You would really think that in a highly-difficult to fill traveling nurse contract that it’d be almost impossible for the assignment’s contract to ever be ended. That is, of course, unless you get “fired” for missing shifts or something like that. But, believe me when I say, that it actually happens. Why would hospitals cancel and what is a travel nurse to do when they find themselves finished with their assignment way early—-or even before they can start? And, how should a nurse cope with an abrupt halt to their job?
Why do hospitals cancel travel nurse contracts?
A hospital will cut contracts early depending on the need. For example, low hospital census counts will sometimes make them cancel a month or so even ahead of schedule. Commonly, this happens in locations that are popular seasonally. For example, Florida sees a huge growth in population during the winter months for all those weary-of-winter migrators. At this time, hospitals try to get more travel healthcare staff on the floor. Other times, travelers get the boot before they even can start they even get to dip their toes in their travel nurse job. This happens commonly when certain hospitals are staffing for EMR. They need extra employees when they’re training existing staff on proper ways to electronically convert medical records. When a hospital will cancel your assignment for this reason, it can leave a nurse left without an assignment just merely a few days to a week before it would have begun.
How do nurses get can themselves “fired” from an assignment?
However, it’s more than likely that the reason for a hospital to cancel is dependent on the nurse’s behavior and not the need for staff. If your work performance is atrocious, don’t be surprised if yourself getting put on the bench indefinitely. Things that cause a hospital to cancel a travel conflict include attendance issues, an abundance of patient complaints, and even conflicts with other staff.
What happens when a nurse cancels their own contract?
Before even considering a travel assignment, nurses should consider whether they are in the right conditions before signing the contract. For example, if you have a sick relative you might have to take care of, you definitely shouldn’t take the risk. However, sometimes life throws some unexpected curveballs our way. And, although it’s not suggested, travel nurses technically can cancel. Usually it’s when a nurse finds themselves suffering their own health issues, experiencing some sort of family issue, or just having a pretty terrible experience at the particular facility they work in. Keep in mind that as a travel nurse, you are filling in for some kind of staff shortage and therefore are a valuable member. And, travel nurses rarely are allotted sick days.
What happens if a travel nurse cancels a contract?
If you end your contract early, it can be a pretty poor reference for any future employment, especially depending on the reason. You may also experience penalties from your recruiter if you do not allow them time to find a replacement for your role. Also, there may be some financial responsibilities placed on you for leaving your housing early. You may have to pay for the rest of time’s housing in their provided apartments if you cut out on your assignment early without warning. Also, keep in mind that you might have early lease-breaking fees to pay if you found your own housing.
How do you prepare for the event of being cancelled on?
Although there’s no absolute guarantees in life, there are some ways to feel more protected from a sudden cancellation. First and foremost, finding the best recruiter and agency to help back you up is a must. Even then, it’s best to be flexible in the event of being cancelled on. It’s unlikely that this will happen to you, but realize that it’s not the end of the world if it does. There’s literally hundreds of agencies always actively seeking the talents on nurses so finding a replacement assignment is never too arduous of a task.
November 20, 2018
I have some unexpected illness and my doctor is not advising me to travel out of my state, until my seizures are more under control. My doctor is willing to write a letter to verify my illness. I am worried that this agency will charge me for canceling the contract. Can they legally do this?
February 25, 2019
I signed a 13 week contract and my agency cancelled my contract 2 weeks early. They left a message on my phone but didn’t tell me the reason for the call other than it was in regards to my current contract. I finally got a hold of someone and she stayed to me it was because of low census at the facility. Can my agency just up and cancel early without my knowledge or agreeing. I didn’t even find out until the next night I was suppose to work. Is that legal. What’s the point of signing a contract if they can just cancel it without giving u notice or signing agreement. Can an agency do that?
March 25, 2019
Hi Kim,
I’m very sorry to hear about your contract ending early. Unfortunately, it is legal, however, it most likely was not the agency that canceled your contract, but the hospital you were working for. Low census is a common reason for contract cancellation, especially in particularly seasonal locations (i.e.- think people going to Florida for the winter). Often, hospitals in these seasonal areas will up their staffing prior to the change of the season to prepare for the large inflow of people. This is a double-edged sword though because census is very hard to accurately predict. If the census stayed low for a little while, it is very likely that the hospital canceled your travel contract early. Your agency should have given you a heads-up much sooner, and unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about that other than maybe switch agencies. We do have a list of agencies here: https://www.travelnursesource.com/travel-nursing-agencies/ that might be of interest to you if you are looking to continue your travel nursing career.
March 25, 2019
Hi Michelle!
I apologize for the delayed response. I’m sorry to hear about your unexpected illness. You are able to cancel your own contract, however, dependent upon your recruiter, agency, and hospital you may be penalized accordingly. Having a medical issue is a valid reason to cancel your contract. Dependent again on your recruiter, they may be able to find someone to finish the rest of your contract, leaving you free of financial penalty. However, if you have the agency’s housing, you may be responsible for paying the remainder of the lease and/or any additional fees associated with the housing provided to you. The same goes for external housing, however, that is completely dependent on your landlord. Often, agencies themselves do not have cancellation fees, but the hospital itself might. So, unfortunately, there is no cut and dry answer as far as cancellation fees go. If you are worried about it, I would talk to your recruiter and hopefully, they can get in touch with the hospital you were assigned to.