Tentative offer

Jeckrn1, ADN, BSN · Apr 22, 2019

Should be a nurse 2, step3 to 5

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Apr 24, 2019

I should have been a nurse 2 when I got hired but I got a nurse 1/level 3/step 8. I have come to find out its all about who is on the board at the time of your hire.

Rn4life27 · Apr 25, 2019

Are you allowed to negotiate once they tell you their offer? Like if they try to start me at level 1 but I should be a 2, am I allowed to ask for that?

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · Apr 25, 2019

Negotiate? No, but you can file an appeal.

DirtyVA · Apr 28, 2019

On 4/24/2019 at 5:38 AM, OUxPhys said:
I should have been a nurse 2 when I got hired but I got a nurse 1/level 3/step 8. I have come to find out its all about who is on the board at the time of your hire.

I second this. Amen.

DirtyVA · Apr 28, 2019

On 4/25/2019 at 6:15 AM, Rn4life27 said:
Are you allowed to negotiate once they tell you their offer? Like if they try to start me at level 1 but I should be a 2, am I allowed to ask for that?

Yes, you can do a revamp of your "resume/CV" and ask the board to reconsider...as long as it has real, substantial changes. Just like a proficiency, you can ask them to reconsider before you have to file a formal appeal. I have seen managers do this just to get staff off of their backs. If you do it right and send it up you may be surprised.

HomeBound · May 15, 2019

I disagree. You can "negotiate" prior to your grade and step assignment, before you sign the firm offer letter. You put together your portfolio as well as your professional biography--and attach every single piece of correlating documentation that you've got. And I mean.....everything.

Take a look at what a Nurse I and Nurse II requirements actually are. (attached).

Just because you have a BSN, means nothing. At the VA, it's all about the Dimensions. Your certifications and experience are worth something, yes---but what they want to see is "growth" and "leadership".

In order for you to be considered from the outside as a Nurse II, you have to have done some sort of "unit based project". Are you on the infection control committee spying on everyone who doesn't wash their hands---and then collating that into a nice excel spreadsheet and then emailing everyone about it? Unit based project. Did you develop and flesh out the "code lavender" idea and make a nice set of saches for overwhelmed colleagues, offering 15 minute time-outs for those RNs having a horrible shift? Unit based project.

In order for you to be considered from the outside as a Nurse III--you have to have extensive education as well as extensive leadership documentation. You also have to have done a major project. Within the VA, to achieve Nurse III, you have to do a "hospital wide project". Meaning---something that will change the way nurses within your VA system do things. Such as---a major wound care overhaul--standardize processes and policies for that, give orientation/in service on it, etc.

Coming into the VA as a Nurse 1 Level 3 Step 8 is amazingly good. You only have a short way to go to achieve Nurse II---and you'd have the time in the first year to become intimately involved in what your VA unit is doing.

That said. If you want to come in as a Nurse II? You'd better get on some committees, change or influence some things on your present unit, get a crap ton of "extracurricular" certificates- rn.com and others offer these 2-4hr long CEU offerings. Does your hospital have extra LMS/TMS certifications you can get? GET THEM.

Can you sit for another certification in your specialty? Do it.

VOLUNTEER. That show leadership qualities. Go and do soup kitchen or an Alzheimer's unit or tutor nursing students.

Do you precept? No? THEN VOLUNTEER TO DO IT. If you have to take a class in doing it then do that.

Are you an ACLS or BLS instructor? It just takes a class to become certified.

RESEARCH is HUGE at the VA. Have you written papers that were published? How about papers for your BSN or MSN? Were they noted by the instructor as exemplary? How about publishing in a nursing journal---even if it's just a "letter to the editor" on a contemporary nursing issue?

This is what the VA looks at. It's NOT all about how many years you punched in at your hospital and the fact that you graduated nursing school and passed the NCLEX.

The VA may get a bad rap about some things---but they hire the cream of the crop--and they'll pay for it if you can prove you are worth that money.

Sit down, take stock of what you've done, what you can do at this point to improve--write it all up in a nice portfolio and a personal biography---and attach all of your documentation along with a resume that is literally---18 pages long.

Yes. VA resumes are very detailed and long. They will tell you up front. "WE WILL NOT ASSUME THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL YOU PROVE IT". Include your RN Mgrs name, hours actually worked (this adds into your time in service and will effect your pay step), shift, every single thing you do as a nurse on your floor. Do you "collaborate"? Do you "utilize resources"? Are you able to work without constant supervision? What equipment do you use? Have you done any certifications or inservices?

This all counts.

And yeah---it does matter a bit about who is on the NPSB. Some of them are so ridiculously educated---they can't remember what it was like being you, starting out your career.

However. Some are also tasked to lowball you. There are VAs that are notorious for this. This is no different than what a public sector hospital does.

Therefore...you CAN negotiate BEFORE you commit. I can tell you with 150% certainty---you won't get anywhere once you sign and agree to what they've offered you. It's not in their best interest to do so---and they also know you won't quit after going through the gauntlet that IS government systems.

If anyone is looking to get into the VA---my advice is to get your portfolio together NOW---and don't just slap it into a binder and be done. THINK ABOUT IT and do it carefully. This will effect your entire career path at the VA.

Nurse Qualification Standards - Nurse II[14108].pdf

HomeBound · May 15, 2019

https://www.aaacn.org/sites/default/files/documents/SIGS/VA/RNPromotionPresentation.pdf

OUxPhys, BSN, RN · May 16, 2019

7 hours ago, HomeBound said:
I disagree. You can "negotiate" prior to your grade and step assignment, before you sign the firm offer letter. You put together your portfolio as well as your professional biography--and attach every single piece of correlating documentation that you've got. And I mean.....everything.
Take a look at what a Nurse I and Nurse II requirements actually are. (attached).
Just because you have a BSN, means nothing. At the VA, it's all about the Dimensions. Your certifications and experience are worth something, yes---but what they want to see is "growth" and "leadership".
In order for you to be considered from the outside as a Nurse II, you have to have done some sort of "unit based project". Are you on the infection control committee spying on everyone who doesn't wash their hands---and then collating that into a nice excel spreadsheet and then emailing everyone about it? Unit based project. Did you develop and flesh out the "code lavender" idea and make a nice set of saches for overwhelmed colleagues, offering 15 minute time-outs for those RNs having a horrible shift? Unit based project.
In order for you to be considered from the outside as a Nurse III--you have to have extensive education as well as extensive leadership documentation. You also have to have done a major project. Within the VA, to achieve Nurse III, you have to do a "hospital wide project". Meaning---something that will change the way nurses within your VA system do things. Such as---a major wound care overhaul--standardize processes and policies for that, give orientation/in service on it, etc.
Coming into the VA as a Nurse 1 Level 3 Step 8 is amazingly good. You only have a short way to go to achieve Nurse II---and you'd have the time in the first year to become intimately involved in what your VA unit is doing.
That said. If you want to come in as a Nurse II? You'd better get on some committees, change or influence some things on your present unit, get a crap ton of "extracurricular" certificates- rn.com and others offer these 2-4hr long CEU offerings. Does your hospital have extra LMS/TMS certifications you can get? GET THEM.
Can you sit for another certification in your specialty? Do it.
VOLUNTEER. That show leadership qualities. Go and do soup kitchen or an Alzheimer's unit or tutor nursing students.
Do you precept? No? THEN VOLUNTEER TO DO IT. If you have to take a class in doing it then do that.
Are you an ACLS or BLS instructor? It just takes a class to become certified.
RESEARCH is HUGE at the VA. Have you written papers that were published? How about papers for your BSN or MSN? Were they noted by the instructor as exemplary? How about publishing in a nursing journal---even if it's just a "letter to the editor" on a contemporary nursing issue?
This is what the VA looks at. It's NOT all about how many years you punched in at your hospital and the fact that you graduated nursing school and passed the NCLEX.
The VA may get a bad rap about some things---but they hire the cream of the crop--and they'll pay for it if you can prove you are worth that money.
Sit down, take stock of what you've done, what you can do at this point to improve--write it all up in a nice portfolio and a personal biography---and attach all of your documentation along with a resume that is literally---18 pages long.
Yes. VA resumes are very detailed and long. They will tell you up front. "WE WILL NOT ASSUME THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO DO ANYTHING UNTIL YOU PROVE IT". Include your RN Mgrs name, hours actually worked (this adds into your time in service and will effect your pay step), shift, every single thing you do as a nurse on your floor. Do you "collaborate"? Do you "utilize resources"? Are you able to work without constant supervision? What equipment do you use? Have you done any certifications or inservices?
This all counts.
And yeah---it does matter a bit about who is on the NPSB. Some of them are so ridiculously educated---they can't remember what it was like being you, starting out your career.
However. Some are also tasked to lowball you. There are VAs that are notorious for this. This is no different than what a public sector hospital does.
Therefore...you CAN negotiate BEFORE you commit. I can tell you with 150% certainty---you won't get anywhere once you sign and agree to what they've offered you. It's not in their best interest to do so---and they also know you won't quit after going through the gauntlet that IS government systems.
If anyone is looking to get into the VA---my advice is to get your portfolio together NOW---and don't just slap it into a binder and be done. THINK ABOUT IT and do it carefully. This will effect your entire career path at the VA.
Nurse Qualification Standards - Nurse II[14108].pdf
Nurse Qualification Standards - Nurse II[14108].pdf

I gotta say, that was the best description of how to get promoted at the VA. Since I have been there no one has been able to explain or how to advance within the VA.

Rn4life27 · May 16, 2019

My portfolio is submitted after three revisions and some help. *crossing fingers*

HomeBound · May 16, 2019

6 hours ago, Rn4life27 said:
My portfolio is submitted after three revisions and some help. *crossing fingers*

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am crossing my fingers for you!! If you get in---you will wonder why you ever worked anywhere else.

The peace and serenity of never being afraid of getting canned over using too many glucostrips or because you're too old---is priceless. There are so, so many other benefits---that even if you have a little less jingle in your pocket---the benefits are amazing. The time off is amazing. The flexibility and security are amazing.

THE VETERANS ARE AMAZING.

Good luck!!! ?