Balancing Act: How to Manage Locum Tenens Work While Raising a Family
In celebration of National Locum Tenens Week from August 12th to 18th, we are delighted to feature Alisabeth C. Hearron, DNP, ARNP-C, a Nurse Practitioner working locum tenens assignments with VISTA. Alisabeth has been doing locums work for over 13 years, specializing in Ortho Trauma Surgery and picking up various shifts in urgent care facilities. In the following article, she shares her insights and tips on how she successfully balances her locum tenens work while raising a family.
Traveling with Children: Tips and Tricks
Many healthcare professionals hesitate to take locum tenens assignments because they are unable to leave their family members at home. However, Alisabeth has successfully taken her children with her on assignments, allowing her to work and earn money while her kids explore new places. Here are some of her top tips:
First, she emphasizes the importance of signing up children for frequent flier accounts as soon as they take their first flight. “Make sure you sign your children up for frequent flier accounts as soon as they take their first flight. They will start accruing frequent flier miles on airlines along with you.”
Additionally, Alisabeth teaches her children to be travel-savvy and independent. “When we get to the airport, I have them look at the airport arrival/departure monitors and guide us to the gate. They also pack their own backpacks with snacks, books, and games. We do little screen time at home, but on planes, they get screen time, which makes it special.”
For smoother travel, Alisabeth suggests investing in TSA Precheck or Clear for the family. Frequent travelers might also consider Global Entry.
Making Travel Fun and Educational
To make travel both fun and educational, Alisabeth likes to live like the locals wherever she works. “We love to immerse ourselves in the local community. I enroll my children in local summer day camps, sports classes, art classes, and more. They leave each locum tenens contract with new friends and experiences.”
Essential Contract Elements
When selecting locum tenens contracts, Alisabeth prioritizes contracts that offer reliable childcare and are in family-friendly areas. “Safety is a big priority, whether it’s myself or myself traveling with my children. I look for reliable childcare options and family-friendly areas. I never take contracts that are longer than 5-7 days at a time.”
She also considers the work schedule and prefers contracts that don’t require after-hours work, allowing her to balance work and family time effectively.
Summer Time and Locum Tenens
During the summer, Alisabeth’s family doesn’t usually take a big vacation trip since they travel year-round. Instead, her children attend overnight summer camps, and she plans some locum assignments during these periods. “We don’t usually do a big summer vacation trip. We travel all year round and usually take a break from traveling during the summer since it’s such a busy time.”
They also enjoy various summer activities and events around the area when they are able. “We love to go to local museums, farmers markets, and community events. My boys enjoy playing soccer, basketball, and tennis. We also make meals in our hotel, which makes it feel like home.”
Finding Childcare
For reliable childcare, Alisabeth utilizes local and online resources prior to taking an assignment to ensure she has childcare covered. “I join the local Facebook mom babysitter groups and use Care.com to get recommendations. If you have a nanny, consider having them travel with you.” When her children were younger, she had a full-time nanny who traveled with them. Now, as her children are older, she finds local babysitters when needed.
Family-Friendly Accommodations
Locum tenens companies often assist with housing, but Alisabeth likes to be involved in the process to ensure the accommodations meet her family’s needs. “It depends if I want a condo or hotel. My children prefer hotels, they love the breakfast and amenities such as pool, tennis/pickleball courts, etc. I usually want a full kitchen so we go for Marriott Residence Inn or Hyatt House type hotel chains that have full kitchens or have condo design layouts. Furnished Finders is great for finding furnished condos or BringFido app if you have a pet and need to travel and find pet friendly hotels.”
VISTA Staffing has a dedicated housing department that assists healthcare professionals in finding accommodations that suit their family’s needs. Whether you need a spacious Airbnb, a hotel with extra amenities, or a furnished condo, VISTA Staffing can help you find the perfect place.
To make temporary housing feel like home, her children bring favorite games, books, and stuffed animals. “We stay at nice hotels so it might not always feel like home but it feels like a treat to them to stay at a hotel. They are distracted and excited about their time away from home and getting to be in a hotel with a nice pool, yummy breakfast, and basketball court/tennis courts. We will go to grocery store right when we fly in so we can make meals at the hotel with a full kitchen.They don’t like eating out every meal.”
Balancing Work and Family Life
Balancing work responsibilities with family needs can be challenging. Alisabeth tries to take her children to places after work, even if just for a short outing. “When I bring my children with me it’s a lot more responsibility versus at home because we are also in a new environment. I want to take them places after work and explore with them as well even when I’m tired. However, it’s OK to have low key nights too. Sometimes we might go to the park for 30 minutes, go for a walk, go to the hotel pool, or have movie nights.” She ensures they are active during the day through camps and classes, so they have a fulfilling day even when she’s working.
Maintaining Work-Life Balance
Locum tenens work offers an excellent work-life balance, allowing Alisabeth to work 6-8 months a year, take holidays off, and control her schedule. This flexibility gives her more time with her children than a permanent position would. “Locum tenens gives you the best work-life balance you could possibly imagine. I take off holidays, and most importantly, I’m in charge of my schedule. I get more time with my children than I ever could as a permanent nurse practitioner. As a locums provider, you’re removed from the stress, the politics in the hospital/clinical, and you aren’t taking your work home with you. It keeps work low stress and gives you more time for family, friends and activities in life you enjoy.”
Conclusion
It used to be that women who wanted to work in medicine had to make a choice. They could either pursue their career ambitions or have a family; it was too challenging to do both. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. With locum tenens, female physicians and advanced practice providers have control over when and where they work. This can be incredibly attractive to anyone coming out of residency after having spent the past several years of their life in a highly structured environment. Having total autonomy means you don’t need to miss an important event, such as a wedding or family reunion, which can feel freeing.
Balancing locum tenens work while raising a family is a challenging but rewarding endeavor. With careful planning, a focus on family-friendly activities, and utilizing local resources, Alisabeth shows that it’s possible to maintain a fulfilling career while ensuring your family is comfortable and engaged.
If you’re interested in learning more about locum tenens opportunities with VISTA, or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. We’re here to help you find the perfect balance between your professional and personal life.
