OneBadUnit

Finally got my official offer; Nurse I, Level II, Step 3 (new grad, finished my BSN in May) I did receive a call at the beginning of last week saying that my package had been signed off by the director and I would be getting an email with the official offer and orientation dates. I waited to post until I actually received the email which came on Oct 16th; so it was a little over 2 months from when I received my tentative offer (1.5 months from when I completed my pre-employment package & physical). I start orientation on Monday, Oct 21.

Hi everyone! Thought I'd share my experience with the VA hiring process so far. I applied for a position posting that was open July 6 - 10; I had my interview on July 19 with the floor manager and assistant manager. I was selected for the position, received my pre-employment package via email, and a phone call from HR on August 7. E-QIP, VetPro, all other paperwork (including official transcripts) and fingerprinting were completed and submitted by August 14. My physical was completed on August 21 and by August 22 all of my references had received and submitted forms both by email and snail mail. Now for the waiting game!

Something that I have noticed over the past few years, as the economy has plummeted, is the large number of nurses who had retired or left the field (to start a family, etc) that are coming back to supplement their household income. I know three personally and at least a dozen I have met at my clinical sites who "had to come back" as their husbands were laid off or just weren't making enough money anymore. Though it sounds like you have some good experience (Nuc Med Tech.. Navy?), it probably pales in comparison with a 15+ year experienced nurse looking to pick up any extra hours.

Unfortunately you are going to have to play by the rules of the institution(s). I'm inked shoulders to elbows but lucky that my school and clinical sites only require that I wear long sleeves under scrubs to cover up. I already had couple UnderArmor and found some Champion polyester/spandex for $9 so not really a big deal.

I'm 40. Was a corpsman in the Navy, orthopedic tech after honorable discharge, finished a degree in Information Technology and changed careers... hated IT; now half way finished with my BSN. I should have never left the medical field