Overview of CNA Agencies

What are CNA Agencies? 

CNA agencies serve as an important link between qualified CNAs and different kinds of medical facilities. The CNA agencies provide guidance to qualified CNAs in seeking good job opportunities that fits their qualifications. The nurse aide agencies also help medical facilities like clinics and hospitals to fill the vacant positions by providing them with the qualified candidates. Here is a brief overview of CNA agencies.

In 1980, the US was experiencing a great shortage of nurses. It is because of this reason that the CNA agencies came into existence in order to fill this gap by supplying nurses to the distressed clinics, hospitals and other healthcare centers. At present, there are numerous nursing agencies that have started their operations in various parts of the country.

The CNA agencies function in the same fashion as staffing agencies by listing qualified CNAs as well as other medical professionals and matching them with the vacant positions or job requirements of various healthcare facilities.

The demand for CNAs is on the rise; however, the supply is too low. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has predicted that there would be a 18% rise in job opportunities for CNAs by 2018. The CNA agencies are governed by state as well as federal laws.

CNA agencies help long term healthcare facilities, assisted living centers, hospital, clinics and nursing homes in taking care of the job positions of home health care workers, homemakers as well as nursing aides.

It is quite simple to find and join a CNA agency. Majority of the CNA agencies make the staffing requirements totally accessible with the help of the Internet. When a healthcare professional joins this kind of an agency, an agent is assigned to assist the professional. The agent then manages all the needs related of the professional depending on the job profile they are looking for.

CNA Agency Types 

Travel nursing agency: These agencies cater to the vacancies for nurses all across the country. They help in managing the shortage in supply of nursing assistants in remote areas. The CNAs who are comfortable with the idea of working in any region of the country should register themselves with travel nursing agencies.

Nurse recruiting/staffing agency: These agencies help the CNAs in seeking right job opportunities in specific states. They maintain good contacts with various healthcare employers. They guide CNAs grabbing job opportunities in different areas of healthcare, such as cardiac care, gerontology, psychiatric nursing, pediatrics, surgical nursing, and so on.

How to start a CNA Agency?

Following are the steps to start a CNA agency:

Step 1- Search for a proper office. You could possibly make use of one of the rooms in your home for an office. Make sure that you place a telephone as well as a computer in your office.

Step 2- Try and establish connections with various HR departments of all the prospective employers (such as hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and so on) in your area. Tell them about your CNA certification and win their confidence as regards to your abilities to fulfill the vacant positions. You can also sign an agreement with them to recruit CNAs at a certain remuneration.

Step 3- Then you can look for potential candidates who are on the look out of job opportunities. Check for their qualifications in order to see if they meet the job requirements. You can go in for advertisements in different kinds of nursing or medical magazines or even create a nice leaflet that contains information about the employers as well your contact information.

Step 4- You can then scrutinize all the prospective candidates. Verify their details pertaining to qualifications as well as all the certifications. Then contact the potential healthcare employers and specify that the shortlisted candidates possess all the necessary qualifications and skills that match the job requirements.

Step 5- Record all the relevant information pertaining to business. Maintain all the details about the employees working for you and the agreement copies with the employers. You can create different files for recording all this information. You can also store all the data on the computer for fast retrieval.

Step 6- Take care as to conducting all the business affairs as per the norms which are specified by state, federal and local laws. Your business needs to conform with the regulations governing all the medical staffing as well as state licensing employment.

How to register a CNA Agency? 

• Registration of CNA agencies can be done as limited liability or limited partnership. You can also register a nursing agency as sole proprietorship. This way, the clients will be in a position to understand whom to contact in case of any kind of an issue. It also helps you in paying off your tax returns. 
• The company needs to be registered with IRS (Internal Revenue Service). Employer Identification Number can be requested for the CNA agency. You can also opt to register online. 
• For getting information pertaining to small business funding as well as grants, you can join SBA (Small Business Administration) of U.S.A. SBA offers several aids, such as direct connections with local as well as federal agencies, online training as well as model business plans. 
• The registration needs vary as per the state. You can always get in touch with the state licensing office of your state for information regarding agency registration. 
• You can become a member of NAHC (National Association for Home Care and Hospice) which is the largest trade association in US. 
• You can also register with the state Medicaid or Medicare agency. This will ensure that the CNA agency is legal.