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The nurse residency in the VA is called RNTTP (RN Transition to Practice). It is a year long and not every VA has it depending on size of facility. You complete a curriculum and a project that you will present to leadership. You are not guaranteed a job and the end of the program although most will have a position especially if willing to move. After RNTTP is completed then you are on 2 years probation

So the VA in VISN 17 is offering a 15% retention for certain hard to fill positions as long as you have not received a VA scholarship such as VAAHEEP( might be off on the letters). It’s mostly for the CLC or inpatient.

I’m not in California but I do work for the VA and I know that they do reserve the right to random drug test but I have never have seen it done. But they do pre-employment testing. I know that union plays into the drug testing as well. Someone else on here maybe be able to speak more about the VA in California

We had only had Epic a few months when it started happening and it could have been the MAR reports page I’m not real sure all I remember is it was not on the actual MAR. It was a smaller line item page.

It was an error in the software that they were still trying to fix when I left about nine months later and I have been gone for 3.5 years now so I am trying to remember where but in Epic ( in the assessment somewhere) you can see a medication record and we found that the meds were showing given there. They burned bridges with me when my boss told me that she had went from getting just a few to stacks of discrepancies and instead of saying whoa let’s look at this it was just automatic write ups and suspensions Im not even sure that no-one lost their job as it was a house wide issue. If you are union make sure to take your union rep to any meetings with you. Make they show you in Epic (not on a report) where it was not given and then look it up on the patients chart not just on the med admin screen. I wish I could remember which tab it was on in Epic( maybe flowsheets). I know how you are feeling and wish I had more information but I haven’t worked there in a few years.

So I worked at a facility that had epic and all of a sudden I get called in saying I had pulled a controlled substance and didn’t scan it I had worked there double digit years so I was given a verbal warning. Then the next week I get called in and it has happened again so I get written up and drugs tested. So then it happened again the next week so of course was extremely upset I was suspended a day written up and drug tested I am afraid I’m gonna lose my job and my license then my boss tells she that she is receiving stacks of controlled substance discrepancies and she doesn’t understand why. I spoke to several other nurses that were on last write-ups. I also showed my boss where the error happened with an antibiotic and I was refusing to give controlled substances anymore. Well turns out it was all a computer error with Epic but the worse part was I had to fight to get the write-ups remove and they were only removing them if the nurse pushed. Don’t know if this is what happening to you but something to consider

I got a gift bag with 1 jolly rancher 2 single lifesavers 1 mini twizler one poorly printed ink pen and a coupon for 1 32 0z regular tea. They did also have a drawing for about 10 gift baskets but no one in my department got one. This is they best year we had last year was nothing at all we didn’t even know it was nurses week

I wish I could tell you that there is a better way but there’s not. I just slip my hearing aids out to use my stethoscope but I do have behind the in aids so I can leave them hanging on my ears. I usually do it in front the patient because I usually put my aids right back in to speak with them. I have an electronic Littman that I can adjust the volume on. And when working with Covid patients I use an eko with a Littman head and a set of airpod pros which works well for me.

One of the perks for working at the VA is the ability to any VA around the US. I have worked for the VA for 3 years and know of 2 nurses that have transferred down state to other VAs and a CNA that came to us from another VA I have see service chiefs come from other VAs to us and at least one service chief move to another VA to be a nurse executive.

I take it no one has heard of these so here is a link if anyone is interested they look interesting. https://palarum.org/

I am interested in trying to get my facility to try the Palarum PUP fall detection system. Does anyone have any experience with them good or bad?

Talk to one of your union officers.

I say stick it out. But ask for a meeting with you manager and educator and request that you have only one preceptor (since you had several you may know one that works well with you). Request a daily update from your preceptor on how you are progressing and where you need to show more improvement making sure to get guidance on how to improve. And please don’t look at being moved to med/surg as a step back because it is not it is just different. There are many ER nurses that can not handle med/surg but rock the ER. And remember not every area of nursing is for every nurse. You got this.

I’m sorry but don’t give up I applied for 4 positions at the VA before I got on more than likely there was a transfer from a different department and they also give veterans preference as well.

It’s hard to says but I do know they references are called only on the nurses they are interested in. I have sat on interview panels several times and been the one to call references and we did not hire all of the ones we called references on but that was usually only because of a less than glowing reference. Don’t be afraid to reach out to HR and ask about the status of application. You should hear one way or the other though.