As you read these words, travel nurses are flying in the friendly skies above you. And, for those that are young (or not), single (or attached), and adventurous (or homebodies), travel nursing makes a great career fit. Point being, there’s an assignment for everyone! However, many nurses rush into it, assuming that all agencies and assignments operate from the same paradigm. If that sounds like your MO, here are the things you need to know before making the decision to fly away.

Get. It. In. Writing. 

All of it, all the time. No exceptions. That goes for your hours, your take home pay, and definitely the penalties incurred if you have to cancel your contract early. Remember that the best (and really, only) time to negotiate is before the contract is signed. Nurses naive to this process fall victim to exploitative contracts and end up working more as an indentured servant than a public one. Don’t let this be you. Some terms to familiarize yourself with include:

Weekly take home pay —this can get a little complicated if you’re new, but the best place to start before signing anything is to visit paycheckcity.com. Once you enter the state you’ll be working in, it will calculate your “taxable take home” money. Add that sum to the non-taxable weekly pay you’re offered (based off 36, and not 40, hours) and you’ll be able to verify your total take home pay. Remember, most states will tax your income, regardless of where you make it—so be sure to factor that in, too.

The ink needs to dry before you fly — in other words, be sure to have a signed contract in hand before making or completing any travel arrangements. Travel assignment needs can change on a moment’s notice, so don’t go assuming you can sign the contract on-site. 

Guaranteed pay for 36 hours/week — most contracts specify that if your shift gets cancelled, you still get paid. This is to protect you from being the first to be cut, (thereby allowing the hospital the luxury of having a nurse at their beck and on-call: YOU)! 

Agency partnerships are just that—a two way street

While agencies will bend over backward to recruit you, don’t be shy in advocating for yourself once you have submitted paperwork with them. Remember—you are the one on your feet for 12 hour shifts in a new unit every 13 weeks. Any contract you sign should protect your rights as much as the rights of the agencies and the hospitals they partner with.

It’s prudent to keep a choice of agencies on hand—three is a safe number to ensure the pick of the assignment litter. You needn’t be shady about this practice either. Reminding your recruiters occasionally that there are other recruiting fish in the agency sea is both appropriate and honest. That way, you’ll have more to leverage when choice assignments come up in the area you hope to travel to. While building relationships with agencies is fine, remember that these are business transactions and as such, your needs are just as important as theirs.

The fine print

Sometimes the perks offered by an agency are only perks for them. Take housing, for example. While many agencies offer to secure housing, it’s almost always the case that they will deduct a flat fee for this—one that is often well-over the location’s rental market ask. With long-term rentals being even easier to find these days thanks to VRBO and AirBnB, etc., there’s really no upside to having your agency handle this transaction.

Another detail to get the skinny on is mileage reimbursement. Many agencies boast about compensation for mileage incurred—along with other perks—yet don’t specify exactly how (or when) you’ll see this happen. Be sure that mileage isn’t rolled into your weekly pay—any agency worth their salt should have a mileage check cut for you upon your arrival to the contract site. 

Lastly, know that recruiters can make a difference. If you are unhappy with yours for any reason, you can always request a new one. A good recruiter is one that advocates for you, knows about all the ways you can save (and make!) money, and has your back. It can take time to find these unicorn recruiters, but rest assured, they do exist, and are worth the effort to seek out.