Veteran Luis’s VA nursing career lets him serve other Veterans

Luis considered going to work at a private-sector hospital following military service. But he chose a career as a nurse at VA, in part after benefiting from the care and comradery of VA.

“Being a Vet myself, I would like to influence how other Veterans are taken care of and the overall environment,” Luis says in a video. “I felt more comfortable here, so I think I can contribute more here.”

As Veterans Day approaches on Nov. 11, Luis’s story is a reminder that many Veterans choose VA healthcare careers for the chance to work with and care for others who have served and use their military skills in a civilian job.

“While in the service, I was a hospital corpsman,” he said. “My service, I feel, just carried on from there.”

Choose VA to advance in nursing

Veterans like Luis have flourishing nursing careers at VA, by applying skills learned in the military and by taking advantage of the many opportunities for continuing education and professional development.

VA is the nation’s largest employer of nurses, with programs in student employment, residency and orientation and nursing education scholarship programs (PDF) such as the National Nursing Education Initiative (NNEI).

“Whether nurses are LVNs (licensed vocational nurses) or RNs (registered nurses), they can move up,” said Marlene Brewster, associate director for Nursing and Patient Care Services at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System in another video.

NNEI supports nurses like Luis with obtaining baccalaureate and advanced nursing degrees such as bachelor’s, master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice from an accredited education program.

Luis is getting his bachelor’s degree through the initiative. After graduation, he plans to study for a master’s degree, he said.

Choose VA today

“There’s a lot more benefits here than you might see on first glance,” he said.

Luis chose a VA nursing career to care for other Veterans and to learn and grow on the job.

See if VA is the right career choice for you too.

 WATCH Luis describe why he chose a VA career.
 EXPLORE a VA career in nursing.
 APPLY for an open position near you.
 LEARN how to Choose VA at www.vacareers.va.gov.
 Follow our Choose VA blog series:
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