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Wanted: Healthcare Workers!

Hard To Believe at the VA

Registered Nurse
VA
Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:08 AM

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I have worked at a VA for a year. I have over 10 years experience in geriatrics and am certified in this field. I requested a reasonable accommodation 6 months ago and was removed from the nursing job I loved. Despite having to pay other RN's overtime, they have not allowed me to return to nursing. There were no job performance issues with my case, only retaliation. I now have an office all to myself with no job description or work to complete. This is a waste of nursing resources and tax payer dollars! Yes, I have filed an EEO charge.

Re: Hard To Believe at the VA

Diversity Manager
DOL
Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:14 PM
Its the VA providing care to Vet's isn't their primary mission, its a jobs core program and Vets are an after thought.
Your taking your role of service to vets too seriously

Re: Hard To Believe at the VA

Program Analyst
Veterans Affairs
Wed Nov 19, 2008 10:46 AM
You're kidding right? I work for the VA and I get my care at the VA as I am a vet. The primary mission of the VA is absolutely caring for veterans. Not only that, if you will check you will find that the VA as a whole ranks higher in every category of measures for quality of care than all other medical care facilities in the nation. Yes, a secondary mission of the VA is to provide training opportunities for healthcare providers whether they are MDs, PAs, RNPs, RNs, LVN/LPNs, and more but so is every other university affiliated medical institution in the nation. As for the Nurse with her own office, continue to follow through the proper channels and you will eventually get to a resolution. But to everyone else and especially Diversity Managers from the DOL, don't judge the VA unless you are qualified to.

Re: Hard To Believe at the VA

Registered Nurse
VA
Wed Nov 19, 2008 3:11 PM
No I am not kidding, and I do take my role as a registered nurse very seriously, as I hope most healthcare workers do! My point is, irregardless of your occupation, discrimination should not be tolerated. The VA I work at is #3 in the nation for EEO complaints. As a taxpayer I do have a right to expect more from this government agency and so should others.

Re: Hard To Believe at the VA

Diversity Manager
DOL
Wed Nov 19, 2008 6:36 PM
Ret nurse he's replying to me, I thank you for your dedication. Who/what organization performed the survey??
having used the VA where English is a second language, cleanliness is non existent and surly workers are the rule. The only way the data could support your position is if the VA funded the survey and they didn't ask Vets their opinion

Re: Hard To Believe at the VA

Peon
VA
Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:45 PM
You describe behaviors that COULD be related to "Workplace Bullying" or "Mobbing." Such things as: isolating you physically or socially; retaliation; removal or reduction of responsibility and authority; replacing meaningful work with work that is humiliating or demeaning. If you want more information about this, research those terms and see what comes up. I have experienced this as well and it is tremendously demoralizing as well as wasteful of taxpayer dollars.

healthcare workers

Envir Prot Spec
USEPA
Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:11 PM

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You forgot to include Physicians Assistants in your list of positions.

Career Change to Medical Coding

Automation Data Clerk
Robins Air Force Base
Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:28 PM

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I have had training in Medical Coding sine September 2004 and recertified September 2008 and I have applied for VA positions for the last 4 years and they will not hire me beause I don't have the experience.

It's not feasible to work in a hospital or doctor's office starting salary $9.00 - 12.00 dollars and hours when I've worked for Federal Gov't since 1980. I'm single and which that the clinic would allow Federal Gov't with accredited certification to work. I passed the Billing and Coding classes with very high scores.

I despirately, want a career change in the medical field and hope that GA VA policies will be restructured to give employees who desire to work in the medical field that opportunity. The way their policies are structured it is almost impossible to be selected with a certificate. That's all I can afford and will be willing to higer educate myself in the medical field, my goal is Medical Technician. I just would like my foot in the door.

Resources for training in healthcare

Director
County Government
Wed Nov 19, 2008 11:56 AM

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The schools are slow to ramp up to provide the necessary training for people who want to transition to the healthcare field. Now the schools are seeing cutbacks in funding and are now capping enrollments. The availibility of classes is decreasing and potential enrollees are increasing. There is no doubt about the crisis, the question what are state, local and the feds going to do about it?

VA not so great, and the reason is......?

PBA
VA
Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:58 AM

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I agree w/ the nurse. I have worked for this VA for 15 years & retaliation is common. I'm a Union rep, & a vet, though I've trained 25 people, not promoted yet. I always get the "you were qualified but not selected" letter, even though I'm a vet & have promotion preference. I even filed on my agency, but despite the mountain of evidence, agency won. There is no recourse in VA for retaliation. One reason VA has a problem is because they don't follow their own rules for hiring/promotion, rarely hire vets & if hired don't promote. Nurses & Dr's that come from the outside see that & don't stay long. Most vets are angry about the lack of American born doctors & nurses, & complain they can't understand their healthcare providers. The surveys don't tell you that only 35% of the VA employees take the survey. Most feel surveys are a waste of time, they don't give a real view. If there are negative surveys, they jimmy the numbers or toss the unfavorable surveys out.

Total Comments: 10
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