Has anyone ever worked for VA hospital?

Nurses Career Support

Published

Hello, I was considering applying to a VA hospital, has anyone ever worked at one? How does it differ from other hospital setting? How was management? Anything else you'd care to share? Thank you for your time :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Telemetry, Heart/Vascular.

I've worked at the VA the past three years, husband is military so we have moved. Now working in the private sector. The largest difference is PAY and BENEFITS!! I'm getting paid way less to do way more at the facility I'm at now. But, you deal w a lot of beaurocracy at the VA. It's the govt, so EVERYTHING happens slow. Work load was pretty steady, nothing too hard. You can opt to join the union as a govt employee, which I recommend. Management was okay at the Houston VA.. staff for the most part was satisfied. If a staff member is unhappy, they're not gonna leave because of the pay/benefits. Another perk, anytime you travel you can use the govt discount.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The only hospital that offers great benefits but you will feel like you are at an airport, security, cops( always watching over you), to much paper work, 88 percent of patients are male, most of them have some kind of mental problem. Many nurses that I know love working for VA and they love the management, but each floor is different. Privacy, hipaa is so important at VA because it's government owned and youre taking care of veterans. VA pays more than any other hospital I know, at least where I live. I wish you the best.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Urology, Gyn, Family Practice, HBO.

I have worked in the VA for about 6 months or so now, but I work on the outpatient clinic side of it. I love what I do. :redpinkhe Occasionally I will get a bit of an oddball patient, but who doesn't. For the most part, the vets that I have worked with have been very courteous and grateful for the care. The pay is not the best, but the benefits are awesome. I have found that how happy you are here depends on what floor you work on, what department you work in, and your co-workers. The gears grind slowly and that can be very frustrating, but that is government work for you. :o

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Medicine.

VA? Sure.

Government workers aren't accountable for much of anything. You can't get fired. Show up late or not at all. Don't have to really put much of an effort forward to get things done. Be as mediocre as you want to be. Not like the VA earns a profit. Just sucks taxpayer money...

Hated it! Absolutely horrible. People should be ashamed.

Oh, and I did work there: VA Uptown & VA Downtown Augusta Georgia 94-95

Great job for you. Bad for the VA clients that need care. Go for it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"The only hospital that offers great benefits but you will feel like you are at an airport, security, cops( always watching over you), to much paper work, 88 percent of patients are male, most of them have some kind of mental problem."

Most of them have a mental problem? Really? It is obvious you have never worked there... Why comment on something you know nothing about? Its people like you that give our Veterans a bad name. This is the same crap that Army Nurses deal with when they get to the civilian side.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Infectious Disease, Neuro, Research.
"The only hospital that offers great benefits but you will feel like you are at an airport, security, cops( always watching over you), to much paper work, 88 percent of patients are male, most of them have some kind of mental problem."

Most of them have a mental problem? Really? It is obvious you have never worked there... Why comment on something you know nothing about? Its people like you that give our Veterans a bad name. This is the same crap that Army Nurses deal with when they get to the civilian side.

I'm a WOC with Neurology, have been for 5 years.;)

"There are widely varying individual capacities for social function expressed in the referenced demographic." All better?

Lot's of folks (men and women) for whom the service family is their most significant social experience, for a variety of reasons. Many are fully integrated professionals, family-people, self-employed, etc.. Many are not. Illicit substance use and alcohol abuse in the "are not" group are pretty level with the average ED repeat population. Sexism and racism are not infrequently expressed. As a former EMT, nothing is particularly shocking or offensive to me, but more PC or naieve people may be thrown for a loop.

Working there is not bad, depending on how you work within (or around) a bureaucracy. If you understand how to make policies and procedures work for you, and are able to confound the Beauracracy by feeding it conflicting established policies, you can do well for your patients. Individual units vary from highly cohesive, to bottom-level LTC grade, professionalism and standards.

Bottom line, if you want relative job security, you are politically savvy, and not prone to expecting all co-workers to be your bestest buddies, you'll be ok. It. Is. A. Job. If you're more touchy-feely, I won't say the private sector is vastly different, with Press-Ganey(****-Gagme) everywhere, but there is slightly less institutionalization.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in cardiac/medical.

I have never worked for the VA so I am no authority. However, wWhat I can tell you is it is nearly impossible to get hired on here in Dayton. The RNs must be very happy with their jobs because it doesn't seem anyone ever leaves to create openings. When they do have vacancies, there are a lot of applicants. I have applied at the VA for a few jobs. They did call me for an interview...one was long term care (no thanks) and the other was a 3-11p shift (Ugh!). I just recently applied for an ER position and a cardiac position, we'll see how that pans out. Best of Luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I suppose it depends on which VA facility and what region of the country. I've read some horrible and sad stories on this site about the VA as well as some satisfying stories.

I am a current student nurse in my BSN school and ALL my clinicals are held at the San Francisco VA (except maternity and pediatrics, obviously) until graduation and I also volunteer weekly at the VA Palo Alto, which is supposedly the best in the nation. I really like the facility at the VA Palo Alto and the environment was great. Didn't hear any bad things from people there and competition for nurses to get a job there is tough. I've also heard many wonderful things from the San Francisco VA from my clinical coordinator; they're trying to seek hiring from my clinical group hence all my clinicals are there. It's a new pilot program with my school and the SF VA.

Maybe the VA centers in the San Francisco Bay Area are probably the best to go for, though I could be wrong, and I suppose most vets are are satisfied with the care here in Palo Alto. I'm not sure how it's like for other VAs among the other parts of the country, but as mentioned first, I suppose it depends on which VA facility and region you are in. Before my family and I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, my mother had a job as a nurse at the VA in Houston, Texas. I volunteered there in high school, and I was also satisfied with the area. My mom was paid less there compared to what she gets paid in the VA at Palo Alto now, but she was after the benefits.

I can definitely agree with pomlover08. Things go by SO slow but it's a government-ran facility. When I volunteered at the VA in Palo Alto under nursing administration, there were mounds of paper works that needed to be done and not many workers doing them. You do deal with a whole lot of beaurocracy.

Overall, my experiences with the VA have been positive ones, and I hope they remain positive too. I would recommend nurses to work at the VA Palo Alto.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

It was the worst toxic experience I have ever had. The ancillary staff would often leave campus during the middle of the shift to go shopping. We were the subject of a Nightline investigation that was very much true, yet did not give the full details of how bad it truly was. I was assaulted twice, saw a coworker stabbed, saw it all covered up. It was my time in hades, feel terrible for the poor vets who have to receive their care at that terrible place.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello,

I apologize for replying to an old thread, but I was wondering if anybody might have any insight for me regarding the Central Texas VA located in Temple, Texas. I was hired in October and will be stated in about a week and a half. I am set to work on an Med/Onc unit and have tried to research the floor/ and experiences at the central texas VA in general and have come away very little insight.

Does anybody have any comments about this facility? Any would be greatly appreciated.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i've worked at the San Diego location for nearly 7 years. When I graduated with my BSN, the nurse shortage gave me the opportunity to pick wherever I wanted and I was lured by the benefits/pay/retirement/etc = big fat mistake! The RNs do not have a union (YET) and the management completely takes advantage of it. The 5 weeks annual vacation I thought I was entitled to, NOT, only allowed to take 2 or 3 of those 5 weeks annually (unless you are a favorite). Man, the list goes on and on... I'd look elsewhere

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment