VA Nurse 2 Proficiency Help

Alison Kirkpatrick RN · Jul 20, 2022

Happy to help. You need to do something that affects change at your unit level. Re-write a policy, suggest a change that improves outcomes etc. One nurse simply identified that we didn't have an actual order set to access an infusaport for SDS. She collaborated with oncology, did her research, re-wrote the policy and wrote the order set. She then in-serviced all the staff. If you email me I will send you mine. What is your email I will send you mine? (I also am on the board). If you don't get it, please re-write it. When you get to ethics, make sure your correlate your example to the ANA code of ethics and one of the dimensions there. Hope this helps.

jenny966 · Jul 20, 2022

that would be amazing! many nurses on my unit who achieved nurse 2 don't want to share their proficiency to help assist us to see what exactly we should be doing. thank you so so much! I'm almost tempted to leave back to private sector. hopefully this will help guide me. it's much appreciated!

[email protected]

missea39, BSN · Jul 27, 2022

I start my new job at the VA on Aug 1st as a Nurse 2 and never worked in the VA before. I’m pretty ignorant to the importance of being a Nurse 2 and/or trying to jump from Nurse 1 to Nurse 2. I’m willing to share tips on how I answered the Dimensions of Nursing questionnaire. By the time I was done I had 7-8 pages of answers to the questioned asked.

jenny966 · Jul 27, 2022

thank you! that would be great!

[email protected]

peaches1820 · Jul 28, 2022

I am currently in the process of new hire at the VA as an RN. Everyone is telling me they will probably try and board me low as a Nurse I Level III. They said I should come in as a Nurse II. Does anyone have any pointers or examples to go by and willing to share?

[email protected]

jenny966 · Jul 28, 2022

Make your resume as long and as detailed as possible! Any team, committee, you have ever been apart of, make sure you brag about what changes you implemented on the unit as a whole. Thats what they're looking for. Also, I didn't know this, but a coworker was offered in as a high nurse 1 & she declined & they counter offered with a nurse 2. so thats an option that I didn't know about

yoganurse9 · Jul 28, 2022

missea39 BSN, I would love to hear your tips on how best to answer the Dimensions of Nursing questionnaire. Feel free to private message me or post here. Thanks!

missea39, BSN · Aug 1, 2022

All my answers were centered around my leadership skills. With each question I would think of a job situation that I experienced that was a good fit with what was being asked. I used SBAR to answer the questions (Situation: Get to the point, Background: Get to the point, Assessment: (Get to the point and Results: Get to the point). These questions will require you to regurgitate your nursing experiences through the years and to demonstrate your abilities to handle the situation, coworker, nursing leaders, upper leadership, and team building. Never sell yourself short! think of what you have implemented to cause a positive change in your workplace. Nothing is too small! also if you were part of a group of coworkers brainstorming changes that needed to be made to make things better and run more proficient then speak on these things. Communicate about how you contributed in the group and your brainstorming ideas.

Nurse_KB, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2022

On 8/1/2022 at 5:20 AM, missea39 said:

All my answers were centered around my leadership skills. With each question I would think of a job situation that I experienced that was a good fit with what was being asked. I used SBAR to answer the questions (Situation: Get to the point, Background: Get to the point, Assessment: (Get to the point and Results: Get to the point). These questions will require you to regurgitate your nursing experiences through the years and to demonstrate your abilities to handle the situation, coworker, nursing leaders, upper leadership, and team building. Never sell yourself short! think of what you have implemented to cause a positive change in your workplace. Nothing is too small! also if you were part of a group of coworkers brainstorming changes that needed to be made to make things better and run more proficient then speak on these things. Communicate about how you contributed in the group and your brainstorming ideas.

I have a tentative offer and will need to answer dimension questions. Did you write your answers as a narrative or did you bullet point in SBAR format? Did you use any scenarios more than once? For example, can I use a scenario for education and collaboration, as long as it applies to both?

Alison Kirkpatrick RN · Aug 10, 2022

You can use 1 example for more than one dimension if applicable

missea39, BSN · Aug 12, 2022

Yes, I do recall using one of my leadership skill examples more than once for a different question being asked. And of course, the answer was more detailed due to the type of question I was being asked. I did right my answers in a narrative but I got to the point and remove all unnecessary verbiage (eliminate run on sentences).