2024 Survey of Locum Tenens Physicians and Advanced Practitioners
Key Findings AMN Healthcare’s 2024 Survey of Locum Tenens Physicians and Advanced Practitioners provides insights into the experiences, perspectives and demographics of physicians and APPS working locum tenens. Key findings include:
• Physicians and APPs are choosing to work locum tenens primarily to improve their working conditions and to address feelings of burnout. • 86% of those surveyed said that a better schedule was a most important or a moderately important factor influencing their decision to work locum tenens, followed by 80% who said that addressing feelings of burnout was a most important or moderately important factor influencing their decision. • An additional 75% said that declining compensation was a most important or moderately important factor influencing their decision to work locum tenens, while 71% said that dissatisfaction with being an employee was a most important or moderately important factor. • The plurality of physicians and APPs surveyed (45%) said they would stop working locum tenens and return to permanent practice if they were offered a position in which schedule, compensation and other factors were favorable. A smaller number (43%) said they would not. • Close to half of those surveyed (47%) said that working locum tenens was more satisfying than working in a permanent position. Only 12% said that working locum tenens was less satisfying than working in a permanent position, while 30% said both practice styles are equally satisfying. • The majority of those surveyed (57%) rated their morale level as locum tenens providers to be high,
37% rated their morale level as medium, while only 5% rated their morale level as low. • 97% of physicians and APPs surveyed rated “freedom/flexibility” as a most rewarding or moderately rewarding aspect of locum tenens practice, followed by 86% who rated “reduced bureaucracy/paperwork” as most or moderately rewarding. A smaller number (72%) rated “travel” as most rewarding or moderately rewarding. • More than one-third of locum tenens providers (37%) hold a permanent position, indicating that they work as locum tenens on a moonlighting basis. The remaining 63% work only locum tenens. • The majority of physicians and APPs working locum tenens (52%) are female, • Physicians and APPs are choosing to work locum tenens earlier in their careers. 81% started working locum tenens either right out of training or while in mid-career. Only 19% began working locum tenens after retiring, down from 36% in 2016. • Only 11% of providers working locum tenens are primary care physicians (family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics), down from 21% in 2016, Demand for primary care locum tenens physicians has decreased in recent years while demand for specialist physicians has increased. • More NPs and PAs are working locum tenens. 24% of providers working locum tenens are NPs or PAs, up from 8% in 2016.
© AMN Healthcare 2024
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