REQUEST HEALTHCARE TALENT
pronto job search

Where Can a CNA Work? 11 Exciting Options + Commonly Asked Questions 

You recently became a CNA, but unfortunately, now that you’re searching for jobs, the excitement you had when you first graduated is gone. Although CNAs are needed across many areas of the healthcare profession, where to start with finding work? 

Luckily, CNAs have many options for where they can work, and working with a trusted agency can help you find a job that fits just right rather easily.

Learn about the many work options available to CNAs and let us help answer some common questions about your new career.

Table of Contents

Where Can CNAs Work?

As a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), you have a fairly wide variety of options of where you can work. Many tend to think of elderly care homes and hospitals, and while these are definitely options for you, they’re not your only ones. 

Here are some other workplaces available to you as a CNA:

Trusted Talent can connect you to these fields with a quick search on Pronto. Here, you can find a CNA job on your terms with the help of one of our advisors to get you started in your new career.

where can CNAs work

11 Types of Facilities Where CNAs Can Work

#1: Hospitals

Hospitals might be the first place you think of when you consider your future workplace — and for good reason. CNAs serve a variety of patients in a hospital setting with the chance to specialize in different departments and gain experience treating specific conditions. 

There are many perks to working in a hospital as a CNA, and the pay rate is one of them. Traditionally, hospitals have preferred to hire CNAs with prior experience. However, with recent staffing shortages, more hospitals are favoring new CNA graduates. Keep in mind that hospital work is shift work which means your work hours could include the less-desired shifts, like overnight shifts. 

#2: Nursing Homes

Nursing homes are in high demand for CNAs because of the increase in the aging population who require consistent healthcare. As a CNA in a nursing home you might:

If you have the emotional endurance and compassion for the job, working as a CNA in a nursing home can be a great fit. Not only do you have the opportunity to make a big difference in the lives of people who are so often forgotten by society, but you’re fulfilling your passion as well. 

where can CNAs work

#3: Assisted Living Facilities

Unlike a nursing home, patients in assisted living facilities are typically more independent. The work can be less taxing than working in a nursing home but be just as rewarding. 

As a CNA in an assisted living facility, you do many of the same things as you might at a nursing home. However you also would:

Assisted care facilities provide you with the chance to form meaningful bonds with your patients while in a low-stress environment. You have a chance to form meaningful connections with people who are losing their independence little by little. This can be tough for someone to accept, but as a CNA, you can make that transition easier for them. 

#4: Home Healthcare

Want to help patients in the comfort of their own homes? You might be a good fit for home healthcare. Like assisted living, you have the chance to build a great bond with your patients while serving fewer of them. 

CNAs working in home healthcare often make almost as much as CNAs in hospitals. Higher pay and a lower workload mean a better work-life balance for you. 

Providing home healthcare is very similar to assisted living care, but with a few unique duties such as:

 #5: Adult Daycare Centers

When you think of places where CNAs work, do you think of adult daycare centers? If not, you might want to consider it. If you have a passion for working with adults with mental and physical disabilities, this is the place for you. The hours are regular daytime hours like any other daycare facility. 

This is usually slow-paced work and CNAs often assist with tasks like:

You might also be expected to accompany patients on outings and other recreational activities. 

Working as a CNA in an adult daycare center is rewarding work that has a long-lasting impact on the lives of the people you serve. Not only are you helping others improve their quality of life, but you’re allowing them to  have experiences that many people with these kinds of special needs don’t get to have.  

#6: Schools

Want to work with kids and young adults? Schools are a great place for CNAs to work. As a CNA in a school you might:

Plus, you get the chance to build important relationships with kids who need the care and support of an adult. 

#7: Federal Bureau of Prisons

Working in prisons is famously difficult regardless of the role, but it is no less important than any other field. Healthcare is a human right for everyone, and unfortunately, many people in prisons haven’t received regular health care for most of their lives. This opens a door for you to give to a community that is largely forgotten.

As a CNA in a prison, you might:

#8: Department of Health and Human Services

Are you unsure of where you want to work or what area you want to work in? Look to the Department of Health and Human Services. With offices in every state in a variety of settings, you can find a role that is right for you. Most of the roles at HHS are primarily companionship and basic care for patients. As a CNA, you may also be assisting other staff members with their work. 

#9: Veterans Health Administration

If you want to help our country’s heroes, consider working for the Veterans Health Administration. The VHA provides CNAs with a high satisfaction job working with patients. You have the opportunity to work with injured, disabled, and ill patients.

In many ways, working for the Veterans Health Administration is very similar to working in civilian hospitals in terms of working irregular hours and overnight shifts. However, the work is potentially more rewarding than working in a regular hospital as you will work with patients who have dedicated their lives to our country. 

As a CNA at the Veterans Health Association, you would be doing the same duties as you would in any other hospital, but with the added bonus of working with people who have sacrificed so much for your country. 

#10: Department of Defense

Another place where CNAs can work is with the Department of Defense. Working for the DOD looks different depending on the role. You could work with field medics on the frontlines or you could work alongside the National Guard in times of natural disasters and emergencies. You might also work as a civilian CNA, providing care to military families. 

As a CNA with the DOD, you would be required to travel, but that isn’t necessarily a downside. Helping out in natural disasters is vital in the wake of devastating hurricanes, floods, and fires. Your patients have lost so much and it can be tough to provide support during this time. If you have the energy and compassion for the job, working as a CNA for the Department of Defense is a much needed role.

#11: Travel Nurse Agencies

If the idea of traveling for work interests you, working as a travel nurse might be your dream job. Travel nurses work as independent contractors for agencies like Allied Health powered by Trusted Nurse Staffing. Where traveling CNAs work is based on job demand and the location preference of the CNA. Typically, working with an agency menas the pay is competitive and the schedule is more flexible than most CNA roles you find on your own. 

When you choose to work with Trusted Talent, our team can help you find travel CNS work in any of the above fields. Not only does this lifestyle offer a great work-life balance, but you have flexibility in your choice of work location. 

where can CNAs work

Commonly Asked Questions About Where CNAs Can Work

Where Is the Best Place for a CNA To Work?

After looking at your options, you might be wondering where your dream CNA job could be. Well, simply put, it’s up to you! Maybe the question isn’t about where the best place for a CNA to work is, but instead, where will you thrive the most as a CNA. 

Ultimately, where and how you decide to work is a personal decision. You know yourself best and you know where you thrive the most. Being a medical professional doesn’t mean you have to compromise your well-being for the sake of others. In fact, you shouldn’t sacrifice yourself for your job. 

Here are a few things to consider when making a decision about your workplace as a CNA:

Working for a travel nurse agency is a great way for you to figure out a few of those things. You get the chance to work in a variety of environments with a wide range of patients, helping you narrow down your options while still getting paid competitively. 

Where Do CNAs Most Often Work?

Most CNAs work in nursing homes, hospitals, and assisted living centers because the demand is highest in these fields. Many complete their training in assisted living centers and take their first jobs in nursing homes. 

But don’t settle for a job just because it’s what most people do. 

While the demand for CNAs is high in these places, the demand for healthcare workers is high everywhere. It’s no secret that healthcare workers have been in short supply for a long time. As a CNA, you have many options available to you. 

Where Can CNAs Make the Most Money?

While CNAs don’t have the highest earning potential of healthcare workers, this doesn’t mean you can’t maximize your earnings. Location and field of work make a huge difference in how much you can make as a CNA. 

This is where travel nurse agencies such as Trusted Nurse Staffing powered by Allied Health come in. As a travel CNA, you have the option to work in a higher-paying field and higher-paying area. Your options are much more open when “anywhere” is your location. While you could do the legwork yourself to find a high-paying role, we have more options in one place for you to consider. 

where can CNAs work

Find the Traveling CNA Position That’s Right for You With Trusted Nurse Staffing

Being a CNA is a selfless job and you are a hero for choosing this profession. That’s why we want to get you a role in which you will thrive. 

Through a Pronto job search, Trusted Nurse Staffing connects you to your dream CNA job, whether that job be in your own neighborhood or on the other side of the country. 

Here are some perks of working for Allied Health powered by Trusted Nurse Staffing:

Wherever you decide you want to work, we want to be your partner in finding that job. Begin your search on Pronto to help find a CNA job you’ll love. 

where can CNAs work
  • © 2025 Trusted Talent™