When first considering locum tenens, FNP-C Renema felt nervous about potential employment gaps. But she did her research, worked with a mentor, and began securing assignments. Her nerves lessened, and she enjoyed working where she felt valued.
However, after an assignment in Arizona, she struggled to land a new contract. Renema went five months without earning an income.
Earning a stable income is one of the most common concerns for locum providers. Locum providers achieve stable incomes by planning for work gaps.
3 Steps to Avoiding Work Gaps
Avoiding work gaps and protecting your income requires three strategic practices: timeline management, smart assignment selection, and contract overlap.
1. Start Your Next Search Before Your Current Contract Ends
The single most effective way to protect your income is timeline management. Starting your assignment can take a few weeks or 3 months, depending on licensing and privileging needs. This is a perfect opportunity to proactively avoid a work gap.
Search for your next assignment during your current assignment. For example, if your current assignment ends June 1st, start talking to recruiters by early March. If you wait until mid-May, you may not start work until mid-August.
2. Choose Assignment Types That Reduce Transition Risk
The type of assignment you choose can minimize how frequently you’re transitioning from role to role.
For example, Family Medicine Nurse Practitioners could take two 6-month tribal health contracts. On the other hand, they could take four 3-month contracts with an urgent care.
If income stability is your priority, favor longer assignments. If flexibility matters more, accept that shorter contracts require more active job searching.
3. Work Multiple Contracts Simultaneously
Managing overlapping work is the most reliable way to eliminate income gaps. Providers can be credentialed in two facilities simultaneously and arrange a flexible schedule to manage both responsibilities.
Common overlapping structures:
- 3 weekdays at Facility A + weekends at Facility B
- 2 weeks/month at Facility A + 2 weeks/month at Facility B
- Full-time primary contract + occasional per-diem shifts at a nearby facility
Getting Back to Work During a Work Gap
If you receive a 30-day contract termination notice, here’s how to minimize the gap and get back to work quickly.
1. Leverage Facilities Where You’re Already Credentialed
If you’re facing months of lost income, ask your recruiter about open roles at facilities where you’re already credentialed.
A return assignment at the same facility might only require contract execution and scheduling without a 90-day credentialing delay. This can turn a potential 3-month gap into a 2-week transition.
2. Maintain Multi-State Licensing
Use a work gap strategically by adding state licenses. This expands your options for the next contract.
If you’re licensed in only one state, you’re limited to opportunities in that state. If the state’s market slows down, you’re stuck.
If your primary state participates in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), you can expedite licenses in other compact states. This dramatically expands your options.
Pro Tip: Many locum agencies will reimburse licensing costs as part of contract negotiations. Ask your recruiter about coverage before paying out of pocket.
3. Build Financial Reserves to Manage Transitions
Even with strong planning, locum providers can’t avoid work gaps entirely. The best way to reduce financial stress during those gaps is to budget for them in advance.
Save 3 months of living expenses from your locum income to handle contract cancellations without panic.
Also, you can find your next assignment without compromising pay rates, work expectations, and schedules.
How Consilium Supports Continuous Work
After five months without work, Renema attended her mentor’s conference and met Consilium. Once the conference ended, Renema applied for a job through Consilium and quickly heard from a recruiter.
“After one genuine conversation, I saw [my recruiter] as a mentor who understood both the clinical and lifestyle side of locums,” she said.
With Consilium, Renema secured a contract in the Pacific Northwest at a pay rate that reflected her value as a professional.
This is the kind of partnership Consilium provides — matching providers with opportunities that align with their goals and values.
Don’t let poor planning or the wrong agency partnership create unnecessary gaps. Connect with a Consilium recruiter to start building your continuous work strategy.
