Need help understanding VA step increases

[ADMRK]

I was recently offered a Nurse 1 step 11 to start next month after a VERY lengthy hiring process

(I'm a ADN with 14 yrs experience)

I thought I had heard that you are given a step increase after your first annual review (if review was good).  My local pay scale only goes up to Nurse 1 step 12, what happens after that?  No more possible steps unless I get a BSN?  I have no current plans to return to school.

 

Thanks

 

 

[jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA]

Nurse I Level III – An Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing and approximately 2-3 years of experience. An ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelor's degree in a related field and approximately 1-2 years of experience. A BSN with approximately 1-2 years of experience, or a Master's degree in nursing (MSN) or related field with a BSN and no experience.

Nurse II – A Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) with approximately 2-3 years of experience, or ADN or Diploma in Nursing and a bachelors degree in a related field and approximately 2-3 years experience or a Master's degree in nursing or related field with a BSN and approximately 1-2 years experience, or a doctoral degree in nursing or meets basic requirements for appointment and has a doctoral degree in a related field with no experience.

Nurse III – Master's degree in nursing or related field with BSN and approximately 2-3 years experience or Doctoral degree in nursing or related field and approximately 2-3 years experience.

 

So yes, it appears you either need a BSN or a bachelors 'in a related field' to get nurse II.  I'd personally look outside the VA if you don't plan on going back to school.

[boywithacoin, BSN]

The policy is that to advance to Nurse II you need to have a BSN, and to advance to Nurse III you need to have an MSN, but you can currently advance with an academic requirement waiver by one degree. I.e. if you have an AS, you can get an academic requirement waiver to advance from Nurse I to Nurse II, but you would need to get a BSN or higher to advance to Nurse III. If you have a BSN, you can advance from Nurse II to Nurse III on an academic requirement waiver prior to/without getting an MSN.

There was talk that they were going to change and not allow academic requirement waivers anymore, but I don't know if that's still going to happen.

[Arr-tistRN]

You can use the degree waiver still but you need to meet all the requirements to be rates at the performance.kevel of a nurse 2. If they rate you as meeting nurse 2 then they can request promotion by edu waiver.