Members are discussing the hiring process and potential pay grades for nursing positions at the VA, with some sharing their experiences of long wait times and varying offers. Questions about salary scales, job postings, and negotiation strategies are also being raised, along with inquiries about tuition reimbursement and educational benefits for VA employees.
Specializes in Care Coordination, General Surgery, Oncology.
If I understand correctly, you mean Nurse 1, level 2, in which case it's likely that you would start at level 2 regardless if you have a BSN. I believe I've commented elsewhere in this thread that I was hired at a step higher than the other new grads hired at the same time as me who had the same credentials other than the fact that I had been a VALOR student. Hired at N1L2S5 vs step 4 for the other new grad nurses hired at the same time. But your mileage may vary!
Specializes in Care Coordination, General Surgery, Oncology.
I don't understand how/why my answers keep showing up earlier in the thread instead of below the comments I'm responding to. Does it show up like that for everyone else?
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If I understand correctly, you mean Nurse 1, level 2, in which case it's likely that you would start at level 2 regardless if you have a BSN. I believe I've commented elsewhere in this thread that I was hired at a step higher than the other new grads hired at the same time as me who had the same credentials other than the fact that I had been a VALOR student. Hired at N1L2S5 vs step 4 for the other new grad nurses hired at the same time. But your mileage may vary!
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
boywithacoin said:
I don't understand how/why my answers keep showing up earlier in the thread instead of below the comments I'm responding to. Does it show up like that for everyone else?
In threads that are questions, they are sorted by number of helpful votes. If you'd like to view by date, you are able to choose that option under the original post.
So for the nursing pay schedules at the VA website, my current pay falls under the 2022 pay schedule not the 2023 schedule.
In other words, I can find my salary exactly to the dollar for my paygrade (grade 4 step 7) in the 2022 tables. But the 2023 tables show a higher salary than what I am currently getting for my paygrade. The 2023 tables say they were updated 5/26/23, so would I be right in assuming that they are showing the pay schedule for next year?
Not a big deal; I am more just curious about the discrepancy and to how exactly these pay schedules work.
Specializes in Care Coordination, General Surgery, Oncology.
Your pay should match the current year's pay table. If the scales were just updated on 5/26/2023, it may be that pay admin is behind in updating salaries in the pay system. That has happened a few times to me over the years, more so since they centralized HR to the VISN level. You should get backpay to the date the new scale went into effect. Do you have anything in your eOPF about a pay adjustment? Usually titled "Notification of Personnel Action". It will tell you the effective date. I sometimes get the eOPF notification a few weeks in advance of when I actually see the adjustment on my paycheck.
That said, I would personally check with my direct manager or payroll specialist.
I received a call from the hiring manager of the VA in Rockford IL that she would like to direct hire me for a RN care manager position. I have 7 years of nursing experience. Most of my experience is case management/ clinic related. Do you think it would be reasonable to start at Nurse II? most of the job descriptions say BSN with 2-3 years experience will start at Nurse II which is equivalent to grade 2?
Excel pay scale uploaded. Under Rockford thinking at least first pay scale for grade 2?
Hey again! Anyone know how to decipher the pay scale for N1L2S5 as a new grad nurse in Fresno? I cant figure it out for the life of me on the excel - mainly don't understand why columns level 2 and level 3 are next to one another in the same row? Am I correct to see that the minimum starting pay would be $82,966 Grade 1?
Hey again! Anyone know how to decipher the pay scale for N1L2S5 as a new grad nurse in Fresno? I cant figure it out for the life of me on the excel - mainly don't understand why columns level 2 and level 3 are next to one another in the same row? Am I correct to see that the minimum starting pay would be $82,966 Grade 1?
I received a call from the hiring manager of the VA in Rockford IL that she would like to direct hire me for a RN care manager position. I have 7 years of nursing experience. Most of my experience is case management/ clinic related. Do you think it would be reasonable to start at Nurse II? most of the job descriptions say BSN with 2-3 years experience will start at Nurse II which is equivalent to grade 2?
Excel pay scale uploaded. Under Rockford thinking at least first pay scale for grade 2?
I think it is definitely possible you could start at Nurse/Grade 2, but I don't think it is guaranteed.
Is there a job listing for the position? I ask because sometimes on those it will list the Grade on the payscale that the job falls under (but not the Step which is determined later by the review board based on your experience and how well you selled yourself in your application).
Also, in case you don't know, the VA is notorious for being slow when it comes to the hiring process. From the time I found out I got the job to the I got the formal offer (after the review board determined what my pay would be) was several months.
I think it is definitely possible you could start at Nurse/Grade 2, but I don't think it is guaranteed. ,..........
Also, in case you don't know, the VA is notorious for being slow when it comes to the hiring process. From the time I found out I got the job to the I got the formal offer (after the review board determined what my pay would be) was several months.
Just curious....several months as in 2 mos.? Or 6 or more ?
boywithacoin, BSN
67 Posts
If I understand correctly, you mean Nurse 1, level 2, in which case it's likely that you would start at level 2 regardless if you have a BSN. I believe I've commented elsewhere in this thread that I was hired at a step higher than the other new grads hired at the same time as me who had the same credentials other than the fact that I had been a VALOR student. Hired at N1L2S5 vs step 4 for the other new grad nurses hired at the same time. But your mileage may vary!