Going to the VA

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Hey Guys,

I am an OR Nurse who recently moved to Albuquerque. I am an experienced OR nurse and I got hired at a not-for-profit hospital in town. They treat me pretty well, the pay is good, but the benefits are pretty crappy. When I knew I was coming to Albq, I applied at the VA and never heard back. After I arrived, I got a phone call from the VA and went to an interview. To my surprise, I got a tentative offer. I have about 2 months of paperwork to go through before the 'official' offer. I know all my clearances will pass, but here is my question for any Albuquerque nurses. What is your opinion on taking the VA job? I have to say, the 10 paid holidays a year, 5 weeks of vacation, and 2 weeks of sick leave is pretty damn attractive. Anyone who can contribute, I appreciate your input. Have a great day.

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I worked for the VA - an outpatient clinic, in another state. The pay/benefits were good, enjoyed working with the Vets but the "system" is very different, very frustrating as patients wait literally months or years for procedures - at least where I worked they did.

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Specializes in Cardiology.

I am a vet and eventually I would like to work for the VA. The pay and benefits are excellent. There are some drawbacks. Being a government job you will run into people who are strictly there for money and benefits. They will do their 25-30 yrs and then they are out (which is fine but not cool when you dont care about the patients). It is also very hard to get fired.

Yes vets do wait long for procedures but that is government run healthcare for you.

Honestly it depends what you are looking for. For stability and a nice retirement the VA is the place to be.

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Hi I have applied at a remote VA OP clinic in NM. It's technically a travel nursing posting. Thoughts? Warnings? Encouragements : )

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