So your travel nurse contract got cancelled.

Don’t panic. 

You’re going to be okay.

How do I know this?

This exact thing happened to me recently and guess what?

I found a new travel assignment in a location that I’ve been wanting to go to for years.

So, if you are in this shitty situation or are asking yourself if travel nursing is still worth it, I am here to walk you through what to do next.

The important thing is to remain calm and get to work.

What To Do If Your Travel Nurse Contract Gets Cancelled

1. Immediately contact your recruiter. They should be your first phone call. 
2. Confirm with your recruiter that the facility can legally terminate you at any time.
3. Take no more than one day to feel sorry for yourself.
4. Contact your landlord about potentially breaking the lease.
5. Make a plan with your recruiter to start looking for your next travel assignment.
6. Consider picking up per diem shifts.

Travel Nurse Contracts Getting Cancelled — A Common Occurrence

Before jumping into action, it’s crucial to understand why your contract was cancelled. 

While each situation is unique, common reasons for a travel contract termination can range from internal hospital policy changes, shifts in patient census, and budgetary constraints, to emergent staffing needs.

This is unfortunately one of the dark sides of travel nursing.

Quickly try to gather as much information as possible about the reasons from both the healthcare facility and your agency. 

Understanding the details can help you digest the situation, and in some cases, may provide insights on how to prevent similar cancellations in your next assignment.

Immediate Actions to Take

The first thing you want to do is to call your recruiter.

They are the keepers of your contract and they need to make sure the facility has the legal right to do this. 

And remember, a contract cancellation is a serious and stressful thing.

It can also happen to anyone.

So don’t beat yourself up.

Deal with the feelings and then be prepared to move fast.

Contacting Your Recruiter

Your first call should be to your recruiter (if they’re not the ones who told you).

They are your advocates and should work quickly to understand the situation and your rights in this situation. 

Make sure to ask about your next steps, including potential compensation, open jobs, or any resources they can offer during this time.

Being cancelled is a shitty thing to go through. Whether you were at fault or not, it’s important to not let feelings of inadequacy or shame take control.

What I did when this happened to me was I took one day to feel sorry for myself. I ordered delivery, drank alcohol, and called all of my people.

The next day, it was go time.

Reviewing Your Contract Cancellation Policies

Now’s the time to really get to know those cancellation clauses in your contract.

Understand your rights and pay attention to the terms of your contract.

My advice is to ask your recruiter about what is in your contract about cancellations.

Some contracts might give you a heads-up on notice periods or compensation, while others could have some strict rules.

Believe it or not, most contracts have a clause stating that it is the facility’s right to terminate the contract at any time for any reason. 

On the other hand, you as the worker have the same rights.

Say a family emergency comes up or you break your leg, you should have a clause saying that you have the right to cancel a contract at will (which means at any time).

What To Do Next

If the cancellation is final, now you must call your landlord and deal with your lease.

After that, it’s time to start looking for a new assignment.

Call Your Landlord

The next thing you need to do is to call your landlord and tell them what’s up. 

You may not know when you’ll be moving out yet, but you need to give them some sort of a heads-up that you will not be staying til the end of your lease and that you will have to break it. 

Here is what happened when I did this:

• My contract was cancelled on the 21st of the month
• I called the property owner and told him that my job had gotten canceled (no need to go into specifics)
• I said that I would need to find a new contract and that it most likely wouldn’t be in the area which meant I would have to move out
• I said I would be out by the 15th of the next month, giving me three weeks to figure out what I was doing.
• I recommend figuring out how long it usually takes for you to find a new contract
  • For me, I knew the process usually took about two weeks
  • I gave myself an extra week (for three weeks total) until I said I would be gone
•  We made a tentative plan 
• I had to pay the lease penalty fee
• I ended up moving out on the 10th 
• The total cost was $2500 ($1500 lease fee and $1000 for 10 days of rent).

I urge you to read your lease and see what the penalty is to break your lease early.

Also, see how much notice you are required to give before moving out. If it’s 30 days, then you might be SOL and have to pay for a full month’s rent plus the lease fee.

But do all of this and know the terms of the lease before you make the call.

Depending on your situation, you might be able to negotiate an early lease termination or pay on a daily basis until you move out. 

DO NOT BE SCARED TO NEGOTIATE. This is a shitty situation for everyone, the landlord included.

Be honest and professional and do not pay more than you are legally required to (determined by the terms of your lease).

Now Start Looking For Your Next Travel Nurse Assignment

The next step here is to start thinking about your next contract.

Many travel nurse companies will immediately start searching for a new assignment for you if your contract is terminated. 

It’s important to be upfront about your preferences such as location and minimum pay rate. 

This is your chance to potentially land an even better placement, so make sure to advocate for yourself and your needs.

When I got canceled, I was honestly relieved. 

I HATED that job. 

And now, I landed an amazing new contract in an amazing city.

These things happen for a reason. 

Don’t panic.

Consider Other Travel Nursing Agencies

Do not limit yourself to your current agency.

Leaving your current agency is hard — I know. I was with mine for a year and leaving them was SO hard.

But if you don’t branch out, you risk being unemployed for much longer than you already are.

Do some research on other travel nurse companies and see if they have any open assignments that match your criteria.

(Medical Solutions saved my ass when this happened to me).

Remember to thoroughly vet the new agency and read through any contracts and policies before making a decision.

Exploring Other Job Options

If finding a new assignment is taking longer than expected, it’s time to make other plans.

You can only go so long without income after all.

This could involve looking for per-diem work, short-term contracts, hospital strike work, or even doing some mobile IV therapy work.

What saved me during this off time was picking up per diem shifts through Medely.

If you’re not familiar, Medely is a website platform where you sign up, put in your licenses and credentials, and then when shifts become available in your area, you get sent a text message with a link to sign up. 

And depending on where you live, there is plenty of work available. 

Click here to sign up with my referral code. (I gotta keep this blog running somehow!)

Maintaining Professionalism

When things get uncertain and life throws curveballs, keeping it professional isn’t just polite, it’s a smart play.

Maintaining a positive attitude and strong work ethic can lead to recommendations from colleagues and employers, which can be invaluable for future job opportunities. 

Moreover, keeping it professional throughout this transition can reduce the risk of getting a poor reference from your current landlord. 

It’s important to handle contract cancelation and reassignment discussions calmly and respectfully, even if you feel frustrated or disappointed.

Remember, this whole situation has the potential to affect you for the rest of your career — be sure to not burn any bridges.

Reflecting and Learning from the Experience

Once the dust settles, take the time to reflect and learn from this crappy situation.

Evaluating what could have been done differently

Was there anything within your control that could have prevented this cancellation?

Perhaps there were red flags at the facility that you overlooked during your initial assessment, or maybe reviewing the hospital’s financial health could have hinted at potential issues.

Use this as a learning experience for future assignments.

When I look back, it is pretty clear to me why all of this happened. I honestly should have seen it coming, but I just didn’t think anything like this could ever happen to me. 

This has also reminded me that I am expendable. 

We, as travel nurses, are a dime a dozen, and doing stupid things or working at an unsafe facility is not worth risking our nursing license over. 

If you feel that you need to cancel a travel nurse contract early due to safety concerns or just want to cancel because you get anxious every time you are driving to work, then take a second and listen to your body.

Get out of a shitty situation before it costs you everything that you have worked so hard for. 

Conclusion

The cancellation of a contract can hit hard, but it’s not the end of the world. 

By staying calm and professional, talking with your recruiter and landlord right away, and making an aggressive plan to land a new job quickly, you will be ok.

How do I know this?

Because it happened to me. 

And I am just a normal person, just like you. The only difference between us is that I write about my experiences. 

If you ever need any help or advice, my site is always open.

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