I am feeling frustrated with the entire VA NPSB proficiency process. At my hospital, it is a good old boys system in which board members promote their friends and the other managers and shut the door on others. I am a staff RN with a MSN and years of experience. I applied for my nurse III after completing a hospital wide project and doing other work that met the 9 dimensions.
This whole process has me frustrated beyond words. My profIciency has been lost by HR multiple times. My initial NPSB review said I didnt meet 7 of the 9 dimensions. Before submitting my proficiency, I had it reviewed by 3 former board members who all said I would meet for a 3. I submitted a request for reconsideration after the initial denial, and suddenly I met 6 out of 9 dimensions. I am now appealing my denial to VACO. Has anyone ever done this? What was he outcome, and how long did your appeal take to be answered after it was sent off?
I have been repeatedly been told by my own manager "you cannot get a 3 without working in management" and "it takes multiple submissions to get approved". I do not think this is correct. It may be harder to find the time and get approval for a project, but staff RNs cannot be essentially "blocked" from promotion. The dimensions are black and white, yet a subjective system is used to approve or deny proficiencies. It seems so unfair at my hospital. I've seen other nurses get promoted who were friends with board members, while other truly deserving RNs who meet the dimensions and make lasting changed within the hospital are shut out.
Any guidance and other nurses experience with this would be greatly appreciated. I love working with our Vets, but the good old boys club and the oppressive bureaucracy had me ready to bash my face into something. I feel defeated. Thanks all
Hey could you please send me a copy of your Nurse 2. I'm trying to fix mine also. Need to work on my Quality of Care. What are the Key words? Where do I find them?
i am a nurse 3 step 3 now. I work as a UR nurse at the mid south consolidated patient account center.
I am a BSN, MSN, i came in as a 2 step 2 with 8 years and an MSN. I am more than happy to send you my proficiency that got my promotion to Nurse 3. I don't know how i just basically figured out you need key words. Send me a PM and I will send you anything. IT ALL SUCKS my leadership SUCKS. but my pay is great where I work in south texas.
Can you please email me [email protected] . What are the key words and where do you find them?
Please send me a copy of the Nurse 3 RN prof. I am appealing the whole darn thing because my previous manager told me to writer to a nurse 2. Well...we all know how that went. I am already a nurse 2, so not sure why he told me to writer to a nurse 2 ?!?! I am re-writing to a nurse 3.
Why Would your mgr tell you to write to Nurse 2 when you are already a Nurse 2? Maybe he/she didn't know, which speaks to the huge problem that there is very little help at VA for these %*
For all asking, keywords are the words used in the criteria in the Nine Dimensions for Nurse 3 or 2. Use those words in your examples. Use the word collaboration, or collegiality, or whatever is in the description. Show how you impacted the unit for a 2 or hospital for a 3 by using numbers, qualitative ways of measuring the impact. You can't just say you did training for something. Talk about a pre-test or neasure of how things were before, then what you did, then details about the impact afterwards (evaluation).
Write to the level above where you are and show how you are meetung that next level.
Is there anyone that I did not reply to with a PM? I am so sorry if I did not get back to anyone please PM me or let me know. If anyone has had any success let us know!! Good luck to the rest of you, I hope you can find more enjoyment and passion as a VA nurse than I have been able to find. I am currently in the process of opening my own Nursing and home care business, and I finally feel excited again about being a nurse. Please let me know if anyone still needs a sample of an appeal
Hello!
I would greatly appreciate looking at a proficiency for a N3. I will complete my MSN this Spring and will re-submit an updated proficiency at that time. I really enjoy working with the Veterans, just not the VA System. I do not understand why it is so difficult for nurses to get promoted at the VA. I realize the local nursing board has their own opinions on what does or does not meet criteria. I am new to this forum and unable to PM you until I have completed a number of posts. Thanks!!
I am currently a UR nurse (2/7) and just had my latest proficiency. I though I did more during this proficiency than the last and my supervisors said it still was not enough, but they did agree that I did more. I will be receiving my MSN soon. Please send me a copy of your proficiency that got you promoted to Nurse 3. Thanks
I briefly worked as staff at a big VA and I asked HR about this, I was told that just because you get your Masters and meet all the requirements doesn't guarantee you'll get your level III. They said they don't give them out very often due to budget limitations. I imagine if they can deny you for budgetary reasons despite you meeting all the criteria then they can deny you for anything, including not liking you.
Specializes in Family medicine, Cardiology, Spinal Cord Injury.
I was talking to my nurse manager to here at the Long Beach VA Hospital about the NPSB. She sits on the NPSB board here and she informed me that they are getting rid of the board starting in August. Meaning that a board will no longer vote on promotions. The direct nurse manager will be the one to promote a nurse to nurse II. Also, for Nurse III promotions, the Chief Nurse Executive will be the one reviewing the proficiencies and candidates for promotion to Nurse III and will be the one doing the promotions.
You still have to meet all the practice standards, but it will no longer be a board committee vote.
I thought it was a nation-wide push to eliminate the board but not even close to a final decision. I thought it was one of the many points that the NNU is pushing for in the new contract.
zadh085
5 Posts
Hey could you please send me a copy of your Nurse 2. I'm trying to fix mine also. Need to work on my Quality of Care. What are the Key words? Where do I find them?