moving to a different VA in another state

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Hi all! I currently work at the VA in New York, NY and am moving to Georgia in the spring with my boyfriend who is in the Army. I specifically took a job at the VA because I heard that you can move from VA to VA in different states no matter what state your license is in (mines in New York). However, from what I have been reading, being a current VA employee doesn't make getting a position at a different VA that much easier and you still have to go through a general hiring process. Do you think I should start applying for my Georgia nursing license and look for jobs at other hospitals, or will I have a good chance at getting a job at the VA there?

Thanks!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Which area of Georgia? Columbus, Savannah, or Augusta?

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

Contact the nurse recruiter

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Im going to Savannah!

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usually they do not post nurse recruiter information online for the VAs (at least not the one I work at or the ones in the surrounding areas), but I will give that another try! Thanks!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Im going to Savannah!

There isn't a VA hospital in Savannah - only an outpatient clinic. When I moved from Savannah in 2016, they were breaking ground on a larger clinic that I think they have completed, but VA jobs are probably a bit scarce in Savannah. You might also try looking for work with the Federal government because there is a hospital (including clinics) at Fort Stewart (Winn Army Community Hospital) and clinics in Richmond Hill and Savannah at Hunter Army Airfield. I just looked on USAjobs.gov, and the only thing I see right now are LPN positions. It might be a good idea to endorse your license and look for a civilian position to start. There are two major hospital systems in Savannah - Memorial Health (Nursing Careers Memorial Health | Savannah, Ga - one campus) and St. Joseph's/Candler (Savannah Hospital Jobs | St. Joseph's/Candler Health System - two main campuses, very different hospitals that merged). I have worked at both, only in the EDs, and I don't have anything negative to say about them, really!

The nurse recruiter information is listed on each individual job announcement. Savannah's clinic falls under the Ralph Johnson VA Hospital in Charleston, SC, so if you search for openings at the SC hospital on USAjobs, you'll probably find the nurse recruiter's contact info. I was offered a VA job at the clinic in Savannah when I was still living there, and the recruiter was out of Charleston.

Good luck!

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thanks so much for all your help, all of that info was really really useful! I've heard that military spouses sometimes get preferences in working at the hospitals around the bases, so I will definitely use that too once we move--but will look into endorsing my license as a back up

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
thanks so much for all your help, all of that info was really really useful! I've heard that military spouses sometimes get preferences in working at the hospitals around the bases, so I will definitely use that too once we move--but will look into endorsing my license as a back up

You will get spousal preference when you're married, but they won't create a job just for you - you have to apply to an open position. There is information on that here, including the criteria: USAJOBS Help Center | Military Spouses. Because there are no open positions now and springtime will be here before you know it, you might want to start the endorsement process. Similar to the VA, it can take months to get hired into a GS position. I was going from active duty to a GS position in the very same Army ER and it took me 4 months!

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Moving from one VA to another is easier as you are considered an internal candidate however you still have to go through the hiring process.

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