Being organised is an important part of being a locum optometrist, the more organised you are the more successful you will be as a locum. With this in mind, we have put together some tips to help you stay on top of your game.

(1) Keep track of your applied, booked, and worked shifts - it is really important to keep track of your shifts, no matter what the status. The Locate a locum platform makes this simple. Our intuitive locum diary shows you where you’re booked and how much you have earned in a month, meaning you will never miss a payment.

(2) Planning your day - preparation is key, before you work a shift it is important to plan travel, look into shift location and even note down parking options. Many locum optometrists Google Map the exact route to an optician to ensure they know exactly where they are going. The Locate a Locum platform allows you to see the location of a shift at a glance. There are also shift notes included with every shift, detailing systems used at the optician, times of the shift, and anything else you might need to know before working.

(3) Bring equipment - Part of being organised is being prepared for every eventuality. We suggest that you bring your own equipment to a locum shift including a Volk lens, trial frame, flippers, ophthalmoscope, and retinoscope. Although this is not essential it is definitely something you may need.

(4) Arriving at your shift - Introduce yourself to managers, staff members - being friendly and approachable makes for a really nice working environment. Ask Questions to ensure you can meet the requirements - For example, ask whether you will be doing pre-testing if they have a preferred method for handovers and if they have any offers that I should be aware of.

(5) Get comfortable with systems - Log In to the practice’s system and take a few minutes to get comfortable. This is very important, you can often find guides online if you want to get more familiar with a system before you work the shift.

(6) Before you leave practice - Check with the person in charge to see if there is anything you need to sign or if you have to leave an invoice. You can find an invoice template here.

Hopefully, these tips will help you stay organised as a locum optometrist. If you are looking for shift or would like to know how our technology can further help you, get in touch.

Thanks for reading, have a great day!
Locate a Locum Team