What is a Travel Nurse Contract?

A contract is a written agreement between two parties. In this case, the agreement will be between you and the agency you agree to work for.

This contract is your proof that you actually have an assignment that is worth leaving town for. Until then, it’s all talk and abstract possibilities.

A contract should include at the very least the following items:

Pay Rate

Pay rate is one of the most important items to include on a contract. The contract should specifically state how much you will be paid per hour. If you are asked to work overtime, how much will you make? Will you be required to take call?

Guaranteed hours

Most agencies negotiate with the hospitals for guaranteed hours. For example, you contract may state that you are guaranteed 36 or 40 hours a week. You need to make sure you have a guarantee of some sort and have it in writing. You also need to know what the conditions are for not meeting the guaranteed requirements. Perhaps you get sick during an assignment and are unable to work the full 40 hours for the week. What will the penalty be? Will you not receive your completion bonus? Will you be expected to pay the agency for the days you missed? Will you be able to make up those days at a later time? This is an important question to ask that is often overlook and may or may not be included in the contract in small print.

Where and When

The contract specifies what state and what hospital you are expected to work at and when you are expected to show up. Your contract must show your start date as well as your exact ending date. This way there is no misunderstanding as to when your assignment is finished.

Special negotiations

Any negotiations you specifically negotiate for should be included in the contract as well. For example, perhaps you negotiated for private housing with a lower pay rate. Make sure the contract specifies private housing. Perhaps you have your own insurance and the company is going to reimburse you. Does the contract spell this out? Does it say how much you are going to receive in travel reimbursement and when you are expected to receive that reimbursement?

If a company is unwilling to work with you on a satisfactory contract to back up what they are saying to you, consider whether you want to take the chance of working with