Travel Nurse Contract Extensions

The Start of My First Contract

I started my first contract in February of 2025 at a small hospital about twenty-five minutes outside of Boston. Immediately, I felt like I had gotten extremely lucky. My coworkers were so welcoming. The patients were kind. The ratios were far better than what I was accustomed to in New York. I felt affirmed that I had made the right choice to travel. I decided I would love to extend my contract past 13 weeks. It was an exciting possibility. This would be if the opportunity arose.

Around the same time I made that decision, I learned this hospital was notoriously difficult with extensions. I reached out to my recruiter to see if it would be possible. In most cases, your agency will be able to secure an extension on your behalf by reaching out to management. For whatever reason, this facility required that all communication go directly between the manager and the contracted worker. Easy, right? Not when you work nights. I found myself running in circles. I was trying to get any sort of meaningful conversation started on the topic. This was with people whom I rarely saw.

Waiting for Answers as Time Ran Out

When I was able to get in contact with the higher ups, I was repeatedly assured that the prospects of an extension looked good. But we were pending further approval (From whoever is in charge of these things). I had to wait and hope for the best. In the meantime, weeks passed. The end of my contract was quickly approaching with no firm answer. Our lease was ending, and putting a deposit on a new place to live was a necessity. All I could do at this point was hope and pray that things would turn out the way I needed them to.

While awaiting an answer, Karl and I took a trip home to New York. On my 25th birthday, I was on a train into Manhattan to spend the day with my sister, followed by a rooftop dinner with friends and family. Needless to say, my spirits were high. Just before my arrival, a notification with my manager’s name comes in. Holding my breath, I read the terrible news that my extension had not been approved. Twelve days before my contract ends. AND it’s my birthday.

I quickly text my sister as I try my best not to cry on the train. While she tries to placate me, we pull underground and I lose all phone service. This feels like a scene from a bad movie. It’s all I can do to keep it together until I get up to the street to find her waiting for me. Looking back, I am so thankful that she was there immediately after I got the news. Through the ups and downs of this career path, the best thing you can do is find people. They are the ones who will always be on your side.

A Reset, a Facial, and a New Perspective

She comforted me as we took the ferry to Hoboken, heading to a small spa where I had my first ever facial. By the time we got to dinner later that night, I was feeling much better about the coming weeks. In retrospect, everything leading up to this initial contract had happened so fast. I figured if I could have secured this job so quickly, the next was waiting around the corner for me.

We went back to Massachusetts and I worked my last shifts. Well, I was under the impression they would be my last shifts. I brought in everyone’s favorite snacks, we took a group picture, and there were many promises to keep in touch. I went home feeling anxious about what was to come.

After sleeping all day post-shift, I woke up to another notification from my manager: “Hi Faith, I appealed your extension and it was approved. I hope it’s not too late?”. I could not believe my eyes. Karl couldn’t believe his either. I quickly texted back that it was definitely not too late and I would still love to extend. By that weekend, I had a new contract signed and was scheduled to continue working. The place we put a deposit on was still available for move-in the following week. It felt like everything just fell into place.

Learning to Trust the Process

For a while, I felt the stress of that situation might give me a heart attack. I was wary about the coming months. But it showed me that I needed to take a step back and trust that things would turn out the way they were supposed to. And, with a departure from the first time around, my manager reached out to me. It was about halfway through my second contract. He asked to see if I would be interested in a third. It seemed too good to be true, and in a way it was.

While I got the impression of advanced notice, I still did not have a contract in my inbox until a week or two before I was off the schedule. I did my best to let go and let God this time around – luckily that was the right decision. I had secured another three months in a place we loved with a bit less stress than the first time.

When the end of my nine months at this hospital were approaching, I felt ready for a change. Volume was increasing, staffing was decreasing, and the dropping temperatures gave me a dread for the coming months. I didn’t reach out to my manager and he didn’t reach out to me.

There was nothing negative about it – we continued having friendly interactions, and he made sure to wish me the best before I went on my way. We were simply both able to recognize that it was time for me to move on.

A Much-Needed Break and a Move South

My contract ended the first week of November. I haven’t spent Thanksgiving at home in a long time now, as all we nurses know how essential holidays are at our workplaces. So i wanted to take a few weeks off so I could make sure that was an option. I told my recruiter I was looking to move South, with a desired start date of December 1st. Prior to this, I had obtained licensure in both North and South Carolina. (See here for more information on multi-state licensing?)

I had spent a few weeks scrolling through my agency’s job postings in those areas, but most of them were still looking for an early to mid November start. Herein comes one of the great aspects of travel nursing – you can afford to be picky. I can take off three weeks without losing my insurance, and with all we’ve been able to save over the last nine months it won’t break the bank. So I waited.

Choosing Patience Over Panic

I believe if I hadn’t gone through what I did with my prior extensions, I would have been a lot more likely to sacrifice my preferences to secure a job early. However, those experiences taught me to relax and trust. Things move fast in the travel world and new jobs are posted every day. I told myself that if I didn’t have anything by the second week of November I would broaden my search (cutting it close, I know). Lucky for me, my number one choice accepted me just before my contract ended in Massachusetts. Within one day, I had a signed contract and lease on the coast of North Carolina.

Trusting Where You’re Meant to Be

First and foremost, this experience has taught me to trust that we will end up where we are supposed to be. I had a lot of trouble with that at the start. But as I’ve become accustomed to the process I’ve gotten better at letting go. Still, I’ll be crossing my fingers (and toes) that the process goes more smoothly at my next site.

If you have any questions about the extension process, feel free to reach out to me by email or direct message. Your recruiter can also help you with any concerns.

For information about getting into travel nursing.

For resources to help you get started.

Want to get in contact with Faith and ask her any travel nursing related questions?

Travel The Globe

Travel Nurse Contract Extensions: My First Contract Nightmare and Lessons Learned