Any VA Hospital nurses in here?

My_brain_hurts · Dec 9, 2008

I'm guessing you mean veteran's affairs and not a hospital in virginia? :)

I think no. of pts depends on what area you work in, and maybe what state (?). I know in ICUs, well, most of them, you have a max of 2 pts. . . because they are so sick. I have friends who work at a VA and they like their jobs. No job is perfect of course, but none of them are looking to leave any time soon.

sorry I couldn't be more help

redshiloh · Dec 9, 2008

From what I have heard from nurses from other facilities, nurse/patient ratios are a problem everywhere, depends on your area. For spinal cord injury our ratios are 3-4 on days and eves dependent on acuity. I have been with the VA for 12 years now. What I can tell you is that for RNs it is a real good deal. You start earning sick leave at 4 hours every 2 weeks and 8 hours of annual (vacation) time every 2 weeks upon hire. They do a pay locality survey every year to ensure that we are competitive with hospitals in our area.

What is also really good is that we are not slaves to insurance companies and our docs can give patients what they need.

SeychelleRN · Dec 9, 2008

They do a pay locality survey every year to ensure that we are competitive with hospitals in our area.

Do you know what time of the year this usually occurs?

Valerie Salva, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2008

I recently resigned from the VA. I loved the vets, the VA system and the benefits, but I could not get transferred out of the nursing home.

I am an RN, but the VA in LTC works RNs like LPNs/CNAs.

I had to do a huge med pass with a big med cart, do incontinance rounds, get people dressed in the am, feed them breakfast, and so on.

I did a lot of this work when I was a CNA, then an LPN. As an RN, I want to do different things.

If you hire on at the VA, don't take a job in a unit you don't really want thinking you can transfer to a more desirable unit.

Sheena's Mom · Dec 9, 2008

I'm guessing you mean veteran's affairs and not a hospital in virginia? :)
I think no. of pts depends on what area you work in, and maybe what state (?). I know in ICUs, well, most of them, you have a max of 2 pts. . . because they are so sick. I have friends who work at a VA and they like their jobs. No job is perfect of course, but none of them are looking to leave any time soon.
sorry I couldn't be more help

I was referring to Veterans Hospital. sorry for the confusion.

redshiloh · Dec 10, 2008

The locality survey is usually in the first part of the year.

Anouk345 · Dec 21, 2008

The VA in Los Angeles has 8:1 ratio in both med surgical and telemetry. beware.

VAJenny · Dec 21, 2008

I work at a VA, in what state are you in that you would like to work at the VA?

The VA is a good place for benefits and such, but coming from a community hospital to the goverment system is a huge change...in regards to how things are done..

Magsulfate, BSN, RN · Dec 21, 2008

I worked a 6 month contract at a local large VA hospital. Let me tell you, the staff and nurses there,,,, lol,,,, it's like stepping into a different world! The 'tudes that all the women have on staff there!! OMG! Six months was much too long for me. I just couldn't stand working with sooo many "holier than thou" nurses and secretaries. They even treated the vets like crap a lot of the times too!

Athenas83 · Dec 21, 2008

I'm starting in January as a new grad RN at the VA, and from having clinicals there I love it! I think there is a more respectful attitude there, great benefits, and pay is competitive.