tracelc

i actually started working at the VA Hospital here in February and you can choose early retirement after 10 years. you won't get the full retirement pension, but some. if you're a vet with active duty time you can "buy back" your military time toward your retirement. here is information from the federal government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) website regarding retirement - FERS Retirement

so if you have a bachelors and get an ADN, what would you do to get a BSN? I mean, what would the classes be and how is it different? It seems that if you already have a four year degree, and then get the ADN, you wouldn't have much left to do for a BSN. Am I wrong?

Does anyone have any experience with the VHA education programs? If so, can you give details - how did you get involoved? which program? obligation location? - just any information would be very helpful so that I have all of my ducks in a row when I speak to the education office. Thanks!

Thanks socalsi! I'll give the education office a try and see what I can find out. I'll post anything I do find out here in case anyone else is interested.

Is there a way to find out which VA hospitals take part in this program? I just got hired on the VHA in the midwest, but I want to eventually (within a couple of years) move back to the Bay Area and that's where I'd like to attend nursing school and work for the VA afterward. I'm trying to find out if this will be possible, but I'm having trouble finding a good contact person for this. Also, I'm not so sure they will close down these programs even with the bad economy. The VA is competing with the private sector and all sectors are going through a nursing shortage that is expected to increase dramatically within the next decade. Anyway, any information I can get here would be so very much appreciated!

wow Jayla! you do sound like me! do you have a BSN? i am applying to the ADN program here hoping that with a BA i won't need the BSN. i have done everything for the ADN program, and only need to wait and see if i'm accepted. i will definitely look into the programs you wrote about. thanks for your insight!

hi, i am currently applying to a nursing program and i am looking at all the avenues available to me once i get my RN. i have a degree in anthropology and i'm looking for a way to, in some way, combine the 2 degrees. i am also very interested in OB, perinatal, and newborn/early childhood care. i would love to work with pregnant teens, teen moms, and/or those who don't have access to good care. with that being said, does it seem like i could do something in the PH sector with this? do you need a Master's degree to get into PH? any information i could get regarding the PH field would be greatly appreciated. thanks! tracy

hi, i am going to start classes next semester working toward becoming an RN my question is this, is it okay to get the AAS degree and not the BSN? what's the difference? would i be offered more option with a BSN? i ask because i already have a Bachelor's degree in anthropology, and i would much rather not going through all of the coursework toward another Bachelor's if i will have the same opportunities with an AAS. basically, i want to be an RN. do i need the BSN for this? Thanks!