Thinking about VA nursing

FarawaySoClose, BSN, DNP, RN · Jan 31, 2010

I haven't actually worked for the VA but I had the opportunity to do my Med-Surg rotation at the VA in Phoenix on the telemetry floor and my psych and preceptorship rotations on the VA psychiatric floor. So I obviously saw a lot of psych cases there, however, during my time on the Telemetry floor I only saw one patient presenting with psych illness (and he got transferred to psych pretty quickly); most of the vets on telemetry were mentally healthy or may have had a history but not presenting. You will see PTSD from time to time, sure, but even in civillian hospitals you're going to see people with psych illnesses on medical floors. And in the months that I had spent on the psych floor at the VA I was never "turned on" by a client suffering from PTSD.

For travel nursing through the VA: http://www.travelnurse.va.gov/ Also VA nurses can transfer to other VAs around the country after being employed for a year, I believe.

From what I've seen VA nursing has it's pros and cons like any other type of nursing but I can tell you that all the nurses I met at the VA I was at loved working there and many had worked there for a long time (something I didn't see as much in civillian hospitals). They were eager to tell us students how great the VA is, how much they enjoy working with and respect the vets and tried to convince us to apply for jobs :lol2: . I would love to apply for a job at my local VA if a position appropriate for new grads ever opens up. But keep in mind that quality will vary from VA to VA, state to state.

Oh, and I love to medication scanning system too; it just makes sense to have that sort of safe guard against med errors. :twocents:

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2010

I agree with faraway, I worked for a VA for 4 years. I worked in the ER so I did see a far amount of mental health issues, but I would not say much more then at one community hospital I worked at. For the most part the patients are very gracious for the care that you give them & overall you where showed more respect from the veterans then you will recieve at a civilian hospital. Working for the federal government can make you pull your hair out at times the way the run and the time it takes to get things done. As far as working on the floor the staffing was better then at the local hospitals. If the patient cenus was low we were not called off and told to stay home and use benefit time like in the civilian world. The pay starts out a little low for the area but over time you will make more at the VA then the local hospitals. Also the benefits are better, as a nurse you start out with 25 days vacation, 13 sick days. Over all I enjoyed my time at the VA and would still be there if I did not return to active duty. Just remember each VA is run a little different so others might not have the positive experience as I did. Either you love working at the VA or hate it, there does not seem to be many in the middle. Good luck, explorer if VA nursing is for you.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2010

I did two clinical rotations at the VA when I was in school. What I saw were people who for the most part were extremely appreciative of everything you did for them - remember, these folks are prior military so you're getting a different level of SOMETHING right off the bat. A lot of the old timers want someone to hear their story (the one they've told anyone who will listen! LOL) and really look forward to just five minutes of your time - when you have it to spare.

One of my rotations was in the psych ward at the Durham VA and even those folks really just wanted someone to talk to. We never had a problem from anyone in the entire time we were there.

Here in San Antonio I see a lot of commercials for VA nursing - I wonder if with the high numbers of people deployed and the sudden surge of RNs into the Department of Defense they're hurting for bodies, so to speak.