — and signal to your team that their well-being matters.
If you’re seeing signs of burnout but aren’t ready to hire another full-time provider, locums can help you bridge that gap.
The takeaway?
Locum tenens isn’t just a last resort. It’s a flexible tool that can help healthcare organizations stay balanced, protect revenue, and support their team — even if you only use it occasionally.
At Jordan Search Consultants, we help healthcare organizations build smart, sustainable staffing plans. Whether that includes a permanent search, locum coverage, or a mix of both, we’ll help you figure out what works best for your team.
