Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner Jobs

Are you a nurse practitioner (NP) who loves your job but feels the urge to shake things up? 

With the help of Trusted Locum Staffing, you can find the perfect NP job for your career track and lifestyle. By allowing our NPs to choose locum tenens or permanent options, we can help potential talent explore various opportunities to see which is the best fit. 

Don’t hesitate — reach out to one of our expert recruiters and begin your search for the permanent locum tenens nurse practitioner job of your dreams.

Browse Available Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner Jobs

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Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner: A Look at Skills, Qualifications, Demand, and Earning Potential

Skills

Meeting the obligations and responsibilities of a locum tenens nurse practitioner requires:

  • General nursing skills
  • A clean work history
  • An eagerness to travel 
  • The ability to quickly adapt to new surroundings

Finding the perfect locum tenens nurse practitioner assignment can be difficult if it is your first time searching. As a new locum tenens NP, you’ll need to find the model job that will serve as your first experience of your budding locum tenens career. 

The best recruiting firms, like Trusted Locum Staffing, will help guide you through the process while exploring your current skills to find the best match for you. Begin your search off right with help from one of our skilled recruiters today.

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Qualifications

To become a locum tenens nurse practitioner, you must first complete your education and become licensed. 

A straightforward pathway to becoming an NP will look like this:

  • Obtain a Bachelor’s in Nursing.
  • Pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). 
  • Receive an RN license.
  • Enroll in a graduate program.
  • Pass the National Nurse Practitioner Board Exam.
  • Receive an NP license.

Experience

The amount of experience as a nurse practitioner you will need to pursue a career as a locum tenens may depend on the facility or agency that hires you. Generally, most employers prefer that prospective candidates have one or two years of experience as a nurse practitioner. 

Having prior experience makes you a more desirable candidate and ensures you will be comfortable and confident in changing clinical settings.

Licensure

To practice as a locum tenens nurse practitioner, you must obtain an NP license in each state you wish to work in. To do so, you’ll need to 

  • Obtain licensure by endorsement (or obtain your RN license if the state is not a part of the Nursing Licensure Compact). 
  • Complete a national certification through a national organization or association relevant to your foci (if you have not already done so).
  • Complete the licensing requirements and submit your credentialing documentation.

Each state has its own requirements and levels of autonomy within its board of licenses and credentialing. For example, Missouri requires 1500 hours of clinical practice within an advanced RN’s specialty before receiving an NP license, whereas Georgia only requires 500

Nurse practitioners are also allowed to practice independently in 27 states, meaning they do not require physician supervision to treat patients. 

Not all nurse practitioners must obtain an individual license for each state. Certain nurse practitioners have the option of joining the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Compact (APRNC), which helps streamline the licensure and credentialing process for locum tenens NPs.

While the call to unify licensure and credentialing processes for locum tenens nurse practitioners is increasing, currently, the only states that are a part of the APRNC are:

  • Delaware
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • Utah
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Demand

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), nurse practitioners are ranked first among the top 20 fastest-growing occupations in the nation. The demand for nurse practitioners is expected to grow 45% from 2022 to 2032. 

The increasing demand for locum tenens nurse practitioners is partially due to the dwindling physician population. Since nurse practitioners can act independently to diagnose and treat patients in over half of all U.S. states, locum tenens NPs can be used to fill physician absences.

Earning Potential

According to ZipRecruiter, the average locum tenens nurse practitioner salary is $2,505 weekly.

The top ten cities with the highest paying salaries for locum tenens NPs are:

  1. San Francisco, CA: $3,201 per week
  2. Diamond Ridge, AK: $3,179 per week
  3. Beverly Hills, CA: $3,159 per week
  4. San Jose, CA: $3,080 per week
  5. Soda Bay, CA: $3,048 per week
  6. Oakland, CA: $3,013 per week
  7. Vallejo, CA: $3,012 per week
  8. Hayward, CA: $3,008 per week
  9. Antioch, CA: $3,002 per week
  10. Seattle, WA: $2,990 per week

The difference in pay you earn as a locum tenens nurse practitioner may vary based on:

  • Specialty
  • Location
  • Urgency of need
  • Terms of agreement

Is Being a Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner Right for Me?

Working as a locum tenens nurse practitioner is exciting, fulfilling, and immensely rewarding. The advantages of pursuing this thrilling career include:

  • Flexibility and independence: You get to choose where and when you work, how much you get paid, and what position you will fill. 
  • Work-life balance: As a locum tenens NP, you can choose to pursue long or short-term contracts. You can even take a break in between to go on vacation or spend quality time with your loved ones. 
  • Compensation: Locum NPs make more than they would as full-time staff NPs. 
  • Networking: As a locum nurse practitioner, you’ll spend each assignment working with different leaders in healthcare, some of whom are sure to offer you a glowing reference down the road. 
  • Advanced career opportunities: Working as a locum tenens can be the opportunity to explore and find permanent staff positions. With the help of Trusted Locum Staffing, if you enjoy your assignment, you may have a chance to transition into a fixed position at the facility. 

We think you’ll agree that a locum tenens nurse practitioner career is worth a try. You could find a renewed love for your chosen field while taking advantage of exciting opportunities!

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Start Your Locum Tenens Nurse Practitioner Journey With Trusted Locum Staffing

Are you ready to begin your exhilarating career as a locum tenens nurse practitioner?

Trusted Locum Staffing is the leading recruiting agency that helps NPs secure jobs as locum tenens healthcare workers. Our industry insights and unique job opportunities are just what you need to start your new career. 

Along with providing three support teams to support your travel assignment, payroll, and compliance needs, we provide extensive support benefits, such as handling every aspect of your travel arrangements and placements and providing a streamlined credentialing process.

We understand that, as a nurse practitioner, you work hard at your job and don’t want to spend your precious free time tracking down housing or doing paperwork. So sit back and let us do the heavy lifting while you reap the rewards of amazing locum tenens nurse practitioner jobs.

Trust in Trusted Locum Staffing to lead you to success on your path as a locum tenens nurse practitioner. Connect with one of our expert recruiters today.

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