Seeking employment with VA hospital

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Specializes in Oncology.

I am anticipating applying at the VA hospital either in Denver CO or Cheyenne WY. I have been an RN for 28 yr. I would like any insight on what might help increase my chances of being hired. I like their retirement benefits!

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I assume you already have at least a BSN; the VA, or any federal employer (military) requires a Bachelor's or higher to work as a nurse.

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I would have to disagree with sosiouxme, I am a RN working at a VA hospital and I do not have a BSN. I have an associate degree as well as do several of the other RN's working here.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Yes, in my area they hire LPNs also.

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here in illinois a rn without a bsn can be a nurse at the va. so can an lpn. in the military a bsn is usually required or at least you must be working toward the degree.

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Specializes in Emergency Room; Acute Psychiatry.

I am also working at the VA in Ohio. I know a BSN is not required. I work with ADN's LPN's and BSN's. I have recently completed my BSN, but I was an ADN when I got hired. My husband was also recently hired at the VA and he is a new grad RN. The thing I recommend when trying to get a job at VA is persistance and patience. Call once a week and check the status of the application. Once you are called for an interview be persistant and call them back often again about once a week. If they sound a bit aggrivated with you calling, just give it 2 weeks then call again. It took me and also my husband several months to get a hire date even after the interview and pre-employment physical. The people you put on your application as refrences will be mailed a form to fill out, and until they fill them out and send them back they will not hire you, so make sure you contact your refrences and they return their forms in a timely manner. This will help speed up the process.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

I just got a letter inquiring as to my availability. I've been through this before... seems I get this far and nothing else happens.

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Then, maybe it varies by state; here in CA a Registered Nurse must have a BSN, and also in Utah, where my housemate's brother is a BSN/RN with their VA.

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Then, maybe it varies by state; here in CA a Registered Nurse must have a BSN, and also in Utah, where my housemate's brother is a BSN/RN with their VA.

It might vary by facility, because at Palo Alto VA in CA a BSN is not required, and I just called the nursing recruiter there to confirm. I do know that a BSN is needed for active duty Army, but not for reserve duty.

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Specializes in LTC & Med-Surg, L&D, Pre-Op Clinic.

here is what i found, you can cehck it out in more details@ https://cpolwapp.belvoir.army.mil/public/forward/vab?id=qualifications&selection1=occgroup7

gs-610: nurse series

the text below is extracted verbatim from section iv-b of the operating manual for qualification standards for general schedule positions (p.iv-b-93), but contains minor edits to conform to web-page requirements.

this is an individual qualification standard.

basic requirements:

education: degree or diploma from a professional nursing program approved by the legally designated state accrediting agency at the time the program was completed by the applicant. (one year of nursing experience as a military corpsman that has been accepted by a state licensing body may be accepted in lieu of education at the gs-4 level.)

registration: applicants must have active, current registration as a professional nurse in a state, district of columbia, the commonwealth of puerto rico, or a territory of the united states. an applicant who has graduated from an approved nursing educational program within the past 12 months may be appointed pending state registration as a professional nurse within 6 months of appointment. no person appointed pending registration may be retained beyond 6 months, or promoted, if registration has not been attained.

the following table shows the amounts of education and/or experience required to qualify for positions covered by this standard.

gradeeducationand/orexperience

gs-4completion of a program of less than 30 months' duration or associate degree or1 year of nursing experience as a military corpsman

gs-5completion of a program of less than 30 months' duration or associate degree and 1 year of professional nursing, or of at least gs-4 level practical nurse or nursing assistant experience under the supervision of a professional nurseorcompletion of a program of at least 30 months' duration or 4 academic years above high school or bachelor's degree none

gs-7completion of a professional nursing programand1 year of experience equivalent to at least the gs-5 levelor1 full year of graduate education or bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement none

gs-92 full years of progressively higher level graduate education or a master's or equivalent degreeor1 year of experience equivalent to at least the gs-7 level

gs-11completion of all requirements for a doctoral degree (ph.d. or equivalent) or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate educationor1 year of experience equivalent to at least the gs-9 level

gs-12 and above none 1 year of experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade levelequivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels and positions for which both education and experience are acceptable.

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Specializes in Pediatrics (Burn ICU, CVICU).
I assume you already have at least a BSN; the VA, or any federal employer (military) requires a Bachelor's or higher to work as a nurse.

Absolutley not true. I accepted a position with the VA (later declined it) and I have several friends who work for the VA...none of us have a BSN.

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Does the VA hire new grads?

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