From improving the lives of patients to enjoying a low-stress lifestyle, see why Chip M. loves being a locum tenens nurse practitioner – and why he chooses Cross Country! 

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 At Cross Country Locums, we are privileged to work with outstanding physicians
	 and advanced practice providers devoted to providing the best in patient care 
	 across the nation. We’re here to celebrate these 
	providers and pass along their insights to inspire others interested in the field.


	This time, we’re spotlighting nurse practitioner Chip M. In this blog, he 
	shares about his motivation for 
	becoming an NP, his advice for new NPs, what he enjoys about locums, and more.

	<h3>Why did you become a nurse practitioner? </h3>
	Having worked as a travel nurse in the intensive care unit for many years, 
		I learned that one of the most rewarding things about becoming a nurse 
		practitioner was the impact one could have on patients’ lives. 

	
	 Nurse practitioners aid in the healing process, are an invaluable resource for 
		those living with chronic conditions, and ensure their patients get the care they 
		need to get and stay well. NPs also develop caring connections with 
		their patients, 
		which may be very rewarding on an emotional level. 
		Working alongside nurse 
		practitioners, I saw they had a strong sense of purpose 
		in their work, whether providing comfort to 
		patients and their families or teaching practice updates to other nurses.

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<h3>What advice would you give someone starting out in your field/profession? </h3>
 I encourage nurses interested in expanding their careers, whether within or outside 
	the clinical environment, to pursue the NP route. 
	Besides acting as healthcare 
	providers and delivering care to patients, nurse practitioners have the opportunity 
	to advance into management and leadership positions, 
	where they may supervise nursing 
	departments and staff. A nurse practitioner’s skill set also lends itself well to 
	teaching. Furthermore, some nurse practitioners 
	advance their careers by 
		engaging in research or establishing their own clinics.
	

	<h3>Why did you choose to work locums? </h3>
	Locum tenens work was not a new thing for me at all. I always worked 
		as a travel nurse, so after becoming a nurse practitioner, I continued with 
		the same lifestyle, only in a different role. After many years of being a traveler, 
		I cannot imagine working in a permanent, full-time position in the same facility. 

 The flexibility of locum tenens allows providers to 
tailor their own work hours, pay rates, and vacation schedules. When you are a full-time employee in the hospital, 
	for example, they typically practice a “holiday rotation schedule policy,” meaning if
	 you are off for one major holiday, such as Thanksgiving Day, you will be working 
	 the next major holiday – Christmas Eve (for example). 
	Locum tenens providers seldom have to commit to such a work schedule. 

 I always plan my locum contracts, so I am not on assignment during all major holidays. 
	Instead, I spend them with my family, as it should be, without the need to ask 
	anybody for “permission” for a holiday off. The same goes for vacation time: If 
	you are a full-time, permanent employee, you must follow institutional “vacation 
	policy and procedures” where you are expected to submit a 
	vacation request during a specific time frame and hope it will be approved. 

 As a locum tenens, I plan my vacation when I want to go 
and then set up the 
	assignment to end by the chosen date for my vacation. I do not ask or need anybody’s 
	permission to enjoy my life. Finding that work-life balance everybody talks about is 
	less difficult when you can make a good living by working for a few weeks or months 
	in one place and then taking some time off before you decide to take another assignment. 
	I typically work three months on and three months off without any loss of income 
	compared to full-time work. But I am not burnt out – I am well rested, have time for 
	leisure activities, sports, reading, and spend quality time with my family.

	<h3>What do you like about CCL? </h3>
	When working with a locum agency, it is crucial to have a 
		good relationship with 
		an honest and competent recruiter who can find an appropriate assignment for your 
		scope of practice in the desired work environment and geographical location when 
		you are looking for work. I found such a recruiter with CCL. Gina has been an 
		outstanding professional from day one, 
		which is one of the main reasons I love working with CCL. 

	Another equally important thing is organization: from submitting timesheets, 
		over the approval process, to the direct deposit. I love that the CCL has a 
		user-friendly portal where all the hours and expenses are submitted electronically, 
		the approval process of 
		submitted documents is quick, and payments are always on time. 

		I hate when agencies make this process complicated and time-consuming, such as paper 
			filling, multiple on-site signature requirements, faxing paper timesheets, and long 
			and inefficient approval processes, typically leading to payment delays. I found 
			myself not extending the contract with an agency in the past just because of the 
			difficult administrative procedures, which was never the case with CCL. 
And finally: travel arrangements. If the flight, hotel, and rental bookings are 
	improperly organized, a simple trip can become a nightmare. CCL always booked a 
	quality hotel for me, and all the travel arrangements were smooth and seamless, 
	which is another reason I stayed with them.

	<h3>What do you like about working at the facilities CCL has placed you with? </h3>
	
	So far, I am pleased with the facilities I was placed with. As a matter of fact, 
	I am coming back for the third time to one of the facilities they placed me with. 
	For this part, it is vital that the recruiter is open about what they know about 
	the proposed facilities and honestly discloses the experience other providers had 
	while working at that organization. Again, Gina was always straightforward, 
	and the experience working at the facility was as she described. 

	Here I would share a piece of advice with the providers who are new in locum 
		tenens work: Always research the facility before you accept the assignment. 
		Go to the employment websites and other Internet resources and read the employee 
		reviews of the company, working conditions, and problems they faced working there. 
		Then you can address the potential issues with your recruiter 
		before you sign the contract. The recruiter can help get everything clarified 
		and sorted out in advance so you do not have to deal with it when you start 
		working there.

		I did not have any issues with CCL assignments, but even minor technical 
			issues were promptly resolved, so I could focus on my 
			clinical work while I was confident that Gina would take care of the rest.
	 

		<h2>Locums Opportunities</h2>
		If, like Chip, you’re ready to embark on a rewarding locums adventure 
			and reach patients 
			who need you most, explore our <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/locums" target="_blank">locum tenens opportunities</a> today!

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