Greetings, esteemed readers! We extend a warm welcome to yet another insightful piece designed to equip you for a career as a traveling Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

By the conclusion of this discourse, you will possess the acumen to scrutinize and assess the avenues for professional advancement proffered by the foremost five traveling CNA enterprises across the United States.

Herein lies an outline of the discourse that follows:

• Prerequisites for engagement with traveling CNA establishments
• A comprehensive overview of the leading five traveling CNA enterprises in the U.S.
• A detailed analysis of the top contenders in the domain Peruse further to uncover the ideal traveling CNA vocation that affords you autonomy over your schedule, effectively transforming your profession into a journey of leisure and fulfillment!

Traveling CNA Agencies

A professional content writer can navigate through various hospital settings and healthcare facilities in the U.S. and globally, thanks to the assistance provided by staffing recruiters.

Travel nursing presents an enticing and fulfilling career avenue for registered nurses (travel RNs), certified nursing assistants (travel CNAs), and other healthcare practitioners seeking to immerse themselves in diverse healthcare environments.

In the role of a traveling CNA, one assumes the multifaceted responsibilities of a caregiver, clinician, and even a medical aide, particularly catering to patients in their homes, particularly those with disabilities or advanced age who may find it challenging to access hospital care.

Duties encompass monitoring patients’ health, assisting with daily activities and healthcare routines, conducting vital sign assessments, evaluating overall health status, and administering medications as prescribed.

Remaining on standby for patient needs, meticulously documenting patient information, and subsequently reporting to a supervisor (typically a licensed nurse) or senior medical staff form integral parts of the traveling CNA’s role.

Basic Requirements to Work for Travel CNA Agencies

In order to embark on a career as a traveling Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), securing employment with a reputable travel nursing agency specializing in home healthcare is essential. While specific job criteria may vary among companies, the foundational requirements remain consistent across the board, typically encompassing:

• Possession of a valid CNA license or certification.
• Previous clinical experience in long-term care or end-of-life patient support.
• Specialization within a particular niche of healthcare.
• Availability for full-time, part-time, or on-call caregiving, necessitating flexibility in work hours.
• Access to personal transportation, although some firms may offer mileage reimbursement.
• A clean background devoid of felony convictions or criminal activity, as background checks are often conducted.

For prospective candidates, open communication with staffing recruiters is paramount. This dialogue allows for the alignment of personal preferences and priorities, including preferences for work hours, desired stipends, specialized interests, and preferred placement locations. Such discussions may facilitate opportunities for excelling in home healthcare within one’s specialized area of expertise.

However, it’s crucial to temper expectations. Despite possessing years of experience and specialized training, entry into the realm of travel healthcare staffing is contingent upon availability. Prospective CNAs must approach the job search with diligence, often encountering initial positions with lower pay rates, particularly for non-specialized assignments, due to limited availability.

Finding the right travel nursing agency is pivotal in securing desirable terms and competitive compensation. To aid in this pursuit, we’ve curated a list of the top five traveling CNA companies based on comprehensive reviews, offered benefits, industry rankings, and reputations for being employee-centric.

Travel Nurse Across America (TNAA)

If you’re eager to advance your career while exploring new horizons, Travel Nurse Across America is the ideal choice for you. Specializing in providing opportunities for travel RNs, CNAs, and allied health workers, this agency, founded in 1999 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, stands out as a leader in the field, consistently ranking among the top 10 companies nationwide.

With a track record spanning decades, Travel Nurse Across America has continuously prioritized employee satisfaction while expanding its presence across the United States. Notably, its growth trajectory catapulted it to become one of the largest companies in the industry by 2019.

One of the standout benefits of joining TNAA is the opportunity to further your education while working. Through its partnership with Aspen University, TNAA offers affiliated Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs that can be completed in just 12 months. Even better, TNAA covers the tuition fees upon completion of the program, alleviating any financial concerns you may have about advancing your education.

By choosing Travel Nurse Across America, you’re not only embarking on a fulfilling career journey but also gaining access to invaluable educational support to help you reach your professional goals.

Benefits

TNAA advocates for a holistic and well-informed approach aimed at supporting travel nurses in delivering optimal patient care while ensuring a rewarding experience with the agency. In addition to this ethos, TNAA extends a wide array of benefits to its travel nurses and CNAs, encompassing:

• Immediate access to paid sick leave
• Reimbursement for tuition fees, facilitating ongoing education
• Travel reimbursement covering licensure fees, immunizations, and related expenses
• Compensation for periods of low census
• Access to comprehensive customer support services

Furthermore, TNAA equips travelers with dedicated recruiters and subject matter experts who assist with various aspects such as accommodation arrangements, tax compliance, payroll management, and clinical support.

The average annual income for a travel nurse at TNAA stands at $70,695, with earnings estimated to range between $49,000 and $95,000. This reflects the agency’s commitment to ensuring competitive compensation for its valued healthcare professionals.

Triage Staffing

If you’re in search of a travel nursing agency that takes a comprehensive approach to supporting travelers and boasts top rankings on leading platforms, your search ends here.

Established in 2006 and headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Triage Staffing is characterized by its moderate company size and an abundance of glowing testimonials from its workforce.

Specializing in 13-week assignments with weekly compensation, Triage Staffing caters to nurses, nurse’s aides, and various allied healthcare professionals nationwide. The company prides itself on absolute transparency, streamlining the staffing process for travelers.

Moreover, Triage Staffing fosters ongoing communication between travelers and recruiters, ensuring a seamless experience and cultivating a culture of mutual respect to engender trust among all employees.

Benefits

Consider these compelling reasons to explore Triage:

• Access to health insurance from Blue Cross Shield starting from day one
• Dental insurance coverage
• Essential vacation time
• Enrollment in a 401(k) plan
• Comprehensive pay package comprising bonuses, overtime compensation, housing stipend, and per diems
• Reimbursement for continuing education fees

At Triage Staffing, a travel registered nurse can expect an estimated weekly payout averaging $3,300.

Advantis Medical 

If you’ve recently obtained your CNA certification and are venturing into the field, Advantis Medical presents an excellent opportunity to forge a rewarding career as a travel nurse.

Established in 2018 as a subsidiary of Advantis Global, this staffing agency swiftly garnered recognition for its exceptional services. By offering exclusive benefits and garnering rave reviews from users, Advantis Medical earned a coveted spot on the prestigious Best Travel Nursing Companies list in 2020.

Distinguished by its team of highly skilled recruiters, Advantis Medical and its parent company specialize in connecting aspiring travel nurses and CNAs with top-tier healthcare facilities throughout the United States. Beyond traditional hospital settings, they facilitate placements in outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities, and same-day ambulatory surgical centers, broadening opportunities for travel nurses.

For those specializing in niche areas such as emergency departments (ED), Intensive Care Units (ICU), and Medical-Surgical (M/S) units, Advantis Medical offers tailored placement services. Streamlining the application process, the agency simplifies the journey for busy nurses, requiring only a brief one-minute application form.

Advantis Medical is committed to crafting a progressive and inclusive career trajectory for travel CNAs, fostering an environment where individuals can seize rewarding opportunities and advance professionally.

Benefits

Discover the enticing benefits awaiting you with our travel nursing company:

• Competitive compensation packages designed to reward your skills and dedication.
• Comprehensive housing assistance, ensuring comfort and convenience throughout your assignments.
• Lucrative payment incentives, including referral bonuses, to enhance your earning potential.
• Robust health insurance coverage, prioritizing your well-being wherever your travels take you.
• Comprehensive dental insurance, safeguarding your oral health with top-tier benefits.
• Vision coverage, ensuring clear sight and peace of mind on your journey.
• 401(k) retirement option, empowering you to plan for your future with confidence.
• Convenient direct salary deposit, streamlining your financial transactions for seamless management.
• Generous paid leave policies, providing you with the flexibility to recharge and explore. Experience the Advantis Medical difference, where the average monthly income for our travel nurses typically exceeds $11,000, reflecting our commitment to your financial success and overall satisfaction.

Aya Healthcare

Having access to paid sick leave is crucial, as nobody wants to work while battling a fever or body aches.

Aya Healthcare prioritizes the well-being of its travelers, ensuring they receive proper care when they fall ill. With a robust presence across various social media platforms, the company makes it easy for travel nurses to connect with reliable opportunities.

Furthermore, their website serves as a testament to the agency’s credibility, proudly displaying the numerous accolades and awards earned through team efforts.

With a vast network, Aya Healthcare has successfully placed thousands of travel nurses in their preferred healthcare settings. Additionally, the company extends its services to Canadian travel nurses through a specialized placement program.

Benefits

At Aya Healthcare, we offer a range of advantageous benefits for our employees to enjoy:

• 401(k) Matching: Take advantage of our 401(k) option with employer match, ensuring your financial future is well supported.
• Licensure Reimbursement: We understand the importance of professional development. That’s why we offer licensure reimbursement to help you advance in your career.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Benefit from medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, ensuring you and your family are covered when it comes to healthcare needs.
• Wellness and Nutrition Programs: We prioritize your well-being with wellness and nutrition programs designed to support a healthy lifestyle.
• Exclusive Discounts: Enjoy exclusive discounts on various products and services as part of our employee perks package.
• Generous Compensation: We value your hard work. That’s why we offer competitive compensation and pay packages to ensure you’re fairly rewarded for your efforts.
• Paid Time Off: From day one, you’ll have access to sick pay, ensuring you have the support you need when unexpected illness strikes.
• Additional Incentives: As an added bonus, for every 30 hours worked, you’ll earn an extra hour of paid time off, which can be utilized after 90 days of employment.

When you join Aya Healthcare as a travel nurse, you can expect an average weekly pay of approximately $2,260, providing financial stability and rewarding you for your dedication and expertise.

Flexcare Medical Staffing

If you’re seeking a staffing agency renowned for its impeccable track record, look no further than Flexcare Medical Staffing. Widely recognized across various esteemed platforms and publications, Flexcare stands out as the most decorated and acclaimed traveling nursing company. At Flexcare, they actively engage with travelers, offering them access to lucrative opportunities while delivering unparalleled customer support through personalized email and text alerts. Upon understanding your specific needs, Flexcare assigns you a dedicated recruiter, serving as your advocate throughout the placement process, ensuring seamless alignment with your expectations and requirements.

Benefits

In addition to offering unwavering support, Flexcare provides an array of benefits:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance coverage
• Vision insurance plan
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Access to highly responsive recruiters
• Thriving in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Competitive compensation rates

The estimated average annual salary for a travel nurse with Flexcare stands at $92,000.

Always Settle for the Best: Essential Tips

Having acquired knowledge about the top five travel CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) companies, it’s crucial to make a prudent choice. Typically, these companies extend contracts or travel assignments spanning 13 weeks, providing an opportunity for continuity through contract renewal if it benefits both the recruiter and the traveler.

California, Colorado, New York, Washington, Florida, and Mexico boast some of the most competitive pay rates for travel CNAs. Thus, aspiring individuals can aim for placements in these locations with attractive remuneration. However, it’s essential not to select a destination solely based on pay rates. Other pertinent factors such as housing, taxes, insurance, and climate should be carefully weighed as they directly influence the overall earnings.

Opting for the optimum choice is paramount. The ideal travel CNA company should align with your work schedule and nursing specialization, offering competitive pay rates and opportunities for career advancement. Fortunately, the internet empowers individuals to actively research and evaluate reviews and features of prospective companies. Ultimately, the decision rests with you, the prospective traveler.

FAQs

What are the best CNA travel agencies?

Travel nurses embark on a journey that spans various regions, both domestically and internationally, finding immense fulfillment in their work. Numerous agencies specialize in pairing registered nurses (RNs) with short-term opportunities across a spectrum of healthcare fields and locations, not only within the United States but globally as well. In the U.S., healthcare facilities heavily rely on these travel nurses to bridge the gap in nursing demand, projected to surge by 275,000 between 2020 and 2030.

According to Rachel Norton, BSN, RN, a clinician support manager at Vivian Health—a leading national marketplace for travel nurse recruitment—immersing oneself in diverse healthcare systems and collaborating with fellow providers offers invaluable experiences and insights. To compile a comprehensive list of the top travel nursing agencies, we meticulously assessed over 20 agencies and meticulously analyzed numerous reviews. Our evaluation encompassed a spectrum of criteria, including company reputation, service quality, customer satisfaction ratings, salary ranges, housing provisions, and additional benefits.

Here’s a rundown of the premier travel nursing agencies for the year 2024:

• Triage Staffing: Recognized as the Best Overall.
• Aya Healthcare: Stands out as the top choice for Sick Pay benefits.
• Travel Nurse Across America: Distinguished for its commitment to Education.
• Axis Medical Staffing: Earns acclaim for delivering exceptional Customer Service.
• FlexCare Medical Staffing: Boasts the Best Track Record in the industry.
• Advantis Medical: Regarded as the Best Newcomer to the scene.
• RN Network: Known for offering unparalleled Benefits.
• Host Healthcare: Acknowledged for having the Best Recruiters.
• Fusion Medical Staff: Ideal for Recent Graduates entering the field.
• TotalMed: Offers the Best Job Board for aspiring travel nurses.

Do you pay more for a trip if you use a travel agent?

The pricing structure for utilizing the services of a travel agent can be quite diverse, as it depends on various factors including the type of agent or advisor you engage with. Traditionally, many travel agents operated on a commission basis, where their services were complimentary as they earned a percentage from airlines and hotels for the trips they arranged. Some still operate this way.

However, in the aftermath of the pandemic, coupled with shifts in the travel agent landscape, the prevalence of kickbacks from vendors has dwindled. A survey conducted by Travel Weekly revealed that in 2023, 71 percent of travel agencies implemented some form of service fee. Presently, travel agents primarily earn through three main methods:

1. Flat Rate Fee
2. Percentage
3. Hourly Rate

The percentage charged by agents typically ranges from five to fifteen percent of the total trip cost. Alternatively, some may opt for a flat fee, which averages between $100 to $500. Additionally, certain advisors may bill by the hour for tasks such as research, planning, or arrangement of your itinerary. It’s common for agents to request a deposit, either refundable upon trip completion or allocated towards the overall expenses.

While the upfront cost of hiring a travel advisor may seem daunting, it often translates to potential savings in the long run. For instance, paying a $200 fee to a travel agent who secures a $400 discount on airfare or upgrades your cruise experience by $600 means you’re still ahead financially.

Dispelling the notion that booking through a travel advisor is inherently more expensive, Jones emphasizes that while most advisors charge professional service fees akin to financial planners or lawyers, the actual trip cost remains comparable to booking independently.

To ascertain whether the cost aligns with your budget, it’s advisable to inquire about the agent’s fee structure and evaluate its fairness relative to the services provided.