Thanks to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program, nurses may be able to enjoy new career opportunities while seeing a lot more of the U.S.A.
The Travel Nurse Corps was created by VA to address the nationwide shortage of nurses and enhance quality care for veterans, while enabling VA nurses to travel and work throughout the department's medical system.
"Those who join the VA Travel Nurse Corps will become key members of a talented group of professionals who are dedicated to providing the best care possible to our nation's veterans," said Cathy Rick, RN, VA's chief nursing officer. "The program assists VA medical facilities address supplemental staffing needs while ensuring there is a continued commitment to quality and safety."
VA travel nurses are compensated for their time on duty and their travel, receiving government per diem allowances, which include lodging, meals and incidentals.
"The program is competitive with the private sector," said Jacqueline Jackson, RN, Travel Nurse Corps director. "VA has state-of-the-art facilities, high-tech computer systems and professional colleagues second to none."
Cindy Cino, RN, is from a small town in Florida. After a tailor-made orientation program, she has traveled to Arizona and Tennessee, working in Long Term Care at VA medical facilities.
Helene Salahud-din, RN, got involved in travel nursing when her youngest child left home. "It is an exciting field to go into because you have the opportunity to see places you have read about and work in different clinical facilities. Plus, the VA has an absolutely wonderful computerized patient record system--the best I have ever seen."
For Cino, the travel corps provided an opportunity to travel for herself and her husband, but she also likes the idea of giving back to the men and women who have served the country. "When it comes to health care, this travel nurse program has made us both feel young and excited about my nursing career."
This special nursing program was designed to establish a potential pool for national emergencies and serve as a model for an expanded VA travel corps with nurses who have varying specialties.
To learn more about VA's Travel Nurse Corps, visit the Web site at www.travelnurse.va.gov, e-mail travelnurse@va.gov or call (866) 664-1030 toll-free.source
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