VA Nurse Salary

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Hi! Can anyone provide me with good info on the starting pay for VA nurses? I am applying in both Kansas (Leavenworth VA) and Missouri (Kansas City, MO VA). The salary range for both locations is about $46,000-$88,000. I know salary is based on experience, but I'm wondering if most nurses start somewhere in the middle. I have about 1.5 years med-surg experience. I can easily make more than the $46k at my current hospital position, but I'd like to work for the VA and the benefits can't be beat! Just wondering if I'll have to take a big pay cut. Thanks!

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

The VA salary might be low to start but over the years will be better the the local hospital in most areas of the nation. Also you will start you will get 26 evacuation days and 13 sick days a year to start.

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Specializes in ED.

My experience has been that the VA paid better than the other hospital did. I also get better benefits, having 30 days of annual leave a year and 14 sick days a year to start. Good retirement too. I'm not in the mid-west though.

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I worked for the VA in an outpatient setting..the pay was WAY better than the hospital. Every year of experience plus your degrees and certifications as well as previous military experience - if any - all determine your pay. There are grades and steps that are used for this. It takes awhile to get hired at the VA - or at least around here it does - but they are up front about the money so you would know exactly what you are getting into before you would need to quit your other job. Worth a shot.

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I just rec'd a tentative offer from the VA and am in the process of filling out my qualifications standards for the Nurse Professional Standards Board. I understand that this is the time to "toot my own horn", but does anyone have any more specific advice? I know that there are 4 dimensions, with 9 criteria and we are supposed to provide examples, but it seems vague at times and I know if examples (for example a unit wide practice I implemented to reduce pressure ulcers) that could fall under several dimensions-both Practice and Scientific Inquiry. Can you use the same examples? Does that hurt your salary? Any input would be helpful!!!!

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I would put it in both places, but you can put more than one example for each part, I think. Give examples and put everything you can think of on your resume that the RN Board will be looking at. My recruiter asked me to be more specific on my med-surg background, so I listed lots of specific things that I assumed one would know are done on a med-surg floor. Somewhere on allnurses someone said they had called their recruiter for help. I emailed mine and she was helpful. She was the one who asked me for more detail on my resume.

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RN1253-

Thanks- When you filled yours out, what level were you? RN1? RN2?

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I don't know how they will classify me bc I am still waiting but I have only a diploma from wayyy back and a Bachelor's degree from a non-health field before the diploma. I'm old ;) I am told that no one gets RN2 without a BSN.

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I think it is really hard to guess what level or how much you get pay with the VA especially the pay range is wide 40s to 90s (the job that I applied for), until they review your certifcates/degree/experiences. I just completed my dimensions--6 pages, took alottttttt of my time. I would recommend to spend time on that cause someone told me they use that to also determine the rate as well. I would not repeat the same example cause that give the board the impression you don't have alot of accomplishment. Sell yourself well on the dimension report. Of course still awaiting for my final offer since I got the tentative offer end of May

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Specializes in EMT, ER, Homehealth, OR.

From what I understand from working there you need your BSN to get nurse II and your MSN to get your nurse III. There are some diploma & ADN nurse's who are nurse II because they were grandfathered in when the VA switched its nurse's to title 38.

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"I would not repeat the same example cause that give the board the impression you don't have alot of accomplishment. Sell yourself well on the dimension report." That's probably good advice.

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Specializes in Operating Room, ICU, CCRN.
I think it is really hard to guess what level or how much you get pay with the VA especially the pay range is wide 40s to 90s (the job that I applied for) until they review your certifcates/degree/experiences. I just completed my dimensions--6 pages, took alottttttt of my time. I would recommend to spend time on that cause someone told me they use that to also determine the rate as well. I would not repeat the same example cause that give the board the impression you don't have alot of accomplishment. Sell yourself well on the dimension report. Of course still awaiting for my final offer since I got the tentative offer end of May[/quote']

Did you have a lot of RN experience that they needed to verify? Just trying to figure out why it possibly is taking so long. Do you think the dimensions is something I should start working on early? In the dimensions paper are you only describing your RN experience or all of your medical experience? Thanks

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