Advice -New Veterans Hospital in Orlando , Florida (2012)

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They are opening a New VA hospital in the Lake Nona area in 2012 and I would love to work there when I gratuate from NS. Hopefully I will be a new grad when they open and I was think about ways I could increase my chances of getting in and gaining some experience at the same time. I have thought about my plan of action and would like any input or advice.

  1. Pursue volunteer services this summer at the current VA hospital in Orlando. I viewed their website and didn't see much information regarding volunteer work. Does anyone know if they use voluteers, specifically in the Nurses unit.
  2. Work as a CNA at the VA during Nursing School. I hope to be accepted fall 2010. I hope to increase my chances of getting employed if I am volunteering at the hospital
  3. Finally working as a RN at the new facility.

I hear it's very hard to get employeed with the VA if you don't have any connections, not sure if that's true or not , however, I was wondering if my plan of action is reasonable. Needless to say working as a volunteer and CNA will give me a lot of great and valuable experience in the field. I have a lot of volunteer experience working in TLC in New York. Does any one have any suggestions or contacts to get in as a Volunteer?

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I wanted info on my local VA's volunteer POC.. and just drove down there and spoke with a few people whom pointed me in the right direction.

Sounds like a reasonable plan to me!

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I wanted info on my local VA's volunteer POC.. and just drove down there and spoke with a few people whom pointed me in the right direction.

Sounds like a reasonable plan to me!

Thanks for replying, if you don't mind sharing, where are you from and what information did they give you. I am going to call the VA tomorrow and try and get some info on the phone. If not I will have to take a long lunch break one day this week and stop by the hospital.

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Specializes in Cardiac-Tele.

After your first adult med-surg clinical, you can apply for the VA Valor program if it's available in your area. It is a paid internship at a VA hospital. You can work up to 400 hours over a 10 week period under a nursing preceptor. A few of the girls in my class took this opportunity and now have job offers at their respective VA facilities. Hope this helps!

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After your first adult med-surg clinical, you can apply for the VA Valor program if it's available in your area. It is a paid internship at a VA hospital. You can work up to 400 hours over a 10 week period under a nursing preceptor. A few of the girls in my class took this opportunity and now have job offers at their respective VA facilities. Hope this helps!

Good Morning,

Thanks for the reply, I will inquire about that as well.

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