VA Addresses Nurse Shortage

The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to conduct a three-year pilot program that allows staff nurses to travel to the system’s medical centers. The pilot, officials hope, will address the national shortage of nurses, provide better care to veterans, and be cost-effective as well. The Travel Nurse Corps, based in at the VA’s Phoenix system, will start by placing as many as 75 nurses in centers nationwide. The nurses would be placed temporarily at sites that have nursing vacancies, high wait times, are in need of critical skills, or are heavily reliant on contractors. More information is available online at www.travelnurse.va.gov, via e-mail travelnurse@va.gov, toll-free at (866) 664-1030, or in Phoenix at (602) 200-2398.