I read a story recently about a new travel nurse who landed an assignment in Alaska. Part of her contract included a rental car for her to get around town and, of course, to and from work.

But another part of the contract stated that she would ONLY be reimbursed for the rental car if she completed 40 hours of work each week. So one day, she was sick - and not wanting to infect her patients, doctors and fellow nurses, she called out. Not only did it cost her a day of pay…it cost her $300 for the rental car that week.

Lesson learned - most of us aren’t sick when we sign contracts, but if you have a habit of catching colds, or just want cover yourself in the even that you get sick (you DO work around sick people, remember?) then have sick days worked into your contract. Whether you negotiate directly with healthcare facilities, or work with a Travel Nurse staffing agency, it’s a good thing to consider.