FAQs
Answers to your questions about working with us.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and Anesthesiologist Locum Tenens Frequently Asked Questions
Locum tenens positions are hired to fill in for absent employees or when extra staffing is required. In order to sufficiently take care of patients during staff shortages, facilities will hire locum tenens, which are temporary. Locum tenens means “to hold the place of, to substitute for.” The term was originally coined as part of a grant that provided physician staffing to rural health clinics. Because the program was so widely successful, many hospital administrators and physicians began searching for locum tenens physician staffing assistance.
Getting started with Independence Anesthesia Services as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist or anesthesiologist is simple! All you have to do is fill out a couple of forms, and then you’re added to our locum tenens list. For more details, check out our Register page.
The licensing process can take anywhere from 4-10 weeks, depending on the state, and the Independence Anesthesia team is here to help you through every step of the application. Many facilities will accept a locum who is interested in providing coverage pending license approval. We welcome you to reach out to any of our Agents to ask about the licensing process and visit a state you were always interested in.
Locum assignments can be anything from 1 day or weekend to a couple of weeks a year (while on vacation from your usual full-time W-2 position), to a regular 40-48 hours a week every week as your primary source of income. It can be catered to suit your availability and needs.
It varies. The vast majority of our assignments include housing, travel, rental cars or mileage, and new state licenses as things we can provide. If ever that is not wholly the case, we will be direct and up front about the situation. We will always tell you in advance of any serious discussions about what the assignments entail financially.
We generally have work available throughout most of the U.S. at any given time (even Alaska and Hawaii on occasion).
As long as time is submitted at the end of the workweek or start of the following week, locums working for us get paid the Friday after every week they work. The actual rates change from place to place and hospital to hospital, but (generally speaking) 1099 pay rates for Anesthesiologists and CRNAs are 150% of what they were just two years ago. Plus many positions offer on call, overtime, and more options to increase earnings. Some even have completion bonuses as set hours worked intervals
As varied as the views from your hotel rooms. We have people working two and three days a week for 12 hours or more, people working four days of 10-hour shifts, and regular five-day 40-hour week. Whatever you need is likely available somewhere so we can help you reach your goals.
Yes. We require all providers to have $1 million coverage for each claim made and $6 million aggregate coverage. This can be modified to fit a particular facility’s standard if necessary. Tail coverage is also required.
If you do not have your own professional liability coverage policy through an approved insurance carrier, we are equipped to provide you with coverage on an hourly basis. IAS has its own policy that covers our agency and any providers that we add to our professional liability policy. Our limits of coverage are also $1 million/$5 million.
We’ve worked in anesthesia staffing for over 17 years and had relationships with some of the same providers for 10-15 years. We work hard to take care of our providers and make sure that, as much as possible, the assignment you go to is a great fit for your needs. We also have coverage at all hours to aid you should anything ever go amiss with your accommodations, car rental, or anything else.
Your long-term financial well-being and family situation. Questions like: Should I form an LLC (we strongly recommend this)? Do I need to stack money back for my kids’ college tuition? Am I a new grad with the freedom to work anywhere, see some amazing parts of America and pay off my loans faster than I likely would as a permanent W2 employee? Am I at the stage of my career where I want to set back as much retirement money as possible for the most comfortable retirement?
We cannot recommend this highly enough. Should anything ever occur where a suit or claim of malpractice is possible, having an LLC can help protect the bulk of what you’ve worked so hard to build. There are also tax benefits you can explore to have more precise investment control over all your hard-earned income.
Generally speaking, not usually. There are some rare exceptions. However, normally the rest of the compensation package more than makes up for this.
This is a question you have to answer based on the total package (is it all-inclusive or not) and the cost and coverage of your existing insurance versus the insurance we offer.
Claims-made insurance policies have a retroactive date and usually a tail coverage period after the period ends; however, claims must be made within the coverage period to be covered by that policy. With occurrence policies, the claim can be made after the policy period is over, so long as the loss occurs during the policy period.
Occurrence policies may be more expensive since the claim can be reported at any time after the policy period ends, and there is no actual time limit. Independence Anesthesia offers affordable Claims-Made insurance. If you are looking for occurrence insurance, we may be able to suggest some resources to seek that individually.
Depending on what group or facility it was submitted to, you can send a letter to the agency requesting that they release you. However, it is normally up to that agency to notify the hospital or group of the release. They can sometimes simply choose not to. This is unfortunate and the best reason to go with an agency with longevity and strong provider relationships like Independence Anesthesia. We will never submit you to a job without fully disclosing the details to you and gaining your permission to submit.
This is a significant concern during major health crises, but also during normal times. Locum tenens Anesthesiologists and CRNAs are paid for hours worked. There is unemployment insurance available from outside insurance agencies. And, of course, if you are running an LLC and paying yourself W2, that is an added advantage there.
Providers are understandably concerned about getting locked into a rough assignment for an extended period. Nearly all our contracts have a 30-day out built in. If you don’t wish to stay there, you work the 30 days after giving notice, and you can move on to your next assignment with us – no harm/no foul.
Our team is always here for you. Read more about why to choose locum tenens here or fill out our contact form today.