Ouch... fifth out of four. Yikes.
My suggestions as a director are this (for whatever they are worth):
1) A contract isn't going to tell you anything about your job except for your pay, your benefits, and (not in all cases) your minimum hours. Even these can be vague. No contract serves as a guarantee of anything - including your pay.
2) A contract will tell you EVERYTHING about your job when you leave, or things don't work out. Your term of employment is only as long as the shortest reason to terminate you in your contract. This can be immediate in some states.
3) If it isn't written specifically in your contract, it doesn't exist, and you should never expect it.
4) When you are given a contract and you accept a job, it will be expected that you are going to work. It will also be expected that it will take you some time to be credentialed (which includes getting your license, malpractice, etc). Assume 2 months for this process. Have your credentialing materials ready as soon as possible.
5) If you are collecting contracts to decide on a single job, be open with the group you are applying to work with and tell them. Do this at your own risk and don't expect them to wait for you. If you are comparing contracts to choose your job, I don't think you will ever be successful in doing so. Go with your gut.
6) As soon as you decide you don't want to work somewhere and you don't want to sign a contract, call that director immediately and have an honest discussion to tell them. Groups don't take it personally, but if you string them along, you might blackball yourself from a region, or even an entire contract group.
Be open and honest, and consider that sometimes, groups turn down other interviews, change their staffing, and make many financial decisions based upon your agreement to work. They do these things because they want you to join them, and they are taking you on your word. It is courteous for them to know when things are no longer in place, and it will actually keep a door open if you do this right.
Good Luck.
