Travel CNA Job Description

Travel CNAs are certified professionals who travel around and visit the homes of patients to provide them medical assistance and take care of their needs. They may work in a home health facility or any other healthcare setting, but they are never at one place, on one floor or in the same building as they have to keep moving around. These CNAs have to undergo the CNA training and clear the certification examination. These CNAs are usually seen hopping from one healthcare or home health facility to the other, as and when the patients require their service. Here is a brief overview of the travel CNA job description.

Travel CNAs are responsible for a wide range of duties. They help the patients with their day-to-day tasks like bathing, feeding and dressing. The provide the necessary care as well as emotional support to the ailing patients.

Main duties of a travel CNA: 

• They provide help to the patients in carrying out their daily tasks such as brushing teeth, bathing, combing hair, dressing, feeding and so on. 
• They also measure and record the patients' vitals such as their blood pressure, pulse rate, etc. 
• They ensure that the patients take their medication on time. 
• They also provide mental and emotional support to the patients to help them recover fast. 
• These CNAs also move to different healthcare facilities and assist the patients in moving, walking as well as exercising. 
• They ensure that whichever healthcare setting they are traveling to is maintained properly. 
• They take care of cleanliness and hygiene requirements. 
• They are also responsible to record all the necessary details about the medical condition of the patient and report the same to the concerned senior nurse or doctor. 

Travel CNAs are responsible for helping the patients with a variety of motion exercises. They also help the patients in moving around, walking and going outdoors to get some fresh air. CNAs travel to different locations and the needs of the patients at these locations will tend to vary. Travel CNAs need to ensure that they take care of the patient's individual needs. If the CNA is working in home health facility, they may also be responsible to tidy the living room of the patient's home and maintain a positive environment.

Sometimes nursing aides who work on different floors or buildings of the healthcare facilities are also referred to as travel CNAs. These CNAs have to handle and take care of many patients at the same time and this requires organizing as well as time management skills. The CNAs keep moving around while on duty as per the needs of different patients.

Travel CNAs generally visit the homes of the patients. At times, the patients may be elderly patients who are unable to take care of themselves and there is no one else to take care of them. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the CNAs to ensure that these elderly patients get good care and the required support to live a happy life. At times, the CNAs may also be required to perform some household chores and do some cooking.

There are times when travel CNAs will have to take care of ill patients in their own home. The patients may be suffering from a minor disease or may be terminally ill. Accordingly, the CNAs need to provide support and assistance to the ailing patients. They need to comfort the patients and help them in the recovery process.

At times, travel CNAs may have to provide assistance to patients who are in chronic health conditions. These patients are seriously ill and may be suffering from cerebral palsy or may be paralyzed. The patients may be young or old. The CNAs have to ensure that the patients are well taken care of and remain hopeful.

When you are a travel CNA, you get to travel to different kinds of locations and meet people from different walks of life. The clients will have needs that vary from location to location. The CNA can thus gain a lot of knowledge and experience in handling different kinds of patients.

Sometimes the CNAs work under the guidance and supervision of senior nurses. The senior nurses will review your on duty performance when you are taking care of the patients in their home. The senior nurses will also guide you and provide important advice regarding the health condition of the patients and ways to help them out. You will also be evaluated by the senior nurses on the duties you perform.

Travel CNAs can also attend various other additional presentations and seminars for improving their knowledge and skills. Continuous education helps the the CNAs update their knowledge and expertise in performing their duties to the best of their ability.

These CNAs cannot stay at one place and constantly need to be moving as and when the patients in different locations need help. The job is a challenging one, but at the same time it is quite rewarding in terms of the pay as well as job satisfaction. You need to check whether you are really cut out for this type of a job as it demands a lot of motivation and dedication on your part to handle your own responsibilities as well as the job responsibilities.