What's take to be a NURSE Have you ever wonder, why you choose to be a nurse and I mean a professional nurse? We all know not everyone has what it take to be a nurse. Being a nurse takes a special person with some unique gifts, talents and qualities. Being a nurse not only implies years of preparations in a college or university, lack of sleep but lots of dreams, patience and self-determination. Deep and within a nurse you find a great wish to serve, help others whom are lacking of empowerment to maintain their health, dignity to choose care and lost of independence. A nurse is that special person who standby side by side with their patients and their families in time of needs and in many cases life and death situations. A nurse is a recipient of many emotions in all kind of situation and scenarios but after all, a nurse is great human being ready to listen and offer comfort when it most needed. Probable in your life as a nurse, you question yourself, why I became a nurse? Only you, a dedicated nurse know the answer to this question.  

 The Loch Raven CBOC/Home Base and BRECC continue to grow fast and becoming one of the busiest centers of the VAMHCS. This campus currently serves veterans from all over the nation. Offering services such as rehabilitation, medicine, sub acute care, geriatrics, home base visits and out patients clinics. Now, the out patient clinic is expanding since its activation back in November 2006. With the new addition completed in February 2008 and the second phase of this project that has began with renovation of the former clinic and to be completed in June 2008.  

NAGE frequently hears concerns expressed by RNs about their inability to attend seminars due to the increasing cost.  The hospital does have an Education Support Committee which NAGE serves on.  Unfortunately, very few RNs take advantage of Educational funds available.

Below is a article written by Joyce Flayhan, Lead Nurse Advocate.  The article is Part 1 of a two part series.  The article will take much of the confusion out "what is required to apply for Educational Funding."

REMEMBER when submitting your request for funding - THE EARLIER THE BETTER.

NAGE supports commitment to a safer, healthier work environment.   Nationally in 2007 the VA had 25,000 injuries reported in ASISTS.  Of these claims 23% were slips, trips, and falls; 16% not elsewhere classified; 14% were struck by and against; 11% were related to lifting/repositioning  patients; 6% material handling; 5% assaults; 5% environmental/toxic exposure;  4% hollow bore needle sticks, sharps exposure, body fluids/splash, non-patient care; 3% cumulative trauma, and 1% suture needle sticks.   

Over the last several months, NAGE has been lobbying Congress to adopt a bill (HR 4089) that would restore a meaningful scope of bargaining for Title 38 workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Just this week, Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) introduced a companion bill in the Senate (S 2824). The bill has three original co-sponsors, Senators Sharrod Brown (D-OH), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Jim Webb (D-VA).

Ten years have passed since the current nursing shortage began, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Now a new book by some of the leading researchers in the field predicts that the shortage is only going to get worse, unless some drastic changes are made.

The National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) continues to provide a Recruitment Bonus.  For each new member you recruit you will receive a $25.00 recruitment bonus.

NAGE R 3-19 held its first membership meeting for year 2008. There were many issues that were discussed and some of them are still in the process of negotiation with management:

The amount and the need for life insurance is a very personal decision.  Like many Federal Employees, most of us have purchased life insurance through the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) program.

Over the last several years, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care professionals have seen their collective bargaining rights practically eliminated. Management's improperly broad interpretation of Sec. 7422 of Title 38 has allowed them to circumvent the bargaining process on numerous critical issues