Questions to Ask Travel Nursing Agencies
Questions for comparing travel nursing agencies rather than a single contract, covering liability coverage, payroll accuracy, license reimbursement, penalties for leaving early, and what happens in the weeks between assignments.
The questions
Open any question for the note
How many nurses do you have on assignment right now, and in how many states?
Why ask it
Size tells you whether a cancelled contract can be replaced quickly or leaves you waiting. A small agency in three states can still be excellent, but only if those states are the ones you want.
Are you certified by the Joint Commission for health care staffing, and when was your last review?
Why ask it
Certification is not a guarantee of good treatment, but it means an outside body has looked at their credentialing and complaint handling. Agencies that have let it lapse rarely volunteer that fact.
Do you have active contracts in the region I want, or would you be looking for one on my behalf?
Why ask it
Recruiters often talk about a market they have never placed anyone in. Asking for current openings in that specific region separates a real pipeline from a hopeful search.
Who runs payroll, and what happens when a paycheck comes out wrong?
Why ask it
Errors on travel pay are routine because stipends, overtime, and shift differentials all interact. What matters is whether corrections take one cycle or three, and whether anyone answers the phone.
Do you carry professional liability coverage for me, and is it occurrence-based or claims-made?
Why ask it
Claims-made coverage protects you only while the policy is active, which can be a problem once the assignment ends. This is the single answer most nurses skip and most later wish they had in writing.
If a claim is filed a year after my contract ends, am I still covered?
Why ask it
Tail coverage is where the occurrence versus claims-made distinction becomes concrete. A recruiter who does not know should hand you to someone who does, or send the policy summary.
Will I have the same recruiter across assignments, or does it change each time?
Why ask it
Rotating recruiters means re-explaining your preferences and losing any goodwill you built. High turnover on their side also predicts how long your file sits when something goes wrong.
Is there a clinical liaison or a nurse on staff I can call about a patient safety concern?
Why ask it
Recruiters are salespeople and cannot advise on scope or unsafe staffing. An agency with no clinical contact leaves you choosing between the facility's chain of command and nothing.
What do you do if a facility asks me to work outside my scope or float somewhere I am not competent?
Why ask it
The answer reveals whose side the agency takes when a client hospital pushes. Watch for whether they describe a process or just say they would talk to the manager.
What is your penalty for ending a contract early, and are there situations where you waive it?
Why ask it
Penalties can reach thousands of dollars and sometimes apply even for family emergencies. Ask for the written exceptions, because a verbal we are reasonable about it is not enforceable.
Do you reimburse state licenses and certifications, and is that paid up front or after I finish?
Why ask it
Reimbursement after completion means you carry several hundred dollars for weeks. Some agencies also claw it back if you leave before a set number of hours, so ask about that condition too.
What continuing education do you provide, and does it count toward my state renewal?
Why ask it
Free course libraries are common, but many offer credits that a given board will not accept. Ask which accrediting body issues the certificates before you count on them.
Do you offer a retirement plan, and is there a match and a vesting period?
Why ask it
Travel contracts are short, so a plan with a long vesting schedule may never pay you anything. The vesting terms matter more here than the size of the match.
If I take agency-placed housing instead of the stipend, who holds the lease and who handles problems?
Why ask it
Agency housing removes the hunt but also removes your control over location and quality. Find out who you call about a broken air conditioner and whether you can decline a unit you have seen.
How much notice do you typically have between an offer and a start date?
Why ask it
Some agencies work almost entirely on contracts starting in ten days, which is hard if you have a lease or children. The typical lead time tells you whether their rhythm fits your life.
What happens in the gap between assignments, for pay and for insurance?
Why ask it
Most agencies pay nothing between contracts, and coverage rules vary widely. Knowing the exact lapse rules lets you plan a bridge rather than discover one mid-gap.
Can I talk to two nurses currently on assignment with you?
Why ask it
Willingness matters as much as what the nurses say. An agency that produces two phone numbers within a day is confident, and one that offers written testimonials instead is not.
What is your referral bonus, and what has to happen before it actually pays?
Why ask it
Bonuses usually require the referred nurse to complete a set number of hours, and the conditions are where they quietly fail. This also shows you how the agency treats promises with fine print.
If I want to take a permanent job with a facility at the end of a contract, how do you handle that?
Why ask it
Many agency contracts include a conversion fee or a waiting period that blocks a direct hire. Better to know the restriction now than after you have fallen for a unit.
What is the most common reason a nurse stops working with you?
Why ask it
An honest agency will name something real, like slow payroll or limited contracts in a region. Insisting that nurses never leave tells you the answer is being managed rather than given.
Comparing Travel Nursing Agencies
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
How to compare offers fairly
Convert everything to weekly take-home
One agency quotes a blended hourly rate, another quotes taxable plus stipends, a third adds a completion bonus. Reduce all three to money in your account per week and the differences usually shrink.
Price the gaps, not just the contracts
Thirteen weeks at a high rate followed by three unpaid weeks can pay less than a steadier agency with more contracts in your region. Ask each agency how quickly nurses in your specialty get placed again.
Keep a submission log
Write down which agency submitted you to which facility and on what date. Duplicate submissions get a profile rejected, and the facility has no way to tell which agency sent you first.
Get these in writing
- Taxable hourly rate and each stipend listed as a separate line.
- Guaranteed hours and what counts as a facility call-off.
- Cancellation notice the facility owes you, and the penalty if you leave early.
- Whether liability coverage is occurrence-based, and whether tail coverage exists.
- Insurance start date and what happens between contracts.
- License and certification reimbursement terms, including any clawback.
- Conversion terms if you later want a staff job at the facility.
Warning signs
A rate that only exists in a text message
Numbers that never reappear in the contract are how packages shrink after signing. If the written offer is lower than the quote, treat the gap as the agency's actual character.
No clinical contact anywhere in the company
If every person you can reach is in sales, you have no one to call about unsafe staffing or a scope question. That absence becomes serious the first time a manager pushes you somewhere you should not be.
Blanket submissions without your permission
Some recruiters submit profiles broadly to lock out competitors. Ask for approval before each submission and treat a refusal as a reason to work with someone else.