What should you expect in your first week on a new travel therapy contract?

Expect a short orientation, the facility's required training, a scramble for system access and a caseload that builds faster than it would for staff. Ask your recruiter what the first day looks like before you arrive, and tell them the same day if something you were promised is not there.

By ProTherapy Staffing, published November 4, 2026.

What happens on the first day?

Usually paperwork, a tour, introductions and the start of orientation. How long orientation lasts varies a great deal between facilities: some give a traveler most of a week, others a few hours before the first patient.

Ask your recruiter before you arrive where to go, who to ask for, what time to be there and what to bring. Carry your license details, identification and any documents credentialing asked for, so a missing paper does not hold up your start. If you are driving, ask where to park and whether you need a permit or a badge to get in.

What training does the facility have to give you?

Some training is required by federal rules, whoever you are employed by. OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard says training must be provided “At the time of initial assignment to tasks where occupational exposure may take place.”

The HIPAA Privacy Rule requires training “to each new member of the workforce within a reasonable period of time after the person joins the covered entity’s workforce.” If nobody mentions either, ask the person running your orientation.

If you want to know what the first week on a ProTherapy contract looks like, ask: Find a Mentor.

How soon will you have a full caseload?

Sooner than a new staff therapist would. A facility brings in a traveler because it needs the work done, so expect to see patients early and to build towards a full caseload within the first days.

Ask your manager what productivity is expected and by when, and how documentation is reviewed. Knowing the target in the first week is better than finding out at the end of the month that you were measured against one.

What if you do not have system access yet?

Say so the same day. Without logins for the electronic health record, the scheduling system and the building, you cannot document or bill, and every day without them is a day the facility and you both lose.

Tell your manager what is missing and copy your recruiter, so someone outside the facility knows. Ask who to work with while you wait, and do not borrow another clinician’s login.

Who should you get to know first?

Your manager, the person who sets the schedule, and one experienced therapist on the team who will answer the small questions: where the equipment is kept, how referrals arrive, who to call about a patient’s transport.

Learn the front desk, the nurses on the units you cover and the other travelers. On a short contract, the people who help you find things in the first week save you the most time.

What would a mentor tell you about the first week?

That it is normal to feel slow, and that asking questions early is better than guessing. A mentor who has started many contracts can tell you what they check on the first day and what they ask for before the first patient.

If you do not have a mentor yet, your first conversation with a mentor is a good place to start, and mentorship topics lists other things worth raising.

What should you check at the end of the first week?

Whether you have what you need to work on your own: your logins, a badge, the equipment you use, and a schedule for the weeks ahead. Anything still missing at the end of the first week is worth raising before it becomes normal.

Check your first timesheet against the shifts you worked, and tell your recruiter how the week went, good or bad. A short note at the end of the week makes the next conversation easier, and gives the agency time to help while most of the contract is still ahead of you.

What if the job is not what you were told?

Write down what is different, with dates, and raise it with your recruiter in the first week, while it is easiest to fix. A different setting, a caseload far from what was described or a missing orientation are all things an agency should hear about early.

When an assignment is not as described covers what to say and what to ask for.

Frequently asked questions

How long is orientation on a travel therapy contract?

It varies by facility, from a few hours to most of a week. Ask your recruiter before you arrive what the first day and the first week look like.

Does a facility have to train a travel therapist?

Some training is required. OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard requires training at the time of initial assignment to tasks where occupational exposure may take place, and the HIPAA Privacy Rule requires training for new members of the workforce within a reasonable period.

What should I do if I do not have system access on my first day?

Tell your manager the same day and copy your recruiter, and ask who to work with while you wait. Do not use another clinician's login.

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