I would like to help our student nurses recognize the value of entering into military service or working for the VA system. To do this, I would ask all of our members that are military or VA employed to lend your experience here. Please take a moment to post information for our students that you might think is helpful for them.
Would love to see information about dealing with recruiters (military ... that is) and how to effectively negotiate with them. Would like to see information posted about experiences that you have and any recommendations you have about entering military nursing or the VA system. THe VA can be a difficult place to navigate and any information on how to get into the VA would be helpful also.
We have many students that monitor this thread and I think this information would be very helpful to them.
Also, for the students reading this thread, please feel free to add your questions. We have many experienced military and VA nurses that view this thread and I am sure they are willing to help answer your questions.
I will make the thread a sticky in the hopes that it does become popular. Thanks for your help.
Being a military RN either in service or VA is very rewarding. I have been fortunate to do both. Currently I am an active duty military officer in the Navy working in the Labor and Delivery unit at Naval Hospital Pensacola.
The best part of being a military RN is the opportunity to work in an environment where professionalism is maintained. Respect is warranted from your active duty enlisted corpsman (equivalent to CNA's). Except in the military, Hospital Corpsman are CNA's on steroids so they have the capability to do as much as an RN or more. This really allows for more time to care for the patient. It is not similar to the civilian world where one has only time to treat their patient and document.
The best part of being a VA nurse is sharing in the experiences of EVERY patient. Each one has his/her "sea stories." These stories shared from retired military patients are unique in themselves. This has greatly enhanced my ability to establish a strong patient rapport with all patients.
Good luck with all your endeavors. Hopefully some of this helped. Any other questions, give be a buzz!
True!!!!!!! I have been with Veterans Affairs for 15 years in the ICU...In our city with 5 hospitals--we have the best staffing (all Rn's) in the ICU.., the newest equipment, 5 weeks vacation, 13 sick leave days, double time on the holidays...the list goes on and on! It is such an honor to serve the Veterans!!!
The V.A. has 5 grades for RN's from 1-5 with 13 steps in each grade. The salary range that I am quoting is for the area that I live in. Each area pay scale differs somewhat do to locality pay. Grade 01 step 01 in this area has a base pay rate of $39,110. The top is nurse 5, step 13 which has a base pay of $131,400.
Would you happen to know what the starting salary is for an LPN?
Hello to everyone that is interested in military or Va nursing. I am a Captain in the U.S. Army and I am currently on reserve status in what is called the IRR. The IRR (individual ready reserve) is a pool of personnel that is activated if needed by the military. I was on active duty military for 6 1/2 years. I loved my time in the military but went to reserves for personal reasons. I was able to travel to Hawaii, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Germany, and Iraq while I was in the millitary. The education and benefits are great along with the once in a lifetime oppurtunites. If you have any questions feel free to respond to my thread and I will answer the best possible.
The second portion is that I am currently an employee with the VA. I like the VA due to the fact it is a familiar environment for me. The VA is a great opportunity for new nurses due to the fact in 25 years you will receive a retirement from the government(this is not including your individual investments). The VA works on a rank structure also due to the fact that you never loose your senority. What I mean by this is that if you work in San Diego and decide to move to Miami, your time transfers to that VA and you do not loose your senority status. The VA (along with the miltary) will pay you to go back to get your Master's Degree. The VA can be difficult to get into at first due to the massive paperwork you have to do in the beginning as far as your application (but be patient it is well worth the paperwork due to your benefits). In order to get an application and apply for the VA, the best option is to go to the personnel office of your nearest VA and apply. The online system still has problems and most of the time it will require for you to still go to the personnel office. If anyone has further questions, feel free to e-mail me.
Relax and don't worry about a specialty. The military simply needs warm bodies. From what I've seen, the Air Force takes nurses with a pulse as their primary specialty. I worked in the civ world and work in mil world. One relates 0.00% to the other.
Clinical mil nurses log 10 or 20 hours a week (holidays/weekends/sunny days/etc are all holidays)...and all of that is on a phone telling pt's they can't get an appointment. You'll get a couple of hours for lunch and might actually touch a patient (as long as he needs nothing more than Tylenol) once or twice a day for a handshake.
If you really want to get a grasp on tough to acquire specialties....you need to stay a civilian and see really acute patients. Mil patients abuse the free healthcare and present with slacker syndrome most of the time. If you can get a certification in giving article 15's to dirtbag slackers looking for profiles and quarters.......you'd be guaranteed a slot as an Air Force RN. If you want to see really sick acute care folks....you are barking up the wrong tree. Our ER waiting room fills with dirtbags 100:1 over folks that really need help
Wow--gasp. You have really had a bad experience. I have myself posted about the possibility of getting into a bad unit. You MUST be referring to a clinic--probably overseas--GERMANY? I'm really curious. My experience in the military was extremely positive. I received GREAT training and experience--far ahead of my civillian counterparts. When I ETS'd as a 91C LVN--I immediately passed the RN board in CA--all because of the generosity of my military colleagues. I have to say though--I did have a similar experience in Germany at an Air Force medical clinic (I was Army) in Weisbaden. I felt I was a highly skilled professional in a sea of people who just couldn't care less---THAT WAS NOT THE NORM---You are giving people the wrong idea overall of nursing in the military; especially for NURSES. RNs are desperately needed and probably wouldn't even staff clinics--PAs, MDs and medics usually staff clinics---I am guessing you are/were a medic?
Amberstar: Have you found VA scheduling to be cooperative with your commitments to the IRR? I am a new VA SNT (graduating in May and hopefully staying on as an RN), and would like to possibly be involved with the reserves at one point, but am worried about VA/reserves schedule conflicts.
Is there anyone who can tell me about VA's in the Raleigh-Durham area. Let me rephase..there is a VA in Durham, do they hire LPN's?. I'll be graduating in June and take my boards in July. My husband is a vet and I couldn't think of anything I'd like to do more, than to give back to those that were like him. Any information would be much appreciated.
You can go to vacareers.com and look at individual states or VISNs (groups of states). When you find a hospital in the area that you want, go to the individual website and check under employment opportunities. You may want to call the facility and talk to someone in HR. Sometimes positions don't get posted to the web. Good luck!
I'm a BSN student who is considering joining the military after graduation. I'm a little older (will be 34 when I graduate) which do you suggest, active or reserve or should I try to work at the VA? Honestly, I'm a bit nervous at the thought of joining the army nursing corp and being deployed to Iraq.
I did Army for a few years but got out.Had I stayed in I would be retired and on easy street. Any alcohol or drug related behavior is kiss of death in spite of what recruiters may tell you. You may also want to consider the USPHS Commission Corp. You can work for a number of governement entities like the NIH or FDA.
bluecandi
31 Posts
Thanks crna!!!!