Certified Nursing Assistants provide on-location care.
Certified nursing assistants work for out- and in-patient facilities and in private homes. CNAs deliver basic nursing care while maintaining order and cleanliness, and are supervised by a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse in a health care setting. Private duty home care agencies need traveling CNAs to assist patients in their homes or as they travel the world. Many agencies advertise these positions. Experienced travel CNAs often enjoy perks: higher per diem or hourly wages, paid travel fares, rental car, housing, meals, health and insurance benefits and bonuses. Negotiate these items before accepting any travel assignment.
Identify Private Duty Agencies
Private duty firms whose clients pay for services out of pocket often travel. The reasons for travel include vacations, family visits or business. Patients with chronic and terminal illnesses travel. Clients need high-demand CNAs with cancer care, dementia/Alzheimer's, stroke and hospice experience. Find reputable private duty firms by contacting your state's elderly affairs department or department on aging, or by contacting your local hospital.
Travel Duties and Responsibilities
CNAs perform personal-care duties such as bathing, toileting, grooming, light housekeeping and food preparation during a travel assignment. If the patient requires 24-hour care, the hiring agency may assemble a team to ensure seamless around-the-clock coverage.
Credentials and Identification
Consider your experience: Do you presently travel between client locations? Are you part of a team or a team leader in a home care agency? This experience commends you to travel assignments. Assemble references from assignments to present to the travel CNA agency. Create a professional resume of experience. Detail licenses and certifications. Plan to present proof of immunizations, drivers license and U.S. I-9 materials during the interview. The agency will ask you to permit a criminal background check. If driving your own car is part of your duties in a domestic travel assignment, present proof of auto insurance.
Next Steps
If your travel assignment involves care of a family member during a vacation, other family members will interview you. Present materials offered to the hiring agency in Section 3 even if the agency provides them to the client. Identify necessary immunizations for international locations and provide medical records.
Skills and Behaviors Needed
If the client requires the use of equipment, such as a Hoyer lift, present your experience with the equipment. Taking vital signs and recording them is expected. Discuss and demonstrate sound health care practices such as those recommended by the CDC.
Payments and Provisions
Clients pay for travel to international and domestic locations. Discuss these items and your on-call hours with the agency. The client pays for housing if travel to and from your home is impractical. For example, if your client spends summers on Nantucket, commuting home to Boston after your shift costs energy, time and money.
Insurance and Benefits
Purchase the appropriate health and life insurance required for your assignment.
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