How to grow your career as a VHA nurse

Good employers are ones who invest in their employees’ professional and personal development. In the health care industry, that’s an even more significant necessity. At VHA, we’re dedicated to your educational and professional growth. We offer multiple programs that help our nurses provide Veterans with exceptional care – all while keeping their nursing licenses up to date. Here’s how you can take advantage of these resources while advancing your career journey.

Early Career

• The health care profession requires constant education. We support this need by providing several leadership programs, such as our Nurse Executive Leadership Development Program and Nurse Executive Mentor/Mentee Program. Collectively, these programs provide management training and the opportunity for mentors to provide support for new nurse executives.
• We also provide education support with our Employee Incentive Scholarship Program and Student Loan Repayment Program. With these programs, our nurses have an opportunity to earn an advanced degree, and a chance to receive up to $60,000 in education support.

Midcareer

• VA offers several opportunities for career advancement and skill building. Our Nursing Polytrauma Consortium allows us to nurture leaders from each polytrauma center while sharing clinical, administrative, educational and research initiatives related to polytrauma care with additional VA facilities. Our nurses are also involved in the Magnet Recognition Program and the related Pathway to Excellence Program. These programs are dedicated to demonstrating nursing excellence and innovation in practice and leadership. All of our programs are produced to help develop VHA nurses professionally, and give them the confidence to take extraordinary care of our Veterans and their families.
• VA believes in taking great care of our nurses beyond education. That’s why we offer a strong work-life balance. We offer flexible scheduling for our nurses, including four-, six- and 12-hour shifts, as well as ample time off.

• We believe in recognizing our nurses for their work and accomplishments. VA has honorary and financial awards for our nurses, including National Nursing Awards and the VA Secretary Award for Excellence in Nursing.

Advanced Career

• We want our nurses to build a lifetime of experiences. VA is one of the largest research organizations in the U.S., giving our nurses the opportunity to participate in innovative health care research.
• With the VA Nursing Academy, experienced nurses have the opportunity to spread their knowledge to the next generation of nurses at the country’s top-rated nursing schools. This includes 18 partnerships at competitively selected schools throughout the country.
• When our nurses are ready for retirement, they’re covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System. FERS is made up of Social Security benefits, FERS basic benefits and our Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), ensuring our nurses are well cared for after spending their lives caring for others.     With over 1,400 hospital and clinic locations within the VHA network, there are plenty of opportunities for professional growth. Being a part of VHA means being well versed in the health care field, and we’re always looking to shape and build new nurses. Join us today.