Trade your student debt for a promising career serving Veterans. If you’re looking for help repaying your student loans, you can qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program with a VA career.
By canceling loans after 10 years of public service, PSLF removes the burden of student debt on public servants and entices people to work in high-need fields. Because VA is a federal employer, new and existing VA workers with federal student loans may be eligible for this national loan forgiveness program.
Qualifying for the program
The PSLF program forgives your remaining loan balance after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying student loan repayment plan while working full-time for certain employers, like VA.
Right now, the U.S. Department of Education has waived some requirements for applications submitted through Oct. 31, 2022, opening up loan forgiveness to more borrowers.
Still, though, you need qualifying employment to be considered, which is one of many reasons why you should consider a career at VA.
Investing in your future
Despite the short-term waiver that expands PSLF, the program is ongoing, which means that anyone looking for a career at VA can participate once they begin their employment.
But that’s not all VA has to offer. With our Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), VA employees with qualifying student loans who are in specific, difficult-to-recruit direct patient care positions may receive up to $200,000 over a five-year period.
And for those looking to continue their education, the Employee Incentive Scholarship Program (EISP) offers significant support. This program provides eligible VA employees with tax-free scholarships of up to $41,572 toward the cost of higher education, including tuition, registration fees and books. In return, you agree to work at VA for one to three years after you complete the program.
We offer some of the most comprehensive employee education benefits in the nation, and we work hard to ensure you have access to tools, benefits and training that provide the personal and professional growth needed to take your career to next level.
Work at VA
A job at VA could provide some relief from your student loans and be the next step on your journey to a fulfilling career.
In honor of National Nurses Month and in celebration of VHA’s 75th anniversary, VA thanks its nurses and highlights nursing career opportunities
VA nurses make a profound impact on the lives of Veterans every day – and this has never been truer than during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our nurses have made extraordinary personal and professional sacrifices while providing heroic service to Veterans over the past year, going above and beyond to care for those in need during a global pandemic,” said Darren Sherrard, associate director of VA recruitment marketing.
By delivering the highest quality care to Veterans every day, they give us 112,400 plus reasons to celebrate this momentous occasion. Need another reason to celebrate? It could be you. Choose a nursing career at VA and make a lasting difference for Veterans today.
The heart and soul of VA
Nurses are at the center of VA care. We could not provide patient-centered, high-quality health care to millions of Veterans without the dedication and hard work of these invaluable medical professionals.
They work across disciplines and in all treatment settings, including hospitals, ambulatory and skilled nursing. They play a critical role on our Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs), helping coordinate the full spectrum of patient care. And they do it with compassion and capability that lifts the spirits of their patients.
We encourage nurses to advance in their careers and contribute to our culture of improvement and innovation. Nurses often rise to leadership positions, helping create new models of care, introducing new nursing roles and advancing existing ones. There are plentiful opportunities for nurses to collaborate with colleagues – sharing tools, evidence-based practices and the lessons they’ve learned.
“Each day I am honored to use the advanced expertise I have attained, as well as continuously seek new knowledge to fulfill our vision of advancing nursing and transforming health care,” said Heather Arredondo, DHA, RN, VHA-CM, program manager for professional standards boards in VA’s Office of Nursing Services.
Rich rewards
As a VA nurse, you’ll discover more than a job – you’ll discover a mission of service. You’ll enjoy a fulfilling career with competitive pay, perks and rewards that only add to the satisfaction of giving back to those who have given so much to our country.
You’ll have unparalleled opportunities for professional growth and plentiful chances to positively impact health care. In addition to the chance to move into a leadership role, you can advance your education, mentor and be mentored, and conduct research.
Other benefits include robust health insurance (including vision and dental), life and long-term care insurance, student loan reimbursement, continuing education and generous retirement. We also offer flexible scheduling, a generous leave plan and paid family leave for new parents.
What’s more, with one active, unrestricted U.S. license, you can practice anywhere in the country and move VA locations without losing any benefits or accumulated leave.
Work at VA
Are you ready to help us heal and care for Veterans so they can thrive in life after military service? Apply for a job as a VA nurse.
For Debbie Sommer, being a VA nurse has paid off, both personally and professionally.
Throughout nursing school, Sommer always knew she wanted to work at VA. She happily realized that goal in 1999, when the Miami VA Healthcare System hired her as a registered nurse (RN) for its spinal cord injury (SCI) unit. With a National Nursing Education Initiative (NNEI) scholarship and mentor support from VA, Sommer, who graduated with an associate’s degree in nursing, set out to advance her education and career. Two NNEI scholarships later, she had earned a Master of Science in nursing and now works as chief nurse for operations at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.
VA Nurse Debbie Sommer, RN, BSN.
At VA, we know that helping employees advance their education and careers not only benefits them personally and professionally but also enhances the exceptional care we provide the nation’s Veterans. That’s why we have education support programs like NNEI and encourage employees to take advantage of them. After a year as a VA employee, Sommer qualified for an NNEI scholarship, with which she earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN).
Much-needed support
“As a single mother with a new nursing career, this NNEI scholarship alleviated the financial stress and afforded me the opportunity to advance my clinical knowledge and obtain a BSN,” said Sommer. “While attending school, VA assigned me a mentor, who coached me along the way.”
Through the NNEI scholarship program, RNs who work part-time or full-time at VA for at least one year can receive up to $41,572 tax free toward the cost of higher education, including tuition, registration fees and books. In return, scholarship recipients agree to work in a VA career for one to three years.
After serving as an SCI nurse, home-based primary care nurse and home telehealth nurse, Sommer accepted a position as a quality nurse management specialist. While in this role, she applied for and received a second NNEI scholarship, which she used to earn her master’s degree in nursing administration.
In addition to being continuously employed at VA for one year before applying, NNEI scholarship applicants must:
Be in a permanent position at the time they apply and during the time they participate in the program.
Following positions as a primary care case manager and nurse manager, Sommer accepted her current role as chief nurse. Having the flexibility to relocate increased her opportunities for career advancement, and she appreciates VA’s investment in her career.
“My NNEI scholarship showed VA believed in me by investing in my professional development,” she said. “My VA mentors provided insight and helped me grow professionally. I am grateful to VA and the NNEI scholarship program for helping me advance my career and providing me with the tools to deliver the best care to our Veterans.”
Work at VA
Financial support and professional guidance to advance your career helps you fulfill the noble mission of caring for our nation’s Veterans. Only VA can offer you that. Start planning your next career move today at vacareers.va.gov.
The VA is honoring the achievements of its mental health professionals during Mental Health Awareness Month. Veterans’ mental health has long been a focus at VA — as far back as 1941, when we opened our first lab dedicated to researching neuropsychiatric disorders.
We know treating the minds of our nation’s heroes is just as important as treating their bodies, so today we continue our tradition of research and focus on Veteran mental health.
“This Mental Health Month, we celebrate VA professionals who have made groundbreaking discoveries that benefit the mental health of the nation’s Veterans every day,” said Darren Sherrard, associate director of recruitment marketing at VA. “We are always looking for qualified professionals to join our team who want to help improve the lives of Veterans through innovative mental health care.”
Groundbreaking research
In the past few decades, VA researchers have made important breakthroughs in the mental health field, such as locating a gene associated with schizophrenia and identifying gray matter loss common in several psychiatric disorders.
Today, they are always on the lookout for new approaches to treat and prevent mental health disorders. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research is a high priority and no more so than at our National Center for PTSD. As the world’s leading research and educational center of excellence on PTSD and traumatic stress, it synthesizes VA and external scientific research to promote better understanding, diagnosis and treatment of PTSD. Other current research focuses at VA include mood disorders, the co-occurrence of mental health issues and physical disorders, and more.
We also operate more than 20 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECCs) and other centers of excellence and innovation throughout the country. Here, we research the causes and treatments of mental disorders and put this knowledge into practice in VA.
It’s more than just a job — it’s a deeply rewarding mission to give back to those who have served. We take a holistic approach to care, so you’ll be a vital part of our patient care team.
We offer competitive compensation for mental health professionals, generous leave policy and free liability coverage. Other perks of a VA career include:
Higher education support
Flexible work schedules and shifts.
Diversity and inclusion policies and programs.
Low patient-provider ratios.
Career training and enhancement opportunities.
Dining options and a tax-free retail store.
A smoke/drug-free workplace.
Work at VA
By growing our team of practitioners and researchers, we can provide more Veterans with access to lifesaving, high-quality care and continue our success in mental health research. Consider choosing VA for your mental health career.
DISCOVER what a career in mental health looks like at VA.
This National Nurses Week, we salute the over 100,000 VA nurses who work tirelessly every day to serve our nation’s Veterans — and have continued to demonstrate their commitment and dedication throughout this historic global situation.
“VA nurses are fiercely dedicated to our mission of providing excellent care to America’s heroes, which is especially vital during this time,” said Shawanda Poree, program manager of nurse recruitment and resources at VA. “We couldn’t care for the 9 million Veterans enrolled in VA care without them.”
At VA facilities from coast to coast, our nurses consistently advocate for Veterans and ensure they receive the best care.
This year, in honor of Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday, National Nurses Week is also part of the World Health Organization’s “Year of the Nurse and Midwife,” recognizing the hard work of the world’s nurses.
“No better feeling”
“There’s no better feeling than caring for the Veteran. You get to know them and they become like your family,” said Sarah Lueger, a nurse manager who serves Veterans at the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System. “It’s a way for me to give back to them for what they’ve done for us.”
At 100,000-strong, the VA nursing corps is the largest in the nation. Together, they provide continuous, compassionate care and positively impact the lives of Veterans — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
“The people who work at VA really have a strong passion for what they do, and that is infectious to those around us,” said Karalie Gantz, an inpatient acute psychiatry nurse manager at Topeka VA.
VA nurses practice in a variety of care-delivery settings, including acute, ambulatory, mental health care, telecare and outpatient clinics.
“Within our health care system, there are [so many] different departments and different opportunities that, once you’re here, you can find [your] niche. There really is a place for everyone at VA,” Gantz said.
Grow, lead and innovate
Nurses are a critical part of Veteran treatment teams. They sit on leadership boards and collaborate across disciplines to improve patient outcomes. At all of our 1,250 sites, nurses have a voice at the table with physicians and leadership and help improve patient care.
“Working at VA is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve grown into the nurse that I am now, the leader that I am now,” Lueger said.
The VA encourages nurses to take advantage of opportunities to accelerate their training. Three available opportunities include:
The VA Learning Opportunities Residency (VALOR) Program gives outstanding registered nursing students who have completed their junior year in an accredited clinical program the opportunity to develop their skills at a VA-approved health care facility. More than 50% of VALOR participants are hired as new registered nurses in VA and usually start above the entry-level salary rate established for new graduates.
Through the Education Debt Reduction Program, nurses with qualifying student loans receive reimbursements of up to $120,000 over a five-year period. Payments cover tuition and other reasonable expenses, including fees, books, supplies, equipment, materials and laboratory costs.
Under the National Nursing Education Initiative (NNEI), part- or full-time VA registered nurses employed for at least one year can receive up to $40,117 toward the pursuit of an associate, bachelor’s or advanced nursing degree, including tuition, registration fees and books.
A wealth of resources, including mentoring and preceptor programs, also encourage promotion of staff nurses to executive-level positions.
VA nurses also have the chance to innovate and research. Nurses are helping VA become a leader in telehealth and embracing scientific exploration to come up with new ways to serve Veterans.
Work at the VA Today
During Nurses Week 2020 and all year long, we celebrate and thank the VA nurses who are pursuing careers with purpose and making a difference in Veterans’ lives.
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is
directly contacting retired VA and Federal clinicians to join them in
the ongoing effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
VA
needs experienced patient-care providers during the crisis
to help those already providing the best care to our Veterans at
VA medical centers, outpatient clinics and community living
centers.
The
department is reaching out to retired VA and Federal health care
providers through social media, massive postcard mailings, email and
word of mouth. VA staff are currently working the phones to ask if
former colleagues are interested in coming back for a 120-day
assignment, renewable up to one year.
“The nation’s health care system is dealing with an unprecedented crisis,” said Dr. Richard Stone, Executive In Charge, Veterans Health Administration. “Beyond VHA’s primary mission of providing care for our Veterans, we have a fourth mission, which is to be the safety net for our Nation’s health care system. We need everyone to join us in this fight, and recently retired health care professionals can come in and make an immediate impact.”
Stepping Up
After retiring in 2014, former VHA Chief
Nursing Officer and Senior Nurse Executive Catherine Rick has
answered the call and is awaiting her assignment from VA. “I could
work virtually from home or I could travel. I’m healthy and I’m
tech-savvy,” said Rick, who lives in the Phoenix area.
Rick said her high regard for VA staff and her
experience in hurricane emergency response made her want to step up
during the current health crisis. “In my 22 years of experience
with VA, I can say I have the highest regard for everything VA does —
and can do. There is an extremely talented staff across the VA
system, and the work the emergency relief staff does made me think
about what they’re going through. I knew their wheels must be
spinning in overtime.”
VA is especially looking for nurses and
other health care providers, including physicians, pharmacists,
laboratory technicians and respiratory therapists, with interest
and expertise in:
Direct patient care/support (at a
VA medical center and/or outpatient clinic)
On March 19, 2020. the U.S. Office of Personnel
Management (OPM), approved a VA
request to waive a section of Federal
law to make it easier for the department to rehire retired VA health
care providers. As re-employed
annuitants, employees will receive their
Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) or Federal Employee Retirement
System (FERS) annuities, as well as a paycheck as a Federal employee,
without any offset to their retirement income. OPM instituted the
waiver through March 31, 2021.
Expanding VA’s workforce helps the department better fulfill its mission of caring for our Nation’s heroes and supporting the Federal government in our public health mission during a pandemic.
Call to Action
VA
needs you! If you would like to join your fellow health care
providers in caring for our Veterans and support the national effort
to combat the coronavirus, please do the following:
Register
online
if you are a retired nurse or health care provider interested in
joining VA as a re-employed annuitant. Or
email your availability and resume to [email protected].
Visit
vacareers.va.gov
if
you are a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, physician’s
assistant or certified registered nurse anesthetist interested in
joining the Travel Nurse Corps, providing telehealth, or being
assigned to a VA Medical Center.
Call
retired nurses and other health care providers and share information
about VA’s recruitment needs and efforts, including the:
