The Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA) is a nationwide, nonprofit professional organization whose members are nurses, including advanced practice nurses (APNs), registered nurses (RNs), and licensed practical nurses (LPNs), who are currently working for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or retired.
NOVA’s mission is to educate, communicate, and advocate for nurses with the VA on a professional, personal, and legislative level. NOVA’s vision seeks to create an inclusive community for advocacy, connectivity, and education that strengthens and empowers VA nurses to influence the future of healthcare delivery for veterans. NOVA members are the leaders and healthcare providers who take care of veterans.
NOVA’s History
During fall 1980, a nationwide shortage of RNs reached crisis proportions. Nurses were leaving the profession, enrollment in schools of nursing had decreased, and the rumblings of discontent were widespread. This discontent ranged from disillusionment with nursing as a profession to adversarial relationships with physicians, as well as pronounced staffing shortages. Nowhere was this unfortunate situation more pronounced than in the VA nursing system. When Public Law 96-330, which provided a raise in pay for physicians in the VA but not for nurses, was passed by Congress without the benefit of direct input from VA nurses, it precipitated a call to action. VA nurses from American Lake, Tacoma, WA; Long Beach, CA; Palo Alto, CA; and Hines, IL; VA facilities met to share concerns about the nursing profession in the VA.
During that time, a group of Hines VA RNs were enrolled in a management course taught by Chief Nurse Jennie Umbel McKoy, who challenged them to be change agents. Barbara Chambers, Chuck Naparalla, and Tom Fiala spearheaded the call for VA nurses nationwide by writing a proposal for a nationwide professional nursing organization focusing on education and advocacy. They decided that never again would such a significant bill be presented and debated in Congress without the voices of VA nurses being heard. They established the name of the organization as the Nurses Organization of the Veterans Administration, or NOVA, which was chosen because of its definition as a new, brightly shining star.
This year, NOVA is celebrating its 45th anniversary with membership in VA facilities across the country. Multiple benefits are available for NOVA members, including attending the annual conference, where NOVA members join educational sessions specific to VA healthcare, receive nursing continuing professional-development credits, make connections, and build enduring and mutually beneficial relationships. Attending the annual conference helps VA nurses connect with knowledgeable resources and establish lifetime friendships. We encourage the readers of this column to join VA nurses at the NOVA Annual Conference in Nashville, TN, October 21-23, 2025.
NOVA Mentorship
NOVA’s Empower Mentoring Program helps to establish strong mentoring relationships built on collaboration and commitment to professional development. NOVA developed its mentoring program to help VA nurses meet professional goals and pursue dreams for professional advancement within the VA. The program is designed to guide a mutual relationship between an experienced VA nurse as the mentor for the mentee who is seeking assistance navigating the VA system, developing supportive and encouraging relationships, and guidance in professional, personal, and interpersonal growth. NOVA’s mentoring program helps connect mentees with seasoned NOVA members to benefit from their expertise and experience. Experienced VA nurses can serve as mentors who can share information they wished somebody had told them when they first started in the VA, and assist nurses as they navigate the sometimes-confusing routes to promotion and career development in the VA.
Additional Educational Opportunities
NOVA provides live webinars every month, and those webinars are available on the NOVA website after the presentation. NOVA has developed a 3-year Caring for Veterans Program to provide information on specific veteran healthcare topics to help VA nurses care for veterans. These programs are especially helpful for new nursing graduates and nurses new to the VA. They make excellent additions to nursing orientation and transition to practice programs. NOVA is also an accredited provider of NCPD credits, which are provided for the webinars.
Some of the webinars currently available include Adjustment Disorders, Military Sexual Trauma/Intimate Partner Violence, Substance Use Disorders, A Look Into VA Community Care, Suicide Prevention Strategies, Safe Patient Handling, Visually Impaired and Blind Veterans and Blind Rehabilitation Services, Gulf War Illness, Veterans Justice Outreach, What Is PTSD and How Do You Address It With Veterans?, Empowering Seamless Transitions: Enhancing Care Coordination Through the VA Consult Toolbox, Providing Equitable Healthcare for LGBTQ+ Veterans, Nurse Safety Proactive Personal Protection, Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donation, Caring for Veterans With Rehabilitative Needs, Whole Health, Hospice and Palliative Care, Caregiver Support Program, Wound Care, VA Community Care Quality Improvement Program Train the Trainer: Veteran Specific Population, Eligibility for VA Care, Compensation, and Pension, Addressing Homelessness and the HUD-VASH Program, Breast and Cervical Screening Updates, Aromatherapy in Nursing, Acute Pain Management, Phototherapy, Healing Politics, Evaluating Your Input for Your Proficiency for Nurse III, and SAPs, SAAs, and Cash Awards. Additional webinars to be presented in 2025 include Empowering Nurses to Serve Veterans With Military Environmental Exposures, Guarding the Frontline: A Powerful Approach to Preventing Workplace Violence, NOVA Chapters, Contacting Your Congressional Representative During August Recess, Primary Care Virtual Diabetes Clinic, Exhausted No More: Waking Up to New Science on Why You Can’t Sleep and What You Can Do About It, Suicide Prevention Strategies, Pathway to Healthy Work Environments, Disaster Management, and Managing Holiday Stress.
In addition, NOVA provides tuition discounts through educational partnerships. Current educational partners include American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Post University, Excelsior University, Grand Canyon University, and Rasmussen University.
NOVA also provides certification discounts through partnerships with certifying organizations. Current certification partners include Addictions Nursing Certification Board, American Academy of HIV Medicine, American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation, American Society of Ophthalmic Registered Nurses, Association of Rehabilitation Nurses, Commission for Case Manager Certification, Commission on Nurse Certification, HIV/AIDS Nursing Certification Board, Joint Commission Resources, Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation, National Association for Healthcare Quality, National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, Nephrology Nursing Certification Commission, Orthopaedic Nurses Certification Board, Society for Simulation in Healthcare, Vascular Access Certification Corporation, and Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nursing Certification Board.
NOVA’s Legislative Efforts
NOVA advocates for all VA nurses, presenting a strong voice on Capitol Hill. NOVA nurses discuss critical issues facing the VA and remind Congress of the outstanding care provided to America’s veterans. NOVA establishes annual legislative priority goals. The following 2025 legislative priority goals identify areas NOVA feels are critical to continue providing the best care and services for our nation’s veterans.
Funding
- Require sufficient on-time funding to allow the ongoing hiring of healthcare staff to keep the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) functioning at a safe level for our veterans
- Ensure any legislation or funding of the Community Care Network (CCN) does not impede the superior care the VHA offers to veterans and require comparable quality and training standards for CCN providers
- Educate new administration and Congress on longstanding budget and infrastructure issues that continue in the VHA
- Evaluate, plan, and budget to ensure the VA facilities are modernized to meet the needs of veterans
Staffing/Retention and Recruitment
- Review staff levels and hire in all settings so VA can deliver timely access for all veterans seeking care
- Ensure salary surveys are performed annually for all nursing workforce (RN, LPN, advanced practice registered nurse, licensed vocational nurse) so that the VHA remains competitive in local markets
- Continue to support and revise qualifications and pay levels for LPNs
- Ensure a diverse workforce is offered ongoing opportunities for career advancement and professional development by providing continuing education and tuition support for ALL levels of nursing
- Provide and sustain ongoing funding for current RN and NP residencies and include necessary infrastructure to support the development of our future nursing workforce
- Support initiatives with funding and foundation to “grow our own” within nursing
- Implement and support full practice authority for certified registered nurse anesthetists
Join NOVA and make a difference in taking care of veterans. See the NOVA website for information on joining NOVA at www.vanurse.org/page/join