What is locum tenens?

Where the term comes from

'Locum tenens' is a Latin phrase meaning 'one holding the place.' In medicine, it means a clinician who temporarily fills in for another: covering shifts, vacations, parental leave, open positions, or surge demand.

The phrase is older than the staffing industry built around it. Today it covers anything from a single weekend shift to a multi-month assignment.

Who works locum tenens

The term began with physicians and now covers most clinical roles. Rediworks lists urgent care shifts for six clinician types.

• Physicians (MD/DO)Physicians holding an MD or DO and an active state license.
• Advanced Practice Providers (NP/PA)Nurse practitioners and physician assistants, working within the scope of practice their state defines.
• CRNAsCertified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, licensed as advanced practice registered nurses and certified by the NBCRNA.
• Registered Nurses (RN)Licensed registered nurses picking up urgent care shifts alongside the physician, NP, or PA on site.
• Medical Assistants (MA)Medical assistants working urgent care shifts under the direction of the licensed clinicians on site.

What locum tenens is not

Per-diem and travel work are different arrangements, with different tax and benefit treatment.

Per-diem usually means W-2 employment on one facility's roster, working when that facility calls. Travel nursing usually means a multi-week contract with one agency as the employer.

Locum tenens is shift- or assignment-based. You can work at more than one facility in the same week, you choose which shifts to take, and the work usually comes without employer benefits.

Why clinicians choose locum work

Clinicians pick locum work for control over the schedule, flexible income, and variety.

• Schedule controlYou decide which weeks to work, which to skip, and which sites to return to.
• Income flexibilityA locum rate isn't directly comparable to a W-2 hourly wage. It usually carries no employer-paid benefits, and on 1099 income you pay both halves of Social Security and Medicare tax. Clinicians use locum work to pay down loans, supplement a part-time role, or bridge between jobs.
• Work varietyYou see different patient populations, EHR systems, and clinic cultures. For some clinicians that variety is the point. For others it's a downside to manage.

The tradeoffs to know upfront

Independent-contractor work comes without employer-sponsored health insurance, a 401(k) match, or PTO, and tax is paid through estimated payments instead of paycheck withholding.

Each facility still has to credential you. A portable wallet cuts the repetition: you upload your documents once and reuse them at every Rediworks facility.

Withholding, estimated payments, and deductions all work differently on 1099 income. The taxes guide covers the mechanics, and a CPA can apply them to your situation.

How a platform like Rediworks fits in

Traditional locum agencies run on the phone. A recruiter pitches you shifts, you negotiate the rate, you sign paperwork, and you wait on credentialing.

Rediworks is self-service. Urgent care shifts are listed with the rate and location on the listing, you apply in the platform, and you build your credential wallet once and reuse it.