According to research conducted by the American Medical Association in 2021, 13.6% of Americans (up from 3.9% in 2018) showed signs of serious psychological stress. A nationwide mental stability spike mixed with a physician shortage means there is higher demand than supply in the current mental-health market. Facilities take in temporary psychiatrists and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) on a routine basis en route to filling positions permanently, and Barton Associates is here to help those providers get the best experience possible throughout the process.
The outlook on psychiatry work from now to 2030 is nothing but growth, with a report from Grand View Research on the U.S. market predicting a steady increase of 4.1% for the next seven years.
As psychiatrists look to land a position in this market, many things factor into their ultimate decision; salary, location, responsibilities of the role all being important elements. As a locum tenens provider with Barton Associates, our recruiters find a role that satisfies your needs in all three of these aspects. Let’s look at what to consider on your path towards temporary work in psychiatry.
Experience Different Settings
Barton Associates has a robust list of opportunities in many different specialities including inpatient, child and adolescent, geriatric, forensic, addiction, emergency, and more. In addition, we offer positions all over the country, which means you’ll see the full spectrum of practices and facilities in your specialty. Somewhere is always in need of help, and our recruiting team can confidently say we’ll find you something in this field!
Locum tenens can lead to unique experiences you don’t get elsewhere. For example, you could end up where Dr. Patience A. did– in Pomona, CA working with displaced migrant children at the FEMA Emergency Intake Center. There, her primary role was to provide mental health care to the youth, but she said she ultimately ended up filling in wherever she was needed due the high traffic at the facility. Her assignment before that was in a more traditional clinic in Arizona, and in seeing that difference in environments, she said, “when you travel you see how things are done in different places. So that’s an advantage of being a locum tenens provider.”
Chris K., a psychiatric nurse practitioner who has been a locum tenens provider since 2020, says for him, working temporarily at these facilities helps him avoid one of his biggest office pet-peeves. “I don’t like that in organizations where people are trying to jockey for positions… you want to be compensated or hired based on merit,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why I prefer the locums because then I can tolerate some of that hierarchical food chain.”
Chris K. said, “the patients don’t change. It’s just the facility that you’re working at… and the culture and the dynamics.”
Earn More Money
On average, locum tenens psychiatrists will earn significantly more than a permanent provider. In the state of New York, the average income of a permanent psychiatrist is $277,381. As a locum tenens provider, the average yearly income in the same state can be upwards of $400,000. The same trend is true for PMHNPs. Nationally, permanent PMHNPs make an average annual salary of $142,861, while locum tenens PMHNPs can expect closer to $225,000 a year.
Ample employment opportunities, and this level of fiscal discrepancy makes the prospect of working as a locum tenens psychiatric provider hard to turn down. Chris K. said his assignments have helped cover the costs of his new home in Florida. “I have a place there now and eventually that’s what I plan on retiring.”
More Time Off
Aside from the money itself, this pay-raise means that you don’t need to put in nearly as many hours as you used to– leaving you with more free time to engage in activities as you like. Dr. Patience for example, uses time between assignments to pursue her passion of patient care by taking mission trips to Africa to help internally displaced children, and says taking up locum tenens has enabled her to do so.
Other providers take on outdoor activities by hiking or biking well-known trails in their areas. Some find the best food in town for the night. But every provider that finds assignments with Barton Associates will have time to set aside for their hobbies.
Give It A Try!
The beauty of temporary work is that you don’t have to do it forever. If you’re unsure where to start, try taking our “Is Locum Tenens Right For You?” quiz or browse our open locum tenens jobs and apply today! One of our expert recruiters will contact one you to answer any questions.
