New Hire VA Hospital MICU

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

Hello everyone,

I'm a cna who is leaving my current Hospice job for the VA. I was just a little nervous since it will be ICU. Can any former employees from the VA or ICU CNA's give me any pointers? I talked to the nurse manager through the interview and she told me I would be doing cath's, tube feedings, dressing wounds and suctioning trache's. Which all sounded great to me as a cna that I would be able to perform these duties. Also the incentives sounded great like the pay and evening hour shift. I'm very excited but a little nervous about the lines and ventilators. I need a little support guys. And also let me know what to expect in ICU. Thanks:rolleyes:

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Specializes in med surg/geriatrics.

Hello! I'm currently a CNA @ the VA in clev, oh & just wanted to say, you will be fine! There will be extensive training on all those things and if you still don't feel comfortable ask before you do anything. The nurses are great about assisting you if you don't feel confident enough yet. The more you do the better you will become!! It is a great place to work and you will learn alot!! Good Luck!!

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Specializes in PACU, LTC, Med-Surg, Telemetry, Psych.

I worked agency at the VA for about two and a half years in nuero-ortho and PACU.

The job is a much better job than hospice and can be pretty laid back. The VA allows CNAs to do many things other facilities do not trust CNAs with like tube feedings and putting in catheters. The job is also not so much a dead end like it is most places. You can eventually move up to phlebotomy, anesthesia tech, scrub tech, clinic secretary without any additional certificates.

Careful, though, the VA is also a firm believer in boring 1:1s. MICU gets suicides and overdoses. However, those 1:1s are not as bad as all the dementia cases on some of the other floors. (WWII to Vietnam vets have socialized medicine for everything, the current vets can only go for things directly dealing with service)

Also, Federal Culture. People die and retire for the VA. Most are union, and it can be hard to fire folks even for no call no show or incompetence. With any state or federal job, be careful who you pee off, because no one is going anywhere.

I liked working there. It is just a sad thing I missed out on their one hiring time in my area and a new administrator cut out agency.

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FlawlessT.... How long have you been with the VA? And what makes you really enjoy being on federal grounds more so then nursing homes or hospitals? Also do you recall how long the training period was before you was out on your own? Is it the same in Cleveland that the CNA's start out more than the LPN's and the same as the Resp. Therapist?

ctmed...... Yeah I have heard a bit about the 1:1 sitting type ordeal's. That wouldnt bother me since I do it now every now and then in hospice with cont. cares(last stages of life). Also I have heard about people seem to never leave the VA and how its hard to really get fired. I didnt know if that was true. But I guess if you hear it more than once to believe it. Its also funny how you said you hate you missed out on the hiring period. I had a coworker tell me about it and I almost missed out on it as well. It has taken me almost 4 months to get hired. Seems like no one ever leaves the VA.

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Specializes in med surg/geriatrics.

Hi! I have been with the VA 3 yrs now! I like it better than nursing homes & outside hospitals because as a cna you learn more and get to do more! Especially when they see you are in nursing school, they try and offer you opportunities to see and do as much as you can. And the pay is awesome! Yes there are cases where cna's are making more than lpn's, it just depends on your grade status. I was on my own within 2wks, but I still had a resource person I could go to if I had questions. Overall I love my job and the floor I'm on which is med/surg. It is a rewarding place to work. Good Luck!!

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