12 Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Travel Nurse Contract

You found the perfect travel assignment. The location looks amazing, the pay package seems solid, and the recruiter is already talking about your start date. Your finger is hovering over the “sign here” button.

Hold up.

That contract in front of you is not just paperwork — it is the rulebook for the next thirteen weeks of your life. And buried in those pages are clauses that determine whether you will love this assignment or spend three months fighting with your agency over money, schedules, and broken promises.

The Guaranteed Hours Question

This is question number one for a reason. How many hours per week are guaranteed, and what happens if the facility cancels your shifts?

Most travel contracts promise 36 or 40 hours per week, but the devil lives in the cancellation policy. Some contracts guarantee you will be paid even if the hospital cancels. Others say you only get paid for hours worked — which means if census drops and they send you home three days in a row, you are scrambling to cover rent with zero income that week.

Ask your recruiter point-blank: “If the facility cancels my shift with 24 hours notice, do I still get paid?” Get that answer in writing. If the contract says “best effort” or “reasonable attempt” to provide hours, that is agency-speak for “you might not get paid.”

Cancellation and Early Termination Terms

Life happens. Contracts end early. You need to know the rules before you are in the middle of it.

What are the penalties if you need to break this contract early, and what are the terms if the facility cancels you?

Some agencies will charge you thousands in liquidated damages if you leave early. Others have more reasonable policies — maybe a penalty only if you bail in the first two weeks, or no penalty if the facility is the one who cancels. And yes, facilities do cancel travel contracts, sometimes with shockingly little notice.

Also ask: “What counts as ‘for cause’ termination?” Because if the hospital decides you are not a “good fit” (their words, not yours), does your agency fight for you or do they just shrug and stop your stipends immediately?

The Floating and Unit Assignment Details

You accepted a travel RN sign on for ICU. You show up day one and they float you to med-surg for a week. Is that allowed?

What does your contract say about floating to other units, and can the facility change your assigned unit mid-contract?

This is one of the biggest complaints among travel nurses — you sign on for a specific specialty, then get floated constantly or reassigned entirely. Good contracts specify your home unit and include language about floating policies that match the facility staff nurse rules. Weak contracts leave it vague, which means the hospital can put you wherever they need a body.

Ask these follow-ups:

• Will I float at the same rate as staff nurses, or more often because I am travel?
• If I am floated outside my competency area, can I refuse without penalty?
• Does the contract specify my primary unit, or just “as needed”?

Pay Package Breakdown and Tax-Free Stipends

The recruiter quoted you a “total weekly pay” number that sounded great. Now dig into how that breaks down.

What is your taxable hourly rate versus your non-taxable stipends, and are those stipends contingent on you working full hours?

Here is where agencies get creative. They will lowball your taxable hourly (sometimes as low as eighteen or twenty dollars per hour) and load up your stipends to make the total look impressive. That is fine — stipends are a legitimate part of travel nurse pay — but you need to know two things:

First, if your hours get cut, do your stipends get cut too? Some contracts tie stipends to a minimum number of hours worked per week. Miss that threshold and you lose hundreds of dollars.

Second, are you actually eligible for tax-free stipends? You need to maintain a permanent tax home and duplicate expenses. If this is your first travel contract and you gave up your apartment to travel full-time, you might not qualify — which means the IRS could come after you later. A good agency will walk you through this. A mediocre one will just say “ask your accountant” and hope you do not push back.

The Extension and Bonus Fine Print

If you extend this assignment, do you keep the same rate or does it change? And what are the terms for any sign-on or completion bonuses?

Extension rates can go up, down, or sideways. Sometimes facilities offer a small raise to keep you. Sometimes agencies drop your pay because they already locked in the new contract at a lower bill rate. Know which scenario you are walking into.

And if your contract includes a completion bonus (two thousand dollars if you finish all thirteen weeks, for example), read the exact terms. Some bonuses require perfect attendance — one call-out and you lose it. Others require you to give a certain amount of notice before the contract ends. Miss the fine print and that bonus evaporates.

Questions About Housing, Licensure, and Onboarding Costs

A few rapid-fire contract questions that save headaches later:

• If the agency is providing housing, who holds the lease and what happens if you need to leave early? Some agencies put the lease in your name, which means you are on the hook if things go south.
• Does the agency reimburse licensing and certification costs? If you need to get licensed in a new state or renew your BLS, will they cover it or is that on you?
• What does onboarding look like, and are those days paid? Some facilities require three days of hospital orientation before you take patients. Are you getting paid for that time, or is it considered “training” and unpaid?

The Recruiter Relationship and Communication Expectations

This one is not in the contract, but ask it anyway: Who is my point of contact if something goes wrong on assignment, and how quickly can I expect a response?

Your recruiter might be great at selling you the job, but will they answer your text at nine PM on a Sunday when the facility is trying to mandate you for a sixth shift? Do they have a backup contact if they are on vacation? Is there an on-call support line?

The best travel nurse checklist in the world does not help if your agency ghosts you mid-crisis.

Before You Sign That Contract

Look, most travel contracts are fine. Most agencies are trying to do right by you. But the ones that are not — the ones with sneaky clauses and bad policies — are counting on you to skim the paperwork and just sign.

Do not give them that satisfaction. Print the contract. Grab a highlighter. Go through these twelve contract questions one by one, and if your recruiter cannot give you straight answers, that tells you everything you need to know.

The right contract protects you and the agency. It is clear, fair, and does not leave you guessing what happens when things go sideways.

If you are looking for a travel agency that actually explains the fine print before you sign — and does not bury surprises on page seven — the Intuites Recruiting Team would love to talk. Reach out anytime at contact@intuites.healthcare or visit intuites.healthcare. We believe you should know exactly what you are signing. ✨

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