VA employment benefits

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2009

hello,
i am a family nurse practitioner and am considering the va as a potential employer.
what are some of the benefits associated with employment other than having federal holidays off? does the va have loan repayment? depends on the va & the position
i have heard about an old fashioned pension (20 and out), matching 5% 401k, and health benefits. if you retire via the va are health benefits included for you and your spouse? they do have the standard defined memberon plan, it is not 20 & out like police and ff's. believe you have to be 55 & 10 years service. not sure of health benefits after you retire.
and about salary and salary caps.... what is the range for salary each va has a differnent pay scale based on the area. it is call local pay scale (lps). the criteria for each step is the same at each va thou. as far as a salary cap it would be the top of the scale which most people will never reach because of the time it needs to reach the top, not because they will not hold you back from a step increase.
job satisfaction? -enjoyed working for the va stressors?-federal red tape, political whims perks -all va nurses are title 38 and start out with 25 days of vacation & 13 sick days. able to transfer to another part of the country and not lose any seniority. peeves? red tape and knee jerk reactions. since the va has facilities of differnet sizes and areas of the country things do not run the same, but something will happen at a large or a small facility and they will try to make the fix work at all facilities.
thank you very much!
cynthia

overall i enjoyed my time at the va, just like anyother employeer there are things that are good and things that are bad.

blueheaven · Nov 10, 2009

Go to VACareers.gov They have information on benefits on that site. As an NP you stand a good chance of VA having loan repayment. A couple of the nurses I work with are having their loans paid off by VA.

daydreamer7130 · Nov 11, 2009

Thank you very much for the informative replies!

JDCitizen · Nov 11, 2009

Also look at http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/

You get: Overview, Duties, Qulifications & Evaluations, Beneifits & other info, How to apply... When looking at each job.

I have mutiple frinds that work with the area VA's.... I have to agree with jeckrn's comments.

I also will add that I will be starting with the VA in the next few weeks and have gone through and am still working through some of their bureaucracy.

blueheaven · Nov 11, 2009

LOL. the whole crdentialing thing/background check etc. It took me 6 months to finally get there...but I'm just a regular RN. There is a BIG demand for NPs in the system...that's why I'm back in school I forgot to mention OPM.

I like the benefit of being able to choose your health insurance and having the option to change it if you need to during "open season"

JDCitizen · Nov 11, 2009

LOL. the whole crdentialing thing/background check etc. It took me 6 months to finally get there...but I'm just a regular RN. There is a BIG demand for NPs in the system...that's why I'm back in school I forgot to mention OPM.
I like the benefit of being able to choose your health insurance and having the option to change it if you need to during "open season"

I am an NP it has still taken them months: lost paperwork (as in my whole package), scheduled physical with no one there to do the physical at time of appointment, etc :-)

This is my second workup with the feds: So, so deja vu!