Burnout is a very real concern among health care workers, particularly in the last few years. Burnout rates are well over 40% in most clinician groups, including providers, nurses, mental health professionals and social workers.
Recognizing that even our mission of serving those who have served isn’t armor enough against burnout, VA has worked to steadily improve conditions throughout our hospitals with the help of our Reduce Employee Burnout and Optimize Organizational Thriving (REBOOT) Task Force.
Through this national initiative, our team members told us the driving factors behind their burnout—including staffing and pay—which has led us to design several initiatives to support our employees. With this information in hand, we’re battling back against burnout, making VA a better place to bring your career.
Better pay for our employees
The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (Honoring Our PACT) Act provided VA much-needed authority to set higher pay caps for certain health care positions.
All this follows on the heels of the RAISE Act, passed earlier in 2022, which raised the pay caps for certain VA nurses and physician assistants. About 10,000 nurses saw a salary increase thanks to this legislation.
The PACT Act also:
- Expands recruitment and retention bonuses for VA employees, including merit awards and pay incentives for employees with a high-demand skill;
- Increases the limit on awards and bonuses to $25,000 without Office of Personnel Management approval, up from $10,000;
- Allows us to offer recruitment, retention and relocation incentives, worth up to 50% of an employee’s salary, as an upfront lump sum;
- Establishes the ability to offer employees up to $100,000 in student loan repayment over the course of their careers—or up to $40,000 per year.
Better staffing in our facilities
Another effort we’ve undertaken to combat burnout is overhauling the recruitment and hiring process. We know that the process can take some time, and that can be a deterrent for applicants. However, extended direct-hire authorities for health care workers will make that process easier.
For example, the PACT Act will offer expedited hiring authority for college graduates into competitive service jobs. The act is also designed to give us up to $40 million a year to buy out the contracts of private-sector health care professionals in exchange for their support of our rural VA facilities.
We also experimented with a national onboarding surge event late in 2022, part of an “all-hands-on-deck” effort approach to fast-track onboarding. The surge event was created to fill VA’s need to hire 52,000 employees per year over the next five years to keep pace with the increased need for care and to maintain a healthy, vibrant workforce.
Better care for everyone
At VA, our core values—integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence—define who we are and how we fulfill our mission to care for Veterans. Together, these values provide a measure for the standards expected of all VA employees, reminding everyone that “I CARE”—about Veterans, and about our fellow employees.
As one of America’s best employers, we know that part of our responsibility is to make sure our employees are well cared for, engaged, supported and empowered to provide Veterans with timely access to world-class health care.
Work at VA
If you’re battling burnout at your current job, consider a switch to VA, where we know the care you provide depends on the support you receive.
- READ about the benefits of a VA career.
- EXPLORE what it means to work at VA.
- LEARN about our culture.
- SEARCH for a VA career near you at VACareers.va.gov.
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I had worked for VA as a BSN for 22 years when I retired. Had worked in various positions from Med-Surg to Infection Control to House Supervisor to Nurse Manager of UC/ICU, Outpatient, Call Center, then after severe burnout, I stepped down as a Staff Nurse in the Domiciliary. Since then, I went back and worked in the Call Center and the Domiciliary , Intermittently. The new chief nurse has now eliminated the part time positions. Since part time positions cut down on Overtime, I don’t understand the reasoning. At times, I worked 32 hours a week due to illness and staffing. I would even like to work remotely, but couldn’t because I was part time. This just feels like a slap in the face after 26 years of service.
The only reason I am thinking of leaving the VA is that I cannot get FMLA to take care of my 96 year old widower father who lives alone and is 550 miles away. I applied twice for FMLA. I got emails from an anonymous HR worker telling me I can’t get FMLA. I have worked at the VA for 14 years. Where is the concern my work life balance??
Not sure what you are talking about but the guidelines I posted below are pretty clear. If you got denied it’s because you did not work the required time and hours or you have already used time for the year you got denied. Also there is no such thing as getting an anonymous e-mail – they have to have a name attached. Lastly, you do have an HR office so I’m not getting what is stopping you from going in there.
https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/benefits-leave/fmla
Employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for their employer at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles.
employers must provide an eligible employee with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year:
To care for an immediate family member (i.e., spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition
Bunch of VA lies here they for sure will burn you out and do not care if you cannot take the grind and will find a way to replace your job with another cog and will call you a lyer when you get a complaint inside the boys club
The process for applying and maybe (it’s a long shot) getting an interview for the VA or any other Federal position is still unnecessarily long and arduous.
To add onto that, the focus on hiring recent college graduates leaves out the thousands of unemployed, displaced, and experienced workers with extensive work history. Many of whom ALSO have college degrees and have been layed off as a result of the pandemic and inflation.
Personally, when there is real data to support the new hiring concepts mentioned and less discrimination towards hiring experienced displaced workers, maybe then I’ll start to believe that real change is being made. Until then, it’s an okay concept.
Va doesn’t understand what equity is inside the organization is a pack of hungry wolf’s all in it to promote their friends and themselves. Steer clear of working here if you believe in equity
As a VA RN I have not seen any of these questions addressed in our Minneapolis facility despite the ACES report saying burnout is an issue. I have made a big impact in my area and I can’t even request a book to be ordered from the library without going through my supervisor.
You should find a new work place if you want more flexibility. Va is bureaucracy of course and will only get more confusing the more you work in the system and will get you more stress than is worth taking. Do not let them push you and when they do get a layer right away don’t hesitate
Get a lawyer sorry
you guys make it difficult to apply for job processing PACT ACT applications. Not enough info on your posts.
Thanks for the info; looking into the Va
Not a healthy work culture unless you like being harassed every time the administration changes in DC some new hero shows up to help everyone