By Debbie Gregory.
To celebrate the contributions made by those who aid the sick and wounded, May 6th through May 12th is National Nurses Week. The 2013 theme chosen by the American Nurses Association is “Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care”.
There are 80,000 diversified nurses working for the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Globally, this is one of the largest staffs employed to administer health care to Veterans. The VA nurses provide quality, empathetic care for their patients, while utilizing their innovative skills.
The VA offers the most expansive clinical training available, providing innovative care to patients. The VA provides educational opportunities in undergraduate and graduate programs at a myriad colleges and universities. These highly-trained VA nursing teams are comprised of registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), nursing assistants, and intermediate care technicians.
The VA nurses work in medical fields such as primary care, ambulatory care, acute care and extended care. Many VA nurses provide holistic health related care in outpatient clinics and home-based primary care programs, as well as community living centers. The nursing units play a significant role in emergency preparedness, emergency planning, emergency response, and recovery.
Nurses can be found working in surgical operations, intensive care units, organ transplant units, and dialysis units. They also provide care to spinal cord injury cases, blind rehabilitation and specialty cases such as diabetes. The specialized fields of nursing include geriatrics, hospice, domiciliary, oncology, and psychiatric units. Nurses are providing hands-on care, helping Veterans to recover, readjust and adapt.
Another arena where nurses are valuable assets to the VA is in the research field. Nurse researchers work to promote and adapt the latest innovative technological advances. These researchers offer inclusion of evidence into practice, providing excellent care for Veterans.
Professional VA nurses support and promote the VA’s mission of providing the highest quality medical attention. The latest, most innovative and technologically advanced health care is provided to Veteran patients and their families.
As a nation, we can all appreciate the value of nurses, especially those who work within the VA system. These nurses impact the lives of those who have served our country. Nurses make it their lives work to assist us when we need help the most, relieving our pain and suffering. Florence Nightingale’s birthday falls on May 12th, making this week particularly significant to the nursing profession.
Military and VA healthcare is world-class. If you are transitioning from the military and want to explore civilian and government healthcare jobs, please register on the Military Connection Job Board and upload your resume today. Here is a link: https://militaryconnection.com/jobs/
To all the VA and Military Nurses – We honor, celebrate, and salute you!
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