Most of us wish we had more time to travel. After all, travelling is exciting, full of adventure and therapeutic. When you’re a physiotherapist in a busy facility, however, you usually have to wait for vacation time to roll around before you can go further than out of town.
That’s the perception, anyway. But did you know that you can actually make money AND travel as a physiotherapist?
Locum work is a great way to see the world while you work in new environments, grow your experience, and help different types of patients. If you’re a retiree, short contracts as a locum physiotherapist can bring in some extra income while keeping your skills current.
This blog highlights the benefits of locum work for physiotherapists. The freedom, flexibility, great pay, and opportunity to travel all make it one of the most exciting opportunities for physio jobs in Canada, and ProMed HR Solutions can help you get started.
What is a Locum Physiotherapist?
Locum physiotherapists essentially carry out the same duties as those employed in hospitals, clinics, and other facilities. This includes:
- Assessing each patient and developing a treatment plan.
- Educating patients on how to prevent and/or manage a physical condition.
- Using techniques to promote mobility, restore function, and reduce pain while preventing long-term disability.
- Helping athletes prevent injury and loss of mobility.
The difference is that as a locum professional, you’re filling a temporary position, usually for a few weeks or months at a time.
Healthcare facilities hire locum physios for a variety of reasons. An employee may be out on maternity leave, there may be a surge in demand for services, or the facility may temporarily need a physiotherapist skilled in a particular area, such as geriatrics or neurology. Regardless of the reason for a vacancy, locum physiotherapists are crucial. They help fill the gaps in healthcare across the country, making them one of the most important physio jobs in Canada.
If you’re thinking about trying locum work, here is an overview of the many benefits.
You Get Paid to Travel as a Physiotherapist!
Locum work gives you a rare chance to travel across Canada and see places you’ve never visited before. You could spend two weeks at a Halifax hospital to cover a vacationing employee or three months in Yellowknife helping a clinic clear its waitlist. You can even ask for jobs in a region that you’ve always wanted to explore. While you’ll be hard at work during scheduled hours, you can play the tourist on your day off and cross activities off your bucket list.
You Can Set Your Own Schedule
Working evenings isn’t for you? Not a problem.
You can choose to work 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and even work two weeks out of the month and spend the rest of the time traveling. Finding flexibility and work-life balance is possible. Connecting with a locum staffing company like ProMed HR Solutions can help you find contracts with a schedule that works for you.
You Gain Valuable Clinical Experience
As a locum physiotherapist, you’ll often have the opportunity to work with a collaborative team of health care professionals. This is a learning opportunity where you can share your knowledge and expertise with colleagues, and in turn, learn from your peers. Being in a collaborative environment can help you focus more clearly and give you a renewed perspective on the work that you do.
You Get to Spend More Time With Patients
There is very little administrative work with locum assignments which, alongside career flexibility, is one of the biggest advantages of becoming a traveling physiotherapist. Locums don’t have to worry about paying utilities, maintaining staffing levels, or completing piles of billing or third-party paperwork. If you owned a clinic in the past, becoming a locum physiotherapist lets you do what you love (treat patients) while leaving the pressures of running a business behind.
You Can Supplement Your Income
No matter which stage of your career you’re in, additional income is always beneficial. If you’ve been out of school for a few years but still owe money on your student loans, you can accept locum assignments a little closer to home to make more money during vacations or other time off. If you’re retired, these temporary contracts can supplement your income and even fund new adventures you’ve always wanted to take. ProMed HR Solutions pays locum physiotherapists a very competitive wage to assist you in reaching your financial goals.
You Help People Who Need It
Most facilities use locum physiotherapists because they simply don’t have enough physios on their team to meet patient demand. You’ll find that you’re often needed in remote areas where people often drive miles or wait months to see a physiotherapist. When you step in to help, you make a difference for people, and also lighten the workload for other physiotherapists at the site.
Every Day is a New Experience When You Travel as a Physiotherapist
If you’re starting to feel burned out at your current job, being a locum can help you re-energize and get the fresh perspective you need to get inspired by your work once more. Every assignment will bring something new in terms of location, patient types, and general work environment, so you always have something to look forward to.
Are you ready for a locum adventure?
Talk to Us About How You Can Make Money and Travel as a Physiotherapist!
Locum physiotherapists play a vital role across Canada, from supporting staff in remote locations to providing both scheduled and emergency relief at all levels of the healthcare system. As demand for physio services increases, those seeking locum work will have a wide range of opportunities to choose from.
This type of work appeals to many physiotherapists who are seeking to cover gaps between jobs, gain more flexibility in their careers or treat patients in a wider range of disciplines. If this sounds like you, ProMed HR Solutions can help you find assignments that meet your specific goals. The minimum commitment is only two weeks, we do our best to find openings in your preferred locations, and you are under no obligation to accept a contract that doesn’t work for you.
For years, ProMed HR Solutions Ltd. has been helping professionals like yourself find flexible and meaningful work throughout Canada. To learn more about us and why so many physiotherapists recognize us as one of the best places to work, reach out to us today!
