Anyone work for VA in Pittsburgh?

Prettyladie · Mar 25, 2009

i know they do have preference for people who work in any branch of military. i believe they are known as status candidates i believe. ive worked at the VA in dallas, its a big hospital and they have great staff, but fyi, i wasnt a RN i just worked in the RN human resource dept. sorry if im not any help but i figure all the VAs might be a little similar

mshappy1 · Apr 5, 2009

Yes! I have worked there for 25 years and have never regretted it for a minute! I have worked in many areas, LTC, Hospice, Med/Surg, Psych and now I am the NM of the Community Based Care department. I used their tuition assistance to obtain my BSN, and MSN. The salary stays competitive with the surrounding hospitals, and RNs receive a special locality increase. FIVE weeks of vacation to start! W/E and shift diff, and holiday pay.

You will get priority as a vet, and your vet status will also help you to specialize in certain areas that are specific to the VA. We have a Women Veterans Service program, a special clinic for returning Iraqi vets, and an outreach and homeless veterans program, just as examples. Working at the VA, you can transfer to any VA in the country as long as they have an opening. Since we are the government, we are on the cutting edge of research and technology. We have been using the Computerized Patient Record and Medication Bar Code System since the early 90's.

I guess you can tell that I am happy with my career choice to stay at the VA! We get a bad rap sometimes, but the staff really cares about our veterans, and the vets just love their VA nurses! My Dad is an 86 yr. old WWII vet, so these men and women have always had a special place in my heart!

Good luck with your decision!

oramar · Apr 8, 2009

Yes! I have worked there for 25 years and have never regretted it for a minute! I have worked in many areas, LTC, Hospice, Med/Surg, Psych and now I am the NM of the Community Based Care department. I used their tuition assistance to obtain my BSN, and MSN. The salary stays competitive with the surrounding hospitals, and RNs receive a special locality increase. FIVE weeks of vacation to start! W/E and shift diff, and holiday pay.
You will get priority as a vet, and your vet status will also help you to specialize in certain areas that are specific to the VA. We have a Women Veterans Service program, a special clinic for returning Iraqi vets, and an outreach and homeless veterans program, just as examples. Working at the VA, you can transfer to any VA in the country as long as they have an opening. Since we are the government, we are on the cutting edge of research and technology. We have been using the Computerized Patient Record and Medication Bar Code System since the early 90's.
I guess you can tell that I am happy with my career choice to stay at the VA! We get a bad rap sometimes, but the staff really cares about our veterans, and the vets just love their VA nurses! My Dad is an 86 yr. old WWII vet, so these men and women have always had a special place in my heart!
Good luck with your decision!

Thank you for devoting your life and career to our veterans. Very special work you do. Thanks to anyone who is interesting is signing on with the VA.

rnto? · Apr 16, 2009

I don't work there, but I would love to. There are no positions posted . Does anyone know if the tuition re-imbursement would cover basic science classes?

ncaru01 · Sep 7, 2009

I overheard I believe a bunch of new grads applied to the VA mainly becuase of the vacation time and I think theres a waiting list and it is pretty hard to get a job there.