Best Practices
The VALOR Program: Preparing Nursing Students to Care for Our Veterans
The authors share the clinical and professional growth experiences of nursing students during the summer of 2013 in the VA Learning Opportunity...
Most nurse preceptors in a VA Nursing Academy (VANA) clinical training program find the experience has more pros than cons, according to researchers who surveyed staff nurses at all 15 active VANA sites about the “spillover effect” of the academic-practice partnerships on hospital nursing staff. The nurses reported “moderately high levels of satisfaction” with VANA program components. The staff nurses who were more involved with VANA were more satisfied. They rated as “very satisfied or satisfied” on such factors as the aptitude of students, clinical expertise of instructors, and personal reward from working with students.
Related: The VALOR Program: Preparing Nursing Students to Care for Our Veterans
Most of the staff nurses working on VANA units interacted with VANA students a “sizable proportion” of the time that they were caring for patients on the units. But the staff nurses did not feel burdened by the students, nor did they see the students as making their work more difficult. In fact, they reported direct benefits: For example, the students’ presence spurred some of the staff nurses to pursue further education.