Nursing is a profession required worldwide.
Most nursing professionals can find jobs in almost every city and area of the United States. Moreover, most healthcare facilities need nursing professionals, such as certified nursing assistants (CNAs), to work around the clock.
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Although there are many ways to cover the need for these professionals within a facility, one of the most popular ways is through travel nursing. Many facilities routinely hire travel registered nurses for their teams.
This raises the question, “Can CNAs work travel jobs?” As a matter of fact, traveling CNA jobs are a real thing and an excellent opportunity for CNAs to earn more money and experience while traveling. Keep reading to find out if travel positions for CNAs are the right fit for you.
What Is a Travel CNA?
Traveling CNAs are nursing assistants ready to take assignments that last from 30 days to 13 weeks (eight to 12 weeks being more common) in a facility far from their homes. Although the distance is not of the utmost importance, some facilities have contracts that specify the required distance for the assignment to be considered a travel position.
Mostly, travel CNAs are expected to leave their cities or even their states, thus acquiring experience and earning more money than with their regular jobs. Although earning more money and experience while traveling might seem like a dream come true, there might be some disadvantages to this type of work. There are also significant advantages to working PRN travel jobs as CNAs (temporary short-term positions), which we will analyze in this article.
Benefits of Working Travel Jobs
Some of the benefits of working travel jobs as a CNA include the following:
- Higher benefits: Travel jobs tend to have more significant benefits for CNAs. Even though the contracts are temporary, many nursing professionals enjoy these added benefits, such as housing, paid travel costs, insurance, etc.
- Higher pay: Facilities needing travel professionals are often willing to pay more to cover the shifts they need filling. Similarly, PRN CNAs with local travel jobs can earn higher wages.
- Traveling: Many travel nursing professionals enjoy the thrill of constantly getting to know new places. Although traveling while working seems like a dream come true, CNAs might need to obtain new licenses to work in different states. As opposed to nurses who can participate in multistate licensing throughout compact states, CNAs need to do the extra paperwork for every state they want to go to.
Although there are many benefits when working travel jobs, CNAs need to know that there are some disadvantages, like isolation, lack of long-term benefits, difficulty finding housing, and inability to choose their schedules. These factors might influence a CNA’s decision regarding this work model. Additionally, contracts often end early if the shortage of nursing professionals ends for that facility, leaving CNAs temporarily without jobs.
How to Become a Travel CNA
As you might have guessed, a travel CNA needs a valid license to work in the state of their travel position. Some other requirements include the following:
- BLS: Basic life support certifications are mandatory for CNAs to start their work in most facilities.
- Interpersonal skills: Communication with other healthcare team members and patients is essential for CNAs to adapt to new situations and settings.
- Basic nursing skills: Nursing assistants also need to perform tasks that are considered essential, such as helping with activities of daily living, monitoring vital signs, and assisting in basic medical procedures.
- Physical requirements: CNAs need to help transfer, carry, and lift patients and stay on their feet for long periods.
- Work ethic: Arriving on time for work and being dependable are essential for CNAs to succeed.
- Traveling: CNAs who want to take travel jobs must be willing to travel and work shifts during weekends, holidays, or as needed.
- Driver license: Some jobs might also require CNAs to hold a valid driver’s license to move between work settings. This is a common requirement for home health positions.
These are some typical requirements and qualifications. Additionally, a travel CNA might need an agency or a platform to find CNA travel contracts.
Travel Positions for CNAs
Travel positions for CNAs are available in many states and cities, especially during peak times in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Furthermore, given the nursing shortage in most states and cities in the United States, whenever healthcare facilities need extra CNAs, they might open travel positions to cover shifts at the last minute. However, more facilities are changing to PRN shifts, given that the flexibility of this work benefits both nursing professionals and facilities. Additionally, travel positions are still more common for registered nurses than for CNAs.
PRN Travel Jobs near Me
Working PRN as a CNA is similar to working as a travel CNA but with added flexibility.
Moreover, PRN shifts can give CNAs similar advantages, such as higher pay and shorter commitments, but also offer the possibility of choosing and refusing specific shifts. In the end, it is possible to find high-paying local PRN CNA jobs close to home, with or without changing states.
Since PRN CNA jobs have flexibility, higher pay, and can include traveling, they are sometimes called “local travel CNA jobs.” Some advantages for PRN travel jobs include:
- Higher pay: Competitive pay rates are a significant advantage when working PRN shifts. As is the case with travel nursing jobs, facilities need CNAs and are thus willing to pay more for each shift.
- Flexibility: The flexibility of PRN travel positions is the main advantage for CNAs. While it’s true that travel nursing allows nursing professionals to travel, with PRN shifts, CNAs can pick the jobs that better fit their schedules. While travel CNAs have significant advantages, the jobs are contractual and less flexible. Overall, many CNAs choose PRN work as an alternative when they have other responsibilities, such as education, family, or other dependents.
- Travel: PRN positions allow CNAs to travel if they feel like it, as these shifts exist in many healthcare facilities nationwide. Of course, finding local travel nursing jobs that don’t take CNAs too far away from home but still pay high wages is also possible.
- Control over schedules: One of the advantages of PRN jobs is the possibility of saying “no” to a shift. Despite traveling positions having many advantages, healthcare managers tend to arrange the shifts for nursing professionals, and sometimes this implies working weekends, nights, or holidays, as opposed to PRN jobs, where CNAs can pick only the shifts they want to work that fit their schedules.
- Experience: Just like with travel positions, working in different and new environments helps CNAs build more experience, given that they get to know diverse populations, healthcare settings, and colleagues. Nevertheless, PRN local jobs give CNAs more experience, as they work in more varied settings in less time.
Perhaps the only disadvantage when working PRN travel jobs is the lack of benefits. However, CNAs can overcome this by obtaining insurance and retirement plans privately, considering that the higher wages make up for the added costs.
Consider picking up PRN jobs as an option when looking for travel, adventure, higher pay, flexibility, or independence.
Find PRN CNA Jobs in Your Area
Burnout and nursing shortages are an unfortunate and frequent reality in many healthcare facilities. Consequently, these facilities need to find CNAs to cover their shifts urgently, which is where Nursa comes in. By connecting CNAs and nurses with high-paying shifts in their area, Nursa allows CNAs to find local travel nursing jobs easily and quickly.
Are you looking for “CNA hiring near me?” By creating your profile on Nursa, CNAs can effectively pick up local travel jobs as independent contractors and take charge of their own schedules and careers. What are you waiting for? Join Nursa today and start browsing shifts near you as a CNA.
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