How is being a travel CNA different from working as a regular CNA?

Although the job duties of a travel CNA are the same as those of a traditional CNA, there are some important differences in the day-to-day experience:

• Travel CNAs work with agencies that place them at different facilities nationwide. You might be placed at a hospital, nursing home, or other facility type.

• Travel CNAs travel to work in different cities. You might have to stay there for a few weeks or months.

• Travel CNAs must also be flexible with schedules and hours since their assignments can change quickly depending on demand; they may have to work long hours when needed or even on weekends‍.

‍Pros of being a travel CNA

If you're looking for a career that allows flexibility, variety, and opportunity to see new places, then travel nursing might be your career! Some pros of working as a travel CNA:

• Higher Pay: While wages vary significantly across geographies and facility needs, pay typically falls between $20-35/hr. However, pay appears to have peaked during the pandemic, and we’re seeing pay fall now.

• Lower Living Expenses: The agencies usually pay for travel, hotel, and food. Sometimes, an agency will book a hotel and flight for you for housing and transit. However, if you get a stipend instead, you can make even more money if you book low-cost accommodations or travel independently. You may also get allowances for food and other activities! 

• Meeting New People: You can meet new people by working in different kinds of facilities you will visit and working with different patients and staff.

• Discover New Places: Traveling while working allows you to see the wonders of the country—at no cost to you‍‍.

Cons of being a travel CNA

Depending on your lifestyle and preferences, there are some downsides to being a travel CNA. The central theme is high risk, high reward. The pros may still outweigh the cons, but it’s important to know what you’d be getting yourself into:

• Always On The Move: Traveling can be stressful, mainly if you are used to a set lifestyle or have a routine at home. Agencies might give you only 24-48 hours advanced notice to pack up and leave for another state.

• Time Apart From Home: Although many agencies allow you to bring your significant other or kids, you may have to spend much time apart from your family, friends, and comfortable home.

• Compatibility: You might not like your work. You can specify some constraints, such as preferred city/state, pay, and facility type, but at the end of the day, you don't have much control over where you're going or who you'll be working with. You might end up not getting along with your coworkers or liking the facility, and you’d have to stay there until the end of your contract.

• Breaks Between Contracts: There might be time between contracts when you have a vacant schedule. You may have some time between contracts, as your agency might not have a need. You can mitigate this downside by working with multiple agencies at once.

• Priority Dilemma: Sometimes, travel CNAs need to quit their full-time jobs. Since you’re leaving for weeks or months at a time, your current workplace can almost certainly not support that flexibility if they require you to report daily. If you have decided to commit to your current workplace, you might consider staying.

Requirements for becoming a travel CNA

To start your qualification as a travel nurse, you will need to meet the following requirements:

• You must have your CNA license. You should enroll in a CNA training program if you're not currently licensed.

• You must be at least 18 years old. This is to ensure you meet legal requirements for employment in the healthcare field.

• You must have at least one year of experience as a CNA. Many agencies have the experience requirement because the facilities they place people at also have that requirement. If you don’t have one year of experience, working at a nursing home or hospital first is best.

• You must pass a criminal background check. This means no felonies or certain misdemeanors involving theft or assault in the past five years.

• Work with CNA travel agencies. Your agency will transfer your license to different states when you start working with them, so there is no need to worry about that‍.