What are some pros and cons working at the VA hospital? I’m army reserve and I am also looking at become a military nurse.

Lots of pros for working at a VA facility, with the caveat that every VA is different! There's a joke among employees that goes, "If you've seen one VA, then you've seen one VA." It all depends on the leadership. I had great experiences at VA when I had strong leadership, and very poor experiences with poor leadership/supervisors. Certainly for you as an army reservist, you should always be granted your military leave time without question. It used to be that VA pay was lower than private hospitals, but that has changed in some areas such as northern California, thanks to generous locality pay (which is now also partially responsible for an unofficial hiring freeze, because Congress didn't fund the locality pay boost, and they're running out of money for the fiscal year). However, what the VA may lack in pay, they more than make up for with time-off benefits. As a full-time RN, you earn 8 hours of personal leave per 2 week pay period, plus 4 hours of sick leave, plus 11 holidays (which you either get off, or if inpatient and work, receive overtime for). Again, the caveat is if you can actually take the leave, depending on how well-staffed your unit is. Then there is also the pension (which removes 4% of your gross pay per pay period) and 401(k), called the TSP, which can be matched up to a certain percentage, plus the usual subsidized health/dental/vision insurance. You can be vested after 5 years, meaning if you leave VA, you can take the retirement and pension money with you. (It used to be 3 years, but I heard they raised it to 5.) In addition, VA offers a lot of different forms of leadership training as well as opportunities for leadership. Unfortunately, you have to want to be a nurse leader, because oftentimes you will have staff nurses making more money than the nursing director (ADPCS) due to salary caps, overtime, and differentials. (Leadership positions are salaried/exempt, staff positions hourly/non-exempt.) Finally, one of the best and worst parts of VA is the nursing board, who determines your starting pay grade. Hopefully the nurse recruiter or another VA nurse will help you through this process, because it is a BEAST! Which pay grade you start at can literally add or subtract hundreds of thousands of dollars from your pay over the course of your career. Once you receive your temporary offer, it can take anywhere from 5-9 months to actually start working at VA, so don't quit your job until you have your official start date and pay grade! Overall, I encourage you to look into opportunities at VA (if you can find them -- as I mentioned, as I write this, most positions right now are only open to current VA employees). Make sure you understand the VA/government resume style before submitting anything (VERY different from your regular resume) so that you can get past HR to the nurse recruiter, don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions at your interview, and if you receive an offer, work with the nurse recruiter or another VA nurse to leverage your experience sufficiently for your starting pay. Good luck!

Working as a RN in the VA is different than working in military hospitals. The VA is full of chronically sick patients with PTSD. Working on base in a military hospital will have a much healthier population.

Pros: Government benefits. Government retirement. Union membership. No “other duties as assigned” outside of what is on your contract.

Cons: Lengthy background and onboarding process (6-12+ months). Plenty of red tape when it comes to patient care due to direct government oversight.

I have not worked in a VA hospital But, I think you are doing the best possible nursing job. Whether the patients are medically or mentally ill, you are there for them. I thank you for your service and thank you for taking care of our veterans!

It depends on which area of the country you are in as to staffing and support. I retired in 2019 but worked at 2 different VISNs (Veterans Integrated Service Network) in Iowa and California. I liked that nurses are part of a union, have 5weeks of vacation, and 10 holidays annually. Wages are competitive with the community and they offer tuition assistance to further your education. There are opportunities to advance your career and you have access to up-to-date equipment at your work site. The Veterans are wonderful to work with. Good luck in your future endeavors.

Many are depressed and it takes a special nurse to understand and care .

I worked at the VA for 7 years. I loved the patients. They were the best, most grateful, and respectful patients I every took care of. I would still there if it wasn’t for the management especially middle management. You have people who have little or no hospital experience running the hospital. Everyone is trying to be promoted and it’s very arbitrary who does. Also the computer system was very outdated. If you can deal with , not only regular hospital regulations but government red tape apply. The patients and the benefits are worth it.

Hi. I was a civilian but I worked at Ft Howard in MD for 2 years. Okay but the patients were special Then I moved to Arizona and worked at Carl T Hayden VA and absolutely loved it. I worked their step down unit for a few months then transferred into MICU. It is also a teaching facility. I learned so much the the Intensivist were incredible. The ability to learn and grow was supported and encouraged. I became an ACLS Instructor and preceptor for the ICU.
The Thrift Savings Plan was a huge help for me when I retired from nursing.
The only reason I left was I moved to CO.
I wish you luck on your endeavors.
JJ

Yes become a military nurse. I was a flight medic / EMT for 20 years and a nurse could never be found. Most of it in the 82nd Airborne. They have a few in the hospitals (all on day shift), a few in MASH units which are temporary, zero in clinics. At least do guard or reserve. You will make a difference and have immediate credibility. The VA needs to be shutdown and started over, all of the admin needs to be fired, they’re all a disgrace

Pros are you are dedicated to treating our precious military in need of medical care and that’s rewarding! Con is because of finances the nurses don’t get all the supplies they need to provide quality care, they are also grossly understaffed! I loved that I was making a difference in a persons health and security when they served to keep our country safe. They share their stories and experiences with us and it’s a honor to listen! Try it….they need help!

The benefits are great for RNs. 5 weeks vacation can not be best, 2 weeks sick, good affordable insurance.

Like anywhere there are good managers and some that are not as good. Like anywhere it is top heavy in administration. Like anywhere else you will have mostly great colleagues and just a few not so great.

The salary really is dependent on how you “board” when you hire on. Advanced degree helps. Once you hire on it is not easy to advance to a higher level.

Finally the worse part is with only two weeks notice they can (and will) change your hours, the department you work in and even the location (different campus) you work. If you sign on for hours and days that fit your lifestyle or location near your home that fits your needs, do not become too attached to those little details.

I worked for the VA for over 30 years. Pros-Great benefits, including a pension, which most other healthcare organizations do not provide. Most patients are grateful for what we did. Cons-Media scrutiny on an agency where honest mistakes are blown out of proportion and the front line staff get blamed.

I would seek out ICU, ER or OR experience...all of these areas are always in need and the education and training is priceless

Having worked for the VA and in military hospitals I would advise join the military. You would be an officer and retire with a good pension and health care at 20 years. Also you are open to travel and vast experience in whatever field of nursing you want to try. Great educational.

I love working at the VA! Communication is one of the things they are working on. If you have ever worked in the private sector, this is an issue there as well. After having worked in the private sector, the VA is much better. I get paid better, more time off, have the ability to get education paid for. We are allowed to really spend time with our patients!
The veteran population is amazing!

Pro: great bene's in the long run. Con: if you enlist, is your life your own???

I love the VA and would hire recommend it if you are passionate about caring for America's heroes. They also favor veterans in hiring.