# Presentation: 147186

## VA Nursing Academy

**Presentation to the **
**Special Medical Advisory Group**
**Linda D. Johnson, PhD, RN**
**Director, VA Nursing Academy**
**October 12, 2007**

**Office of**
**Academic Affiliations and**
**Office of Nursing Services**

## Addressing the Nursing Shortage 

**Addressing the ****Nursing Shortage**** **

## Purpose of the VA Nursing Academy

**To increase the supply of registered nurses for VA and the Nation by:**
**Enhancing academic partnerships with nursing schools**
**Providing scholarships that require participants to work for 2 years as nurses in VA facilities after graduation**** **

## Statutory Authority

**Section 7302 of 38 U.S.C.  **
**	****“****In order to carry out more effectively the primary function of the Veterans Health Administration and in order to assist in providing an adequate supply of health personnel to the Nation, the Secretary, to the extent feasible without interfering with the medical care and treatment of veterans, shall develop and carry out a program of education and training of health personnel.”**

## Enhancing Academic Partnerships

**5-year pilot program starting academic year 2007-2008**
**Competitively selected **_**partnerships**_** between VA facilities and nursing schools**

## Enhancing Academic Partnerships - Goals

**Expand teaching faculty and increase student enrollment in nursing schools.**
**Increase VA recruitment and retention by**
**Expanding teaching and scholarly opportunities for VA nurses**
**Increasing VA clinical education opportunities for nursing students**

## Partnerships:  Roles & Responsibilities

_**VA will**_** **
**Provide salary support for nursing school faculty while at VA facilities or providing services for VA**
**Provide salary support to back-fill for VA nurse experts who will assume faculty responsibilities at VA facility and the nursing school**
**Provide additional clinical education experiences for nursing students.**

## Partnerships:  Roles & Responsibilities cont.

_**Nursing schools will**_
**Provide faculty appointments to qualified VA nurses **
**Provide educational opportunities so VA faculty learn to teach**
**Increase student enrollment**
**Expand clinical education opportunities and increase number of students at VA**

## Benefits to VA 

**Enhanced Evidenced-Based Practice**
**More nursing research consultation from faculty**
**More students and more nursing units involved in education**
**Assistance with special projects and research**
**Increased recruitment and retention**

## Benefits to Nursing Education 

**Expansion of educational opportunities at VA in areas of clinical practice, administration, and research**
**Fewer rotations to other clinical sites**
**Graduated responsibilities for the care of veteran patients**
**Continuity of care experiences**
**Interprofessional learning experiences**
**Special projects and research**

## Enhancing Academic Partnerships Summary

**Partnerships **
_**Four**_** to start in academic year 2007-2008 **
**Total of **_**12**_** to be selected**
**Pilot program scheduled to end after academic year 2011-2012.**
**WHAT’S NEXT? **

## Enhancing Academic Partnerships Summary

_**Cost**_**:****  ****Approximately $40 million over the 5 years of the pilot program including**
**Administrative operations**
**Faculty salary support**
**Program evaluation**** ****is planned at both the local and national levels.****  **

## VA Health Professional Scholarship Program

**Authority:  38 USC Sections 7611-7618**
**Obligation to work as a nurse in a VA facility for two years following graduation**
**Previously in operation from          1982 – 1995**
**High rates of graduation and completion of service obligation **
**Many remained VA employees after obligation**

## Scholarship Program

**For last two years of baccalaureate and graduate nursing degrees**
**Authorization to award scholarships expired in 1998**
**Requesting reauthorization through 2012**
**Will start for academic year 2008-2009, if approved by Congress**
_**Cost**_**: Approximately $40 million over    5 years.**

## VA Nursing AcademyTotal Cost FY 2008 - 2012

**$80 M investment over 5 years**** **
**12 VA-nursing school partnerships**
**Enhanced VA-nursing school relationships**
**Transformed nursing education **
**Increased enrollments**
**Enhanced the care of veterans**
**Increased recruitment and retention of VA nurses **
**Scholarships with service obligations**

## Questions?

**VA NURSING ACADEMY**