No veterans preference for military vets who work as nurses at the VA hospitals.

caliotter3 · Jun 23, 2012

Caliotter3, I take a slight offense over your post. I am a nurse and a veteran working for the VA who also gets their health care through the VA. However, the vast majority of practitioners and bedside care providers, are NOT veterans. So your insinuation that the VA is staffed with a bunch of under-qualified vets in caregiver positions who got their jobs over more qualified applicants based on their veterans preference is patently false.

Reread my post. I am a veteran and I was definitely more qualified for the position for which the less qualified person was hired. Don't misjudge and make statements based upon your own misunderstanding of what was actually said. Patently false? You know the situation I posted about?

BVFD 333 · Jun 23, 2012

patrick, thank you for serving.

i have not read all replies, but wanted to tell you that at the va i worked at this is not correct. veterans get preference, but if we have 30 applicants and youhave the least experience for that specific position you will not get the positionjust because you served. i was on the hiring boards many times and we used a pointsystem. you would get points no one else that is not a veteran will get, butthat is only part of the things we look for. how many years' experience, adn vsbsn vs msn, specialty certification, response to questions we asked you, goalsincl. long and short term, ...

we have to take care of our patients and want to give thebest care possible. as you, the veteran deserve the best!

bestallaround, ADN, CNA, LPN, RN · Jun 23, 2012

I work at a VA where most of the GS staff, which includes LPNs, are veterans. But our Title 38 staff, RNs, NPs, and physicians, tend to not be vets. I was told by a nurse who has worked there for 30+ years that "they don't like to hire vets in those positions cause the vets feel like they don't have to follow the rules here." I have been there six years, and don't like alot of what I see going on there in terms of fairness. But please don't give up on the VA. Many times I have thought of leaving just on principle, but I'm a good fair nurse and they need people like us.

CaliBoy760 · Jun 25, 2012

I re-read your post. I took offense at the last sentence in your post. I don't think you needed to add that to make any kind of point. Just my opinion.....

79Tango · Jun 26, 2012

Patrick, I am surprised your prior VA experience didnt help you. Even if it was RN experience, the fact that you worked there means you went through the VetPro credentialing, maybe even Equip. Having those 2 things is what speeds up your hiring process and gets you faster consideration. Of course being an NP mightve hurt as some VA's are PA only, while others are NP only.

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 27, 2012

Hello BVFD 333

Thank you

and thank you for contributing to the discussion.

I want to clarify that it is not about getting a position just because I served in the military. i know about the point system. I also know that the person who did get the job that I did not get was a brand new NP with no experience at all. I have been told that if all candidates are equal, the one with veterans preference should get the position. I have been told this by a hiring person at the VA. I know this is a big lie because of my experience in applying. I was and am certified in the position that I applied for and I have experience working as a NP. You are free to believe what you want to believe, and maybe at the VA you work at is different, but at the VA I work at, it is fairly blatant.

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2012

In theory, the VA can use Veterans preference to take the vet over the equally qualified non-vet.

OP, your complaint is that someone who you felt was less qualified than you was chosen over you.

That indicates that your veteran status wouldn't have made the difference anyways. It indicates something else at play such as a manager who doesn't want you around.

Changing the law doesn't solve your problem. In fact, changing the law won't solve much of anything. I disagree with your proposal.

Thank you for your service.

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 27, 2012

I really like the comments everyone has made in this discussion. I dont really like some of the things some folks have said but they are entitled to their opinion. I just find it a bit ironic and sad that the institution created to take care of veterans has a law in place that limits veterans preference. I know some non veteran health care professionals have hinted dislike that a veteran will get preference. Another commented about how veterans cause trouble and so are not reliable. I speak for myself. Sure if you want to push a broom, the VA would be more than happy to apply veterans preference. To me it just proves further how veterans are discriminated in the work place. I dont care if I offend someone with my statements. It makes programs like VA for Vets a big joke.. Why waste the money..

zombie · Jul 4, 2012

Preference sounds too much like affirmative action or something. If I am the employer/manager of a hospital/unit/whatever I should be able to hire whoever the hell I want to based on the qualifications/attitude of the applicant. I have worked with civilian nurses and military nurses and to be honest there are quite a few civilians if you put them head to head and with same qualifications I would choose the civ. Sometimes its the intangibles that can make a difference... like some folks just have a ****.y attitude that is like poison on an organization. But on paper they look great!

Be'Be' · Jun 9, 2014

The MEDVAMC Houston has been mandated under the Veteran Employment Initiative since 2009 to increase Employment if veterans at the facility to 40% they are shrinking. Veteran employment is now at 20%. This facility discriminates against veterans. Their should be a Whitehouse petition to allow veterans preference for Nurses. I have written my congressman with regards to the issue

coupb8222 · Jun 12, 2014

Hi There,

I work at a VA Facility. In the application they want to know if you served for veterans preference. That does not mean you get a job. They rank all the applicants in a point system. Pretty much you get 5 extra points if you are a vet. Whoever has the most points gets hired. Being a Vet does not mean you get the job. It means out of a ranking system the person who was hired was ranking more than 5 points in the lead above you to get the job.

I don't think they ignore the preference, but in the end, the best person gets the job. Being a vet is no guarantee.

Be'Be' · Jun 17, 2014

There is a section in Title 38 that states that the VA does not have to consider Veterans Preference when hiring medical specialties. I have a Masters Degree as an Advance Practice Nurse (Clinical Nurse Specialist and Nurse Practitioner). I am Board Certified as an Advance Practice Nurse by ANCC. Board Certified in Critical Care. I am never selected for low level jobs at the VAMC. The Houston VAMC is mandated to hire 40% Veteran employees and they are currently at 20%. A good friend of mine is a former Air Force Officer (RN) she is certified in Critical Care and has her Masters in Health Care Administration. She unable to secure interviews and jobs at the Houston VAMC. I have another veteran friend that is board Certified in Critical Care and Emergency room. He too is unable to secure employment at the VAMC. The salient issue is that we all work at a civilian hospital and constantly see former Nurse colleagues with no military experience, less experience, less education, and no certifications receive interviews and jobs at this facility. My cousin works at the facility as a Pharmacy Tech (non-veteran).....She stated to me that the facility is biased against Veteran Employees because Veterans are more likely to report administrators and wrong-doing at the facility. Second, it annoys me when I stop by the facility and I see primarily Filipino and Indian Nurses employed at the facility. This is blatant reverse discrimination against Veterans and American Born Citizens.