Ahead of National CNA Week (June 12-18, 2025), we’re highlighting how travel assignments allow certified nursing assistants to grow professionally while exploring new places.
Meet Alexa: Combining Passion with Adventure
Alexa from Kansas embodies the spirit of the modern travel CNA. With five years of healthcare experience, she has merged her passion for caregiving with her desire to explore new places. Since our initial interview during her first assignment in Des Moines, Iowa, she has completed multiple assignments including one in Washington state and is currently taking a well-deserved break.
“I’ve always wanted to work with babies, and I love helping people,” she said. “In the past few years, I’ve also found a love for traveling, so I started working as a CNA in high school and then realized that I could do what I love while traveling at the same time.”
For many CNAs like Alexa, travel assignments offer more than just new scenery. They provide opportunities to work in diverse healthcare settings, learn different protocols and build an impressive resume while maintaining steady income.
The Travel CNA Experience
When Alexa first sat down for this interview, she was beginning her travel CNA journey and expressed excitement about her first assignment.
“What I love the most is getting to experience different places and meeting new people. I love that I get to have a job that allows me to see new places in the U.S. and still have a steady income,” she said.
Since then, her path has taken her from Iowa to Washington, giving her the variety of experiences that make travel assignments so appealing. While she’s currently taking a break from travel work, her story illustrates how these assignments typically range from 8 to 13 weeks, allowing CNAs to immerse themselves in new communities while building valuable professional connections. Many travel CNAs discover that this diversity of experience accelerates their professional growth and expands their clinical skills.
Reflections on the Travel Experience
Looking back at Alexa’s initial travel experiences provides valuable insights for those considering this path. During her early days as a travel CNA, she shared this practical advice:
“A piece of advice I’d give to a first-time traveler would be to schedule or request in your contract to have your days or nights in a row. This especially helps when working nights because it helps my sleep schedule… but it also allows me to get out and see places that may take a couple days at a time.”
Having completed assignments in both Iowa and Washington, Alexa’s journey demonstrates how travel CNAs gain diverse clinical experience while exploring different regions of the country. Her experience shows that travel work can be both a chapter in one’s career and a foundation for future growth.
Practical Wisdom for Aspiring Travel CNAs
For those considering following in Alexa’s footsteps, her experience offers several valuable lessons:
- Strategic scheduling: Request consecutive shifts to maintain a healthy sleep schedule and maximize exploration time
- Licensing preparation: Research certification requirements for different states well in advance
- Community building: Connect with other healthcare travelers in your assignment area
- Flexibility: Be prepared for different facility protocols and regional differences
- Work-life balance: Take breaks between assignments when needed, as Alexa is currently doing
The travel CNA path offers flexibility not just in location, but also in how you structure your career journey.
A Glimpse into Future Possibilities
When asked about her future plans during the interview, Alexa shared her aspirations:
“I’m super interested in traveling to Hawaii and Alaska. I’ve actually been working on getting my licenses there so we will see how that goes,” she said. “I’d also love to go to the East Coast. I’ve been there before, and it would be really fun to work out there.”
While Alexa is currently taking time off from traveling, her journey demonstrates how the travel CNA path can evolve alongside personal and professional needs. Some CNAs travel for a season before settling into permanent positions, while others make travel work a long-term career choice, periodically taking breaks to recharge.
Begin Your Travel CNA Journey
If Alexa’s story has sparked your interest in travel CNA opportunities, we can help you take the first step. Our team connects qualified CNAs with rewarding travel assignments nationwide.
Explore Travel CNA Positions →
Whether you’re an experienced CNA seeking change or newly certified and eager to expand your horizons, our recruiters will guide you through finding assignments that match your skills and location preferences.
We would love to welcome you to the Uniti community – contact us to speak with a recruiter today!
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Read more: NAHCA’s Celebrate CNA Week Toolkit
About Uniti Med: As a leading healthcare staffing company, Uniti Med is known for its outstanding culture and dedicated professionals. We specialize in travel nursing, locum tenens, and various healthcare sectors, fostering meaningful relationships with both our clients and employees. Recognized on multiple prestigious lists—including SIA’s 2024 Best Staffing Firms to Temp for and Best Staffing Firms to Work For—Uniti Med is committed to making a lasting impact in the healthcare industry. In 2024 Uniti Med joined GQR.