Updated July 2026 · 9 min read
Your first travel contract sets the tone for your entire travel career. The decisions you make before you sign and the habits you build in the first week determine whether travel nursing works for you long-term.
Ask for the complete breakdown of your pay package: taxable base hourly rate, non-taxable housing stipend (weekly or monthly), non-taxable meals and incidentals stipend (M&IE), and any completion bonus. The base taxable rate must meet the federal minimum wage and typically exceeds it — but recruiters sometimes offer a very low base with a very high stipend, which can create tax home complications. A taxable base under $15/hour is a red flag.
Ask whether the contract includes guaranteed hours — typically 36 hours/week for a 3x12 schedule. If the unit cancels your shifts due to low census, do you still get paid? Many first-time travelers miss this. A contract without guaranteed hours in a low-census specialty can cost you 10 to 20% of expected income if the unit cancels frequently.
Ask what your overtime rate is and at what threshold it kicks in. Travel nurse overtime rules vary by contract and state. Some contracts pay overtime after 40 hours; others after 48. Knowing this matters for shifts you pick up.
What happens if the hospital cancels the contract after you have relocated? Ask for the cancellation notice period (minimum 2 weeks is standard) and whether you receive any compensation for housing costs already committed.
Most travel nurse orientations are abbreviated — 2 to 4 days versus the 6 to 12 weeks a new permanent hire receives. You are expected to function as a competent nurse immediately after basic orientation. Here is how to get up to speed faster than the unit expects:
Day 1: introduce yourself to every charge nurse and ask them the three most important things to know about this unit that are not in the orientation manual. This conversation takes 5 minutes and yields information that would take weeks to discover independently.
Days 1 to 3: identify the informal resource people on the unit — the staff nurse who knows every protocol, the tech who knows where everything is stored. Building one relationship with each of them is worth more than reading all the policy binders.
Ask specifically about: the code response procedure (number to call, who shows up, where the crash cart is), the unit's escalation protocol for deteriorating patients, and the charting system quirks (Epic build varies enormously across hospitals).
Accepting the first offer: Recruiters typically have room to move on pay packages, especially for ICU nurses with CCRN. Counter with a specific number, not "can you do better." "I need $2,400/week all-in to make this contract work with my housing and relocation costs" is more effective than a vague ask.
Signing a contract without reading the compliance requirements: Travel contracts require documentation that your home hospital may not have needed: annual skills checklists, drug screens, background checks, titers for every childhood vaccine. Missing a compliance item by your start date can result in a canceled contract or delayed start. Read the requirements list the moment you receive the contract.
Burning bridges on the first contract: Travel nursing is a small world. Nurse recruiters, house supervisors, and unit managers talk to each other across systems. Your first contract reputation follows you. Arrive early, be flexible about floating (within your skill set), and treat the permanent staff with the professional respect they deserve.
Related: Best travel nurse agencies 2026 · Housing guide · Compact license guide
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