VA Onboarding

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Specializes in CPAN.

Hello everyone. I am in the last Stages of the onboarding process with the Southern Texas VA. To determine my Paygrade I received an email from NPSB with the request to write a proficiency Profile. I am completely overwhelmed and don't even know where to start! I have a total of 20 years of experience, but only 5.5 years as an RN in the USA, and recently graduated with my BSN. I never held an official Supervisor Position or such... how can I reflect my nursing experience sufficiently? Since becoming a Nurse in the US I have always worked Nightshift, so there is not much experience with committee work. Also, what do I do if I am unable to retrieve the last Evaluation from my Employer??? We are in the middle of a cross-country move! Any help is greatly appreciated.

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Specializes in OR, pre-op.

I am needing help with writing this too.  I feel so frustrated.  If anyone has an example I can go off of , I would greatly appreciate it too.  [email protected]

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Hey there.. have you started yet? 

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Specializes in OR, pre-op.

No.  I keep searching for ideas and am just confused about the whole thing really.  What I had was more of a resume and not a narrative for the VA board.   I'm a operating room nurse with 23 plus years experience. 

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ORnurse2.0 said:

No.  I keep searching for ideas and am just confused about the whole thing really.  What I had was more of a resume and not a narrative for the VA board.   I'm a operating room nurse with 23 plus years experience. 

I am not best person to ask but I would just answer the question they asked and make sure you give examples. Thia board review is just to determine what nurse level you will be under.. worst case they will board you lower than othet but with your experience. Lowest will be nurse 2. When did you receive your TO?

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

I just turned mine in this evening.  I ended up tearing each rubric apart and giving an example for each requirement. I did my paper in narrative form.   I split each dimension up and worked on the ones I found easier then left the hardest to the end.  It's not something that can be done in a few minutes or hour.  It asks a lot.

From everything I read, they expect the nurse to walk on water to I am sure they will laugh at my paper and into the recycle bin it will go.

I wrote to Nurse 3 but know I'll be a 2 like most. 

Much luck to you!

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Specializes in OR, pre-op.

OK. Thanks for your help.  I may just have to do the same thing and hope for the best.  Good luck to you as well!  

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
ORnurse2.0 said:

OK. Thanks for your help.  I may just have to do the same thing and hope for the best.  Good luck to you as well!  

You got this. My advise is to take the dimension you think is easiest for you.  Mine was practice. Then once you get that done, go over the requirements and hit every point asked.  Then move on to next dimension.  I found that once I started writing, things popped in my head for other dimensions so it got easier. 
 

Good luck! I will report what they come back with 

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I am actually on the npsb. They rate each one like a rubric for a schoole essay. You get points for years of exp, certifications, degree level, leadership roles, teaching exp, hospital/program cha ges or projects, past lpn exp. IF new grad your GPA can also give extra points. Answer each question with a specific example of what you actually did. A narrative is totally fine, I wrote mine that way as a newer RN and boared as nurse 2 step 3- which was a 10k pay increase for me in 2017. It is worth putting the effort it because it will get your more money.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Arr-tistRN said:

I am actually on the npsb. They rate each one like a rubric for a schoole essay. You get points for years of exp, certifications, degree level, leadership roles, teaching exp, hospital/program cha ges or projects, past lpn exp. IF new grad your GPA can also give extra points. Answer each question with a specific example of what you actually did. A narrative is totally fine, I wrote mine that way as a newer RN and boared as nurse 2 step 3- which was a 10k pay increase for me in 2017. It is worth putting the effort it because it will get your more money.

Hey, appreciate the feedback as it is not so transparent to the people onboarding and a bit convoluted.  I treated it like the rubric for a school essay myself because that is what worked for me when going back to school for my BSN and then MSN.   In your opinion, is the process fair and equitable?  The reason I ask is because a colleague of mine got three offers at three different locations.  She submitted the same paperwork but got boarded three different ways at each station.  The first was was boarded as a II/5, the others were permanent an boarded as III/5 and II/7.  Any thoughts or words of wisdom as to why it could vary so much?

Thanks in advance!

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I don't think it is consistent. Until recently you had to do complex calculations to determine what steps to give someone, I'm sure there was error. Also, if the information is on clearly written or maybe on multiple documents, it's harder to be consistent. I sat in on a board once they wanted to offer nurse 2 to someone with a MSN who was a director! I fought to offer her a 3, the way she had written her resume it didn't have all the degrees and certification numbers listed so the board wanted to give her a 2 at first. I got her a 3 but I'm sure when others are not so detail oriented these discrepancies happen.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.
Arr-tistRN said:

I don't think it is consistent. Until recently you had to do complex calculations to determine what steps to give someone, I'm sure there was error. Also, if the information is on clearly written or maybe on multiple documents, it's harder to be consistent. I sat in on a board once they wanted to offer nurse 2 to someone with a MSN who was a director! I fought to offer her a 3, the way she had written her resume it didn't have all the degrees and certification numbers listed so the board wanted to give her a 2 at first. I got her a 3 but I'm sure when others are not so detail oriented these discrepancies happen.

Thank you for the feedback.  It is highly appreciated.

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