The Basics of Hiring a Travel Medical Professional

by CoreMedical Group

The Basics of Hiring a Travel Medical Professional

Every year, more and more highly skilled healthcare professionals are opting to fill temporary travel contract positions across the country. Some are looking for diverse workplace experiences; some want a short-term change of scenery; and others are testing the waters for a potential relocation to a new city. Regardless of the individual reasons for this job trend, many experienced registered nurses and allied health practitioners are looking for a new trajectory in their career paths—serving where they are needed, when they are needed—rather than settling in one location.

With so many qualified candidates looking for temporary placements, healthcare employers are discovering the benefits of incorporating travel positions into their regular staffing flow. In turn, this is increasing the demand for these medically trained nomads. From bringing fresh eyes and new energy to a facility to providing support in an understaffed practice, traveling medical workers are helping healthcare systems nationwide deliver quality care to patients.

Are you considering adding travel personnel to your team but not sure how it works? Let’s dive into the basics!

Travel placements are available across the healthcare spectrum.

You’ve probably heard of travel nursing. This is the most common type of temporary role in the medical field, which is to be expected since nurses are the largest workforce in healthcare. But did you know that travel placements are also available within the allied health fields?

Staffing agencies like CoreMedical can provide short-term support when you need a fill-in physical or occupational therapist, respiratory therapist, or even speech language pathologist, along with therapy assistants. Certain firms offer additional specialties as well. For example, in addition to nursing and allied health fulfillment, Core offers locum tenens physician placement and even interim healthcare management.

So, the next time a PT is off for maternity leave, or a physician in your practice is out on short-term disability post-surgery, you can ensure you have quality coverage by incorporating travel placement into your staffing contingency plan!

You get to determine the length and timing of the contract.

One of the perks of having access to contracted travel healthcare professionals is you get to decide when you need them and for how long. Travel contracts can last between 8 to 26 weeks. The most common duration is 13 weeks for a number of reasons, such as federal leave, housing access, and new hire orientation.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) grants employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job protected leave every year, so 13-week contracts cover these absences. Additionally, standard apartment leases start at 13 weeks, making it easier for traveling healthcare workers to obtain housing. Also, your internal orientation processes undoubtedly last anywhere from 4 to 12 weeks, so a traveling nurse on a 13-week contract is able to provide quality coverage while new hires are onboarding.

With travel nurses and allied health practitioners as a staffing resource, your medical practice or healthcare facility can plan for annual ebbs and flows, ensuring seamless care for your patients. For instance, when you know an influx in local tourism is likely or flu season is quickly approaching, you can have travel contracts lined up to lessen the stress on your existing staff, ready for the expected patient increase.

Medical staffing agencies take care of all the details.

You may have been apprehensive about hiring short-term help in the past. The toll hiring and onboarding takes on your in-house team may have deterred you from considering temporary staff. When you partner with a healthcare staffing firm, we take that weight off of your internal personnel.

Medical staffing agencies like CoreMedical act as an extension of your HR department. From job posting to candidate interviews to the layers of onboarding paperwork, we take care of every detail in the hiring process. Beyond hiring, we secure housing for our travelers, cover payroll, and provide competitive benefits, so you can focus on your existing staff.

Take the Next Step

When you hire travel healthcare professionals, you get the benefit of qualified, temporary support without the stresses of the onboarding process. Are you ready to add traveling medical professionals to your team? Check out what it's like to work with Core as an employer!

Learn More about Partnering with Core!