Nurses at VA are the cornerstone of our organization. They go above and beyond to support our Veterans physically and emotionally during their care with us. If you are a registered nurse hoping to start your VHA career, here are five tips to help you succeed.
Demonstrate leadership: Nurses are expected to take initiative in providing and directing comprehensive health strategies for our patients through collaboration with interdisciplinary teams. This can range from providing guidance to the patient and their family to executing care plans.
Advocate for patients: It’s important that patients feel cared for and taken care of. Form patient relationships that foster trust and compassion. Identify helpful resources, follow up on questions and direct concerns when needed.
Exhibit critical-thinking skills: Creating patient management plans takes careful and objective thought. The nursing field requires sound judgment and medical knowledge in the delivery of quality clinical care.
Practice patience: Nursing is stressful, and it is easy to feel rushed. However, whether it’s making the rounds with patients or delivering medications, taking your time ensures safety and makes the patient feel like their time is valued.
Experience: Experience can be acquired at many levels, including professional, collegiate and volunteering. Applying learned lessons to real-life situations is one of the best ways to understand nursing and flourish.
(Editor’s note: Updated 4-20-18 to replace the incorrect featured image.)
Topics in this story
More Stories
If you’re looking for an opportunity to provide care to Veterans outside a traditional clinical setting, Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) is a great option.
A key part of your job search is finding the right fit for you and your skills, and workplace culture can impact that dramatically.
VA offers numerous pathways into mental health careers, including scholarship opportunities for college students. Learn more.
Thank you for receiving our feedback and correcting the picture!
You have used a picture of a radiologic technologist, not a nurse. Respect our degrees, we work just as hard for them.
Thank you very much.
Except this picture is not a nurse. It’s radiologic technologist otherwise known as a rad tech. It requires a degree but not a nursing one. Not everyone in a hospital is a nurse and many medical professions do things nurses have no idea how to do. Please respect professions.
Why are you showing a radiologic technologist in your nursing ad. Nurses know absolutely nothing about producing a radiograph. As a radiologic technologist for 40 years, a radiologic sciences educator for 30 of those years & a retired Navy Corpsman, I find this offensive & misleading. If you continue using this ad, I will be forced to launch a campaign that will swamp your site!