First Assignment Checklist
Signed contract → first paycheck, in timeline order, with the money checkpoints most first-timers miss. Print it and check boxes as you go.
Free to print and share. From travelnursecalc.com/checklists/
Week 0 — Right After Signing
- Signed contract matches the quoted taxable rate, stipends, guaranteed hours, cancellation terms
- Stipend verified at GSA ceiling for assignment ZIP (negotiating headroom if below)
- Tax home documentation locked: duplicated expenses, receipts, home ties
- Facility compliance started: drug screen, physical, titers, fit test
- Skills checklist and references packet saved as PDFs in one cloud folder
Weeks 1–2 — Housing
- Agency housing vs stipend decision made (stipend usually nets $200–800/mo more)
- Housing term matches contract dates, with early-termination clause if possible
- Commute tested at shift-change times; parking and night safety checked
- Renter's insurance bound (~$10–15/mo)
- Deposit and first month budgeted alongside overlap rent from your last home
Weeks 2–4 — Before You Leave
- Start date, orientation schedule, dress code, charting system confirmed in writing
- 5–7 scrub sets in the facility's required color; stethoscope; badge clips; shift shoes
- Mail handling set up; home-state license, registration, voter status kept (tax home evidence)
- Arrival planned 2–3 days early; sleep-shifted if starting nights
- Every credential scanned into the cloud folder — you WILL be asked again
Week 1 On the Unit
- Float policy, ratios, scheduling process, call-off procedure captured in writing/screenshot
- Incident reporting system and code procedures located
- Unit contact and charge nurse names noted
- Personal shift log started (date, hours, unit) for paycheck reconciliation
Weeks 5–6 — First Paycheck
- Paycheck reconciled line-by-line: taxable hours × rate, each stipend, reimbursements
- Withholding sanity-checked against multi-state situation
- Discrepancies emailed (not called) to recruiter with the math
Weeks 7–8 — What's Next
- Extension interest (or terms) floated to recruiter before the facility re-posts
- Extension vs new-contract math run with gap weeks and moving costs included
- Next market shortlisted by pay AND stipend margin, not just the rate
The full narrative version with dollar amounts: first assignment guide · how to become a travel nurse · contract review checklist
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