What are guaranteed hours in a travel nurse contract?
Short answer
Guaranteed hours are a written promise that you get paid for a set number of hours each week, even if the hospital sends you home early or the week is quiet.
Why it matters in the OR
Cases get cancelled. Rooms run short. A quiet week can quietly take a big bite out of your pay if nothing is written down.
What 'guaranteed' often leaves out
Whether call hours count toward the guarantee.
Orientation and training days.
Weeks when the unit closes, or the whole hospital slows down.
Whether your housing money keeps running on those weeks.
The difference between a promise and paperwork
A recruiter saying 'we always guarantee hours' is not the same as a line in the contract. Ask for the number of hours and the notice rule in writing.
Ask your recruiter before you sign
- How many hours a week are guaranteed, in writing?
- Do call shifts count toward them?
- What happens if the unit closes for a week?
- Does my housing money continue on those weeks?
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This is general help, not legal or tax advice. Every contract and hospital is different — always read your own contract.