VA nurses, need your insight!

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Hi everyone!

I was looking to get some opinions :) I am currently a new grad who will be working for the VA next month. I was in the VALOR program with 7 others, and we are all currently waiting to be placed.

Heres my dilemma - Im 21 years old, and was offered positions in critical care areas (CICU & multi-system ICU) in the private-sector hospitals in my city, where they do the 3 12's a week. Being so young, working on a specialty floor 3 days a week seems like the dream right now!

At the VA, I will be in the community living center (LTC) facility until the med/surg unit opens (whenever the new hospital opens... who knows, hopefully end of the year :/). We have to work on the med/surg for at least a year before being able to advance, and the VA does 5 8's a week, which does not appeal to me at all.

My question is for nurses who have worked in the private sector and for the VA. Am I making the right decision to stay with the VA on a unit that won't be as challenging (med/surg vs ICU), on a schedule I'm not thrilled about?

**** I guess what I really would like opinions on is - Is working for the VA really THAT much better than private-sector hospitals (as I've heard...?).

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Do you want to work in critical care? If you do, I would take that private sector job. If you work in the CLC, you may have trouble getting into critical care later. There is no guarantee that you will get critical care at the VA. You can wait forever for a position to open up at VA and then you compete with outside applicants with critical care experience. Critical care experience is valuable. Look at the problems new nurses are having getting jobs w/ no experience.

VA has good prices on health insurance, lots of time off and they don't cancel you when you are scheduled. Those are good things. But as a new grad, my opinion is that I would take the critical care experience now over those VA benefits. You can always apply later for VA and you will have the added plus for having been a Valor student.

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I can very much relate to what you are going through: I was a VALOR as well and when I graduated, I had a job offer at a level 1 trauma hospital (ICU). That was over a year ago, and I must say that I was very tempted. However, I always wanted to be a VA nurse, so I decided to stay. Because the hospital's opening had been delayed (a lot), I ended up working my first year in the CLC while a lot of my peers from nursing school went on to work in PCUs, ERs, ICUs ect. Did I regret my decision? Absolutely not! During the last year, I worked hard to establish myself, participated in extra activities, and got the best out of my placement at the time. Now, the hospital is finally starting to open and I got my dream position! In fact, I will be part of opening up that very department! I Furthermore, most nurse managers who will start up the new hospital come from other VAs or outside hospitals and are used to 12 hour shifts. I honestly don't expect to have only 8 hour shifts in ANY hospital unit once things are up and running :)

If you decide to go to the private sector, that's ok! Really, don't let anybody tell you what you should do. Follow your heart and work where it takes you. I can only speak for myself and sticking it out with the VA has been the right decision for me! I love the benefits, my veterans, and the VA has been good to me. Good luck :)

I wanted to add to the other comment that, yes, having only CLC experience under your belt will make it difficult to land a job in critical care in the private sector or possibly an outside VA but where you are at, you are already a hospital employee (just like me) and the CLC is only a placeholder position. I am confident that you will be able to switch to critical care once the units have been established.

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I am so glad that VAnurse13 posted the above note for more perspective.

I do very much enjoy working with veterans. I forgot to add that in my first comment. I truly feel like I make an important difference every single day. I have done many things in my nursing career and have not always felt that way.

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email me: olly23atgmail.com

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Thank you so much! I appreciate the responses. I guess I have a lot to think about. Ive definitely heard that its harder to go forward than it is to go backwards. I really do love working with the veterans and 99% of the VA nurses I've gotten to meet are AMAZING, and fun to work with.

I think I may see what happens until the end of the year, and see how the plans are looking with the new hospital, scheduling, and ability to move around in there. If it doesn't look so good, I may apply to the GN program for the beginning of next year, since I will still be under the one-year from graduation requirement.

Thank you guys! Lots to consider :)

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Where are you working with a new hospital being built? I know there are a few. I'm at one, too.

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Specializes in Cardiology Nurse Practitioner.

I work at the Indy VAMC and they actually paid for my nursing degree and I was promised a job right after taking my NCLEX. As a new grad, they offer about $10,000 more per year salary compared to other hospitals. They also pay for my NP degree and you can transfer to any VA without retaking your NCLEX... I love the VA!

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I work at the Indy VAMC and they actually paid for my nursing degree and I was promised a job right after taking my NCLEX. As a new grad, they offer about $10,000 more per year salary compared to other hospitals. They also pay for my NP degree and you can transfer to any VA without retaking your NCLEX... I love the VA!

Psssst....you would NEVER need to retake the NCLEX, regardless of with whom you are employed; the Federal appointment just means you never have to get another State LICENSE :)

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Specializes in Cardiology Nurse Practitioner.

Oops....thanks for the correction :-)

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Im at a VA in Florida :) And thanks Vona! I'm planning on applying to DNP programs next year, and hope to start maybe in August of 2016 (another reason why I want 12s... I don't really want to go to school part-time and work 5 days a week). I have to look into seeing how the whole paying for continuing education works! :)

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Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

Op would you consider moving to a va in another city?

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