anyone left VA and then came back

Arr-tistRN · May 19, 2023

Nope it's just as long coming back and sometimes takes as long as a transfer.

integrativenurse · Jun 7, 2023

Not typically. But since I knew who and where to call, I was able to cut the process by 50% (I needed a job desperately).

vanurseny, MSN · Jun 7, 2023

What do you mean? Where do you call?

integrativenurse · Jun 23, 2023

I was in contact with my HR person throughout the process. So, for example, when she said that the they are waiting Employee Health, I called EH and asked them what's happening. It happened that the admin who was supposed to set up my appointment is on vacation and EH didn't assign a surrogate. Who suffers? The applicant for their lack of communication and planning. I wasn't going to have that. The EH nurse helped me out to set up the appointment, got my sh*t done (at least with that angle).

Same story with urine drug screening. I called the lab and set that up with them.

Without me doing what I did, I saved AT LEAST a month's worth of work.

In general the hospital's CEO, bosses, etc. want their applicants in and working because they risk losing their good applicants to the neighboring hospitals. It's just the HR process, which for some reason, has it's own timeline. I don't know if it's laziness or what.

Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 26, 2023

integrativenurse said:

I was in contact with my HR person throughout the process. So, for example, when she said that the they are waiting Employee Health, I called EH and asked them what's happening. It happened that the admin who was supposed to set up my appointment is on vacation and EH didn't assign a surrogate. Who suffers? The applicant for their lack of communication and planning. I wasn't going to have that. The EH nurse helped me out to set up the appointment, got my sh*t done (at least with that angle).

Same story with urine drug screening. I called the lab and set that up with them.

Without me doing what I did, I saved AT LEAST a month's worth of work.

In general the hospital's CEO, bosses, etc. want their applicants in and working because they risk losing their good applicants to the neighboring hospitals. It's just the HR process, which for some reason, has it's own timeline. I don't know if it's laziness or what.

Could you please tell me what the medical/physical exam is like when going through the process? Is it basic history, heart, and lungs and can you move? Or is it more thorough?

And where does it take place? For example, if you live in one state but the job is in another, do they just send you to your local VA clinic to see somebody for the physical?

integrativenurse · Jun 27, 2023

Mergirlc said:

Could you please tell me what the medical/physical exam is like when going through the process? Is it basic history, heart, and lungs and can you move? Or is it more thorough?

Just the basic auscultation and vital signs. Went over vaccination records.

Mergirlc said:

And where does it take place? For example, if you live in one state but the job is in another, do they just send you to your local VA clinic to see somebody for the physical?

I live nearby so my I went the same hospital. However, I know a person from a different state who did his physical and UDS at his local VA and this VA accepted it.

Mergirlc, MSN, APRN, NP · Jun 28, 2023

integrativenurse said:

Just the basic auscultation and vital signs. Went over vaccination records.

I live nearby so my I went the same hospital. However, I know a person from a different state who did his physical and UDS at his local VA and this VA accepted it.

Thank you so much for the information! Much appreciated! ?

Arr-tistRN · Jun 30, 2023

Yeah when I transferred vas the hr person I was assigned to was fired and I was given a new person. The fired guy did nothing with my paperwork and never responded to me! I think they have 120 days to transfer you on the hr side and my took the full time cause of him. At the same time a friend was transferring to the Ohio VA and hrs went through in 30 days- VA hr is TERRIBLE they are 5000% the cause of the slow hiring

vanurseny, MSN · Sep 28, 2023

did you get boarded at the same grade and step as when you left?

integrativenurse · Sep 28, 2023

Arr-tistRN said:

Yeah when I transferred vas the hr person I was assigned to was fired and I was given a new person. The fired guy did nothing with my paperwork and never responded to me! I think they have 120 days to transfer you on the hr side and my took the full time cause of him. At the same time a friend was transferring to the Ohio VA and hrs went through in 30 days- VA hr is TERRIBLE they are 5000% the cause of the slow hiring

My understanding, at least with my VA hospital, the top admin (execs) people cannot even do a thing with the application process. Meaning, HR and VA hospital admin have their own cocoon. That's why our executives are pissed about it.

vanurseny, MSN · Sep 28, 2023

Oh wow.

OK thanks.

glad I'm not the only one going through this.