What Is a Critical Access Hospital? A Travel Nurse’s Guide

A Critical Access Hospital (CAH) is a small rural hospital with a special Medicare status. There are 1,388 of them in the U.S.

What makes a hospital a CAH

• 25 or fewer inpatient beds
• More than 35 miles from another hospital (with some exceptions)
• Patients stay 96 hours or less, on average
• An ER that’s open 24/7

Source: Rural Health Information Hub

What that means on your shift

• Small staff. You might cover the floor and the ER in the same shift.
• The nearest big hospital can be hours away. Sicker patients get stabilized, then transferred out.
• Small towns. Housing can be limited. Lock yours in early.

Ask your recruiter before you sign

• What units will I float to?
• How many nurses are on my shift?
• Who do I call at night if a patient crashes?
• How far is housing from the hospital?

Why Wayward

Critical Access Hospitals are our bread and butter. You get:

• 1 recruiter who does the work for you
• No early-leave fee
• $500 travel bonus
• $250 cert reimbursement

See open rural travel nurse jobs