Travel nurse cancellations can happen to the best of nurses and a lot of the time, it’s not the nurse’s fault. Before you sign a contract, have a chat with your recruiter about what happens if you experience a cancellation. Knowing it’s a possibility and how to handle it, means that you’ll be prepared if the worst happens during your assignment. Here are a couple reasons a travel nurse contract can be cancelled.
Travel Nurse Contract Cancellations: Low Census
A lowered census at the facility could mean that travelers are the first to get cut. If you notice that travelers are being sent home during shifts, give your recruiter a heads up. They can see if they can find out if the hospital thinks this is a short-term issue or if they expect it to continue, leading to traveler cancellations. Either way, your recruiter can keep his or her eyes open on new assignments in the same city, especially if you’ve signed a lease.
Travel Nurse Contract Cancellations: Cancelled for Cause
No recruiter wants this call—the one that alerts a recruiter that his or her nurse’s contract is being cancelled for cause. This could be because of a test during orientation or because of a concern about patient care, such as medication errors, ignoring hospital policies or attendance. If this happens to you, discuss the situation rationally and honestly. Everyone makes mistakes and if you did make one, talking about the situation with your recruiter can help diffuse the situation.
Travel Nurse Contract Cancellations: Cancelled By the Nurse
Of course, if the hospital can cancel, so can you. While recruiters don’t love it when their nurses cancel, it happens for a few reasons. Maybe the hospital’s policies feel unsafe to the nurse and he or she cancels to protect their license (if that’s the case, definitely talk to your recruiter, but also the Triage clinical team). Maybe the nurse has a family emergency and can’t be far from home. Whatever the reason, communication is key. Just make sure to talk to your recruiter about your options before you get up and leave.
Knowing that cancellations are a part of the travel nurse territory is part of the job. While great recruiters may be able to reduce the chance of cancellations, sometimes they can’t control it and the best they can do is find you a new, better assignment.
To connect with a Triage recruiter, apply for allied or travel nurse jobs.