Anyone heard of hospital cancellation fee??

Posts: 2 · Joined: 23 Jun 2006 Posts: 2

I may need to cancel my 8 week contract after 4 weeks because of an urgent family matter back home and my recruiter is telling me there may be a cancellation fee from the hospital. Is there such a thing? Please help and give any advice you can. Thanks in advance

Posts: 16 · Joined: 18 Aug 2006 Posts: 16 Location: florida

Hello there
Yes some hospitals have penalities to cancel early on contracts. You may be able to negotiate a return to finish the contract at a later date, just not to long, and avoid this. The industry as a whole impliments penalities on travel nurses to avoid early cancellations. Hope this helps.

Posts: 47 · Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Posts: 47 Location: San Diego

This is pretty standard throughout the industry.

The hospitals have added costs to find a new traveler to replace you.

Additionally, most hospitals also have it written into the contracts with agencies that there will be a cancellation fee if the agency backs out of an assignment. If the agency is hit with a fee, they will try to pass that onto the nurse if it is the nurse cancelling.

Hospitals do this because the hospital has been hurt in the past because of travelers not showing up for the assignment or leaving early.

Hospitals pay a premium for travelers. From the hospital's perspective, the premium is for the dependability that a traveler brings to the table because you are contractually obligated to work.

I don't necessarily agree with their stance, but I hope it sheds some light as to where the hospitals are coming from.