What Happens If You Cancel Your Contract?

bagladyrn, RN · Apr 12, 2007

You need to read over your contract. The penalties for terminating your contract early will be in there. Count on being required to pay back at least the cost of your housing for the remainder of the time it is contracted. There may be other penalties as well.

In rare cases, if you have made a good faith effort with your company to work out whatever problems have made you want to terminate and you or your license are truly at risk (not just an unpleasant situation) then the company may waive any penalties.

NurseJacqui · Apr 12, 2007

My contract is like a page and it does not address contract cancellation. I do not take the housing...just the stipend. I want to leave because I am working in a dangerous, abusive miserable enviroment with less than competent nurses and doctors. I fear for my license whenever I am there. I only have 5 weeks left on my contract...I have voiced my concerns to agency over and over again...and they havent really said anything. Does just the agency receive a penalty or will I too? Like I said there is NOTHING in my contract about cancellation.

bagladyrn, RN · Apr 12, 2007

Check your contract and see if there is a line in it about abiding by the rules in the employee handbook or something to that effect. You should have received it in the packet when you started your assignment.

If you truly feel that you or your license are endangered, it would be a good idea to approach your recruiter about the idea of terminating your contract. You can call and say "As you know I've been informing you of serious issues at this contract and my efforts to resolve them. I don't feel that I can safely continue in this contract. What would be the penalties if I gave my notice and is the agency willing to work with me on paying it off?"

You should, however be prepared to leave your housing within 48 hours of terminating the contract.

NurseJacqui · Apr 12, 2007

I dont take the housing.....I did ask what the penalties were and I was never answered. I am actually leaving this agency because they seema little shady to me anyway. I only have a month left. I guess I will try and stick it out. But its pretty bad.

jamminworld · Apr 12, 2007

I had to leave a contract because of unsafe conditions. I simply spoke to my recuiter and voiced my concerns. She attempted to correct the problem with a rep from the hospital but it was unsuccessful. I actually ended up telling her if I lost my license then it would not be good for either of us because we would both lose a source of income. I had to speak to 2 other people but I left my contract without issues. The company backed me 100% and I was not penalized. This is probably not the norm though.

213812 · Jun 8, 2010

I took my 1st Travel assignment @ a week ago and I knew within a few days that I felt like I was putting my nursing License on the line as well as my patients safety on the line and I just wanted out of the contract. My recruiter said it would not look well with the company and I would probably not be working with them anymore. I was OK with that since I knew I just wanted out of the contract, and this was only an interim job for me and not a long term job. My recruiter also made the comment/innuendo that this would probably affect my future employment in the area and that I would be "burning bridges" in the area- as he put it. The area where my assignment was is not too far from home and my question is whether this was just a SCARE tactic that he was using, or whether this would affect my future nursing employment in the area-outside of travel nursing of course, because I will never do that again.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

GleeGum, BSN, RN · Jun 11, 2010

hi 213812.

I would not let a recruiter or agency's use of scare tactics affect you doing the right thing. i know it can be intimidating and hope it works out well for you.

flnursemichelle · Jun 13, 2010

If you are breaking your contract for things that you could be held responsible for, patient care or if you feel your license is in jepoardy, try calling a clinical liason from your company. I had a major problem with my first assignment and I couldn't get the hospital to answer any of my questions. I finally called the agency's Liason, she was a nurse who knew how things should have worked and she listened to my side and then listened to their side and basically she said that because I wasn't a "hospital" employee, they were not willing to listen to my side of the story and they canceled my contract. It took them 2 weeks for them to tell me this. I found out that my contract was canceled on friday (I was on the schedule on friday, saturday, sunday) and they told me so I called my clinical Liason, she said that she would close it out for me and did all that stuff but I was also offered another job within the hour and 3 more by the end of the day. I had wanted to go to a certain state but didn't get offers from any of the states I tried to get to. I did get a good spot, 13 weeks and it has worked out well so far.... I wish you luck with trying to find a next assignment. You will decide the best route to go for your self, just trust your instincts!!

213812 · Aug 12, 2010

I was only on my travel assignment for @ 5 days then I cancelled the contract because I felt it was unsafe for my license and patient's safety. When looking for future employment, I do not include this job in my resume. My question is this-when future employers do a background check on me-will a job this short come up on me. How do I approach this-do I bring it up in future interviews? Do I list it on my resume? Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.

fawnsternurse · Aug 13, 2010

I was only on my travel assignment for @ 5 days then I cancelled the contract because I felt it was unsafe for my license and patient's safety. When looking for future employment, I do not include this job in my resume. My question is this-when future employers do a background check on me-will a job this short come up on me. How do I approach this-do I bring it up in future interviews? Do I list it on my resume? Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.

I really dont know if things like this come up on a background check or not and it would be interesting to know, but just for the record and adding my two cents:

Life is too short and we worked too hard for our licenses to subject our licenses or ourselves to miserable, abusive conditions.

There is way too much lateral violence in nursing and especially in the travel nursing industry many times they dont want Nurses but rather cattle.

I think NOTHING of walking away from a situation where I am being abused, where I am asked to commit fraudulent documentation or where an outright lie has been told about me. This has all happened.

I do have to work for a living but that doesnt mean i have to sell my soul for a living. :nurse:

breeziRN · Aug 15, 2010

I just quit my contract with 7 weeks left on it...I was miserable and my son was at home not with me on assignment and he was starting to rebel agaist his uncle...who he was at home with...I was getting floated everyday and sometimes twice a day...I just hated it and I couldn't take it anymore...so we'll see what the say but it doesn't matter...I'm not going back!!