I want to be a Travel CNA. What do I need?
This is the most common question that we see in our Facebook groups. There are four key things that you will need in order to be able to travel as a Certified Nursing Assistant.
We have created some helpful Infographics that will assist you in understanding what is needed.
Education
Each state has their own requirements for an Approved Certified Nursing Assistant Education Program; the program requirements must meet the federal minimum guideline in both classroom and clinical hours. It is highly recommended that you verify through your state CNA Registry that both the school and the program are accredited by them. If not, this will be both a waste of time and money, as you will not be able to sit for the CNA license exam in your home state, nor will you be able to apply for Reciprocity license in other states.
Experience
As with any job you will need experience. As travelers you will receive the bare minimum in orientation and guidance while working on the floor. Travelers are expected to be able to "hit the floor running." What this means is you have to be strong in your skills and knowledge. The orientation you receive will consist of basic use of their computer charting system- maybe 3 days, if you are lucky, and facility policies and procedures. Once on the floor you may shadow someone for a few days to learn the routine, the most I ever received was 4 days as a traveler. This is primarily to get you familiar with the location of supplies and what is expected of you. After that you are on your own, and you will not be able to ask how to do something, unless it is a new skill that you have never performed before. Most facilities will specify that they want someone with a minimum of two years of experience and verfied employment as a CNA for this exact reason. To make yourself more marketable it is best to have hospital experience, as many contracts will be for hospitals, not just long term care.
License
You must be licensed in each state inwhich you wish to "practice", just as a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse. Nurse Aides do not have a national licensure. Applying for reciprocity is a simple process and in many states there is no cost to be listed on their individual state registries. Some states will require a fee, or for you to take their licensing exam, and in some cases to also meet additional requirements. Make sure to keep copies of your graduation certificate, with address and name of your school, as some states will want this along with your application for Reciprocity. Make note of the amount of hours required for your program for both classroom and clinical hours.
Agency and Recruiter
To work as a Travel CNA you will need a recruiter with a staffing agency who will guide you through the process, review pay packages, collect your resume and other necessary documentation and licensing and submit you if you are interested in the contract. Once you are submitted it is pretty much out of the recruiter's hands.
What being submitted means is that you will be placed in an electronic database for that facility to review your profile and decide if they want to contact you for a telephone interview. **Make sure to have a professional voicemail message in case you miss the call
Once you have agreed to be submitted it is recommended that you begin to do your own due diligence and start researching the location area, housing options and travel. By doing these simple things you will be able to make an informed decision about accepting the contract, or letting your recruiter know that it does not fit your needs.
Spend some time in the Member Area of the website, as you will find all the resources needed to decide if the pay and location will meet your needs.
One final tip, never give a facility a verbal acceptance unless you are 100% certain that you are going to sign the contract. By giving a verbal acceptance that manager will stop looking for someone to fill that need, and the facility will think they have their staffing needs met. Not to mention, it just looks bad on you and the agency if you change your mind. There are costs to both the agency and facility when this happens. When the recruiter gives you contract information ask them the important questions andstart researching, when the facility calls for the interview ask them the important questions necessary to make an informed decision. We have drafted a Questionaire for you to downloan that will guide you on what to ask both your recruiter and the facility so that you can make an informed decision.
If you have questions about locations, facilities or the experience that other travelers may have had somewhere, visit the CNA Travelers Discussion group on Facebook where you can meet other travelers and learn things that you may not be able to find out about until you arrive.
