As we emerge from the pandemic, the healthcare sector is still reeling from a mass exodus of workers due to burnout, an aging worker population, fewer qualified applicants, and the stressors of the profession. By November 2022, healthcare and social assistance resignations were 32.5% higher than before the pandemic.
The healthcare sector still needs more heroes. Overall employment in healthcare occupations is expected to increase by 13% through 2030. This will result in about 2 million new jobs. Even after a decline in April 2022, job openings in healthcare are higher than before the pandemic.
The media tends to focus on nurses when talking about staffing shortages. However, the shortages affect all facets of the healthcare industry, including private doctor’s offices, pharmacies, laboratories, nursing homes, and social services. Employers urgently need patient care assistants, administrators, social workers, lab technicians, billing, and office workers.
This demand means that the sector will continue to use contract or temporary workers as a stopgap even though the pandemic is over. This is good news for anyone interested in exploring a career in healthcare or finding a new healthcare employer. Temporary work in the medical field is a risk-free and easy way to do just that. While a temporary job may not have been desirable in the past for many reasons, it can be very beneficial today. Here are seven benefits to finding a temporary job in the medical field in 2023.
Benefit #1: Try Something New
If you’ve been thinking about changing jobs or finding a new employer but just aren’t sure, finding a temporary medical job is a great way to try it out. When working with a medical staffing agency, you can search for a multitude of job types in a diverse choice of settings. For example, you may try a billing job at a hospital for a few months and then try a receptionist position at a private doctor’s office. If you are a pharmacist, you may work in a retail pharmacy first and then work in an urgent care facility. You learn different aspects of the same job or completely different positions, all within different job settings. If the job or setting is not for you, no worries. It’s only temporary! You can try something or somewhere different next time. Along the way, you’ll also meet colleagues from other professional and educational backgrounds who can become crucial to your future once you settle on a career and a location.
Benefit #2: Get Your Foot in the Door
If you are already set on a job or a location, temporary work can offer you a foot in the door of your dream job. Almost every healthcare employer is utilizing temporary workers right now. Starting as a temporary worker, you can prove yourself as a worthwhile employee and be the first in line should a permanent position open up. You can also make connections with fellow employees and managers who will advocate for you to stay longer or to become a permanent employee. Working a temporary job can also help you determine if your dream job fits you well. Dreams aren’t always reality. It would save you much pain if you were sure your dream job was actually a dream and not a nightmare before you took a permanent job.
Benefit #3: Broaden your Skill Set
If you are already in the healthcare world but want to learn new skills or positions, temporary work will open a whole new world of opportunities. Studies have proven that employees who change jobs regularly tend to have a higher learning curve and be better performers at work. When you start a new temporary job, you have to learn that job fast and make a great impression. You may learn to use cutting-edge technology and new ways to address a medical concern. You can hone those important transferable skills. This is excellent training for anyone who wants to advance a career in the medical field. Even accepting the same job in a new facility could be a learning experience. You could be dealing with different kinds of patients or colleagues. You could be working in a different environment. Also, other companies use different procedures and technologies. You will deepen your knowledge every day. All of this can increase your value to potential permanent employers in the future.
Benefit #4: Good Pay
In December 2022, the national average weekly pay rate for travel nurses was $3,173. That’s an increase from $1,894 in January 2020. In addition, this 2022 rate for contract nurses was more than three times higher than the rate for permanent full-time nurses. But temporary nurses are not the only well-paid temporary workers. Most temporary positions pay a higher hourly rate than permanent positions. Some employers also provide temporary workers a housing allowance, benefits, or bonus pay. For example, we are currently hiring accounts receivable workers with experience at $22-24 per hour. We are also hiring permanent full-time cycle medical billers and collectors for local medical offices at $19-23 per hour plus benefits.
Benefit #5: Flexible Schedule
Healthcare workers are needed around the clock. For example, you could work in an office during work hours or at a hospital overnight. You could work only weekends at a nursing home or a pharmacy. You can work one day a week for 10 hours or seven days a week for 5 hours each day. Working a temporary job is excellent if you have kids or are going to school because you can work shifts that suit your schedule. You can choose to work as many or as few hours as you want when you want. Just tell your recruiter your needs, and they’ll help you find the best position.
Benefit #6: It Is Only Temporary
If you have difficulty making a commitment, temporary work is for you. You are not tied down to one job forever. If you get itchy feet or are not feeling fulfilled, it is much easier to leave while working as a temporary employee. Also, temporary jobs tend to be filled faster, so you will not have to wait long to start something new. However, avoid jumping around too much or leaving before your contract ends. That can be a red flag for employers and recruiters.
Benefit #7: Fill a Gap
Temporary jobs are great for plugging the time frames between long-term roles. According to the American Staffing Association, 64% of temp employees work temporary jobs to fill the gaps between permanent positions. By filling in these gaps in your resume, you will enhance your favorability with hiring managers. Many employers don’t like to see large periods of unemployment on a resume because they think it shows a lack of experience or commitment.
While most gaps in a resume can be wholly explained in an interview, hiring managers may dismiss your resume immediately, and you will not get the chance. A consistent work history will reassure employers that you are responsible and should be considered for a permanent job.
The 2023 Temporary Job Outlook
While talk about a recession has dominated the news lately, the healthcare employment sector tends to resist economic downturns. Moreover, given the many open positions already available in the field, the need for temporary healthcare talent will only grow.
We can help you find a great temporary position here at Desert Medical Careers. We are recruiting healthcare professionals for jobs in various work environments and at all experience and education levels. There are plenty of temporary and permanent openings to choose from. So call us today if you want to experience the benefits we’ve discussed in this blog.
We can help you find a great temporary position here at Desert Medical Careers. We are recruiting healthcare professionals for jobs in various work environments and at all experience and education levels. There are plenty of temporary and permanent openings to choose from. So call us todayat (602) 468-6300 if you want to experience the benefits we’ve discussed in this blog.
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