May 6-12 is National Nurses Week. As a union representing federal nurses within the Department of Veterans Affairs, Bureau of Prisons, Department of Defense and others, AFGE is proud to have played a major role in uplifting the voices of AFGE nurses and raising awareness of their contributions in our society.
Whether at a hospital, a nursing care facility, or other health care facilities, nurses are instrumental in our country’s health care system and public health, which has never been truer than during the pandemic. For years, our country has faced nursing shortages and the pandemic further exacerbated the issue. That’s why AFGE supports a bill that has been introduced in the House and Senate to set minimum nurse staffing levels at hospitals, including federal facilities, to protect both patients and nurses.
This year we continue to celebrate and uplift the voices of our nurses. We sat down with nurses from different agencies who shared their stories about what it means to be a government nurse.
Matt is president of AFGE Local 1033. He works at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he has been for the past seven years of his 10-year nursing career.
Why did you decide to join public service?
I decided to join public service because it provided me with the opportunity to serve my community while also building a fulfilling career.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is caring for the brave men and women who serve in the armed forces who are very deserving of the care we provide.
What is the most pressing issue nurses at your agency are facing and what can your agency or Congress do about it?
Nurses at my agency are currently facing a pressing issue: inappropriate standardizations. Nursing is a highly diverse field, and when this diversity is ignored, the benefit of nursing services is underutilized. As a result, many of my colleagues have left civil service because their skills are not being appreciated or compensated fairly.
What do you wish people knew about government nurses?
I wish people knew about the tremendous impact they could make with a simple gesture of appreciation, such as writing a letter to Congress addressing pay gaps and inequalities among the government nursing sector. It is crucial to recognize the value and dedication that government nurses bring to their work every day, and supporting them in their efforts is essential to maintaining a strong healthcare system.
Aimee is a member of AFGE Local 2092. She works at the Lieutenant Colonel Charles Kettles VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Tell us about your nursing career with the Department of Veterans Affairs
I started at the Lieutenant Colonel Charles Kettles VAMC as a student nurse in 1987. After graduation from Eastern Michigan University, I worked for the private sector in Detroit for experience and training. When that hospital was sold to an aggressive for-profit organization, I made the decision to return to the VA in 1991. I spent 25 years working midnights in the Ann Arbor VA Medical Intensive Care Unit, which allowed me to be home with my children in the afternoons and pursue a master's degree in nursing business and health Systems at the University of Michigan. When working on a PhD at Michigan State University, my advisor suggested I make Telehealth my focus of study because the VA does a lot of Telehealth. That’s when I transitioned to the Facility Telehealth Coordinator for Ann Arbor in 2014.
Why did you decide to join the public service?
I first took a job as a student nurse because the VA paid a whopping $10 an hour when I was making $4.25. I really enjoyed working with our veterans, and the experiences they shared. I am proud to say that I have cared for American veterans from all conflicts from World War I to Afghanistan.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is helping a veteran access care remotely, saving them time and money. Some of our patients live eight hours away, saving them a 16-hour round trip. That makes it all worthwhile. When I look at the sheer numbers of veterans we have seen remotely, and encounters we support, I’m pretty proud.
What is the most pressing issue nurses at your agency are facing and what can your agency or Congress do about it?
The increased competitiveness in the marketplace for recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals and support staff has challenged all departments in our institution, especially since COVID. We need to ensure we can offer parity in wages and benefits to those seeking employment. Further the centralization of Human Resources within the has VA further complicated this issue, making hiring times stretch out even longer than before.
What do you wish people knew about government nurses?
In VA, we are dedicated to the mission and take great pride in our achievements. We care for our veterans, and many employees are themselves veterans. We did not take this job because it pays the most, but because of our core values.
Amanda is a member of AFGE Local 2092. She works at the Ann Arbor Michigan VA Medical Center in the ICU.
Why did you decide to join public service?
I decided to join public service because a friend of mine started working here and told me how rewarding it is working with veterans. I was also excited to hear about the benefits and retirement. As a young nurse, it was wonderful to be able to provide this security for my family.
What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is knowing that I am able to provide top notch care to the men and women who served and protected our country. I love to listen to their stories from when they were in the service.
What is the most pressing issue nurses at your agency are facing and what can your agency or Congress do about it?
Nurses are facing a shortage of staff. We are taking on more responsibilities with fewer nurses. The agency has hired many nurses. However, we do not have proper training programs in place so the nurses have had to take on this responsibility as well.
What do you wish people knew about government nurses?
Government nurses at the VA are so proud to serve veterans. We are so glad to be here.
Nicole is a member of AFGE Local 3947. She works at Federal Medical Center Rochester, a medical center in the Bureau of Prisons in Minnesota. She has been a nurse since 1996.
Why did you decide to join public service?
I worked at a group home for the mentally challenged in high school and loved it, so I decided to go to nursing school during my senior year. I have never regretted this choice.
What is the best part of your job?
The diversity of the population of individuals I care for as well as geographical location they grow up in, “where their people are.”
What is the most pressing issue nurses at your agency are facing and what can your agency or Congress do about it?
Staffing shortages, motivation, morale and quality of care. We need more education opportunities as well as on the job training (nurse educators) for nurses. We need positions for nurses to be subject matter experts to assist the floors, hopefully strengthening confidence and building teams and improving morale. We need better equipment to streamline the work we are doing.
What do you wish people knew about government nurses
I wish people knew how much of a thankless job it is and how wonderful it is all at the same time. Finding that silver lining makes it that much more rewarding. Most of the supplies and equipment we use are second hand and so outdated because there is a budget driving how much is spent rather than the demands of patient satisfaction and press gains scores. I hope it's obvious what a difference that makes on the tools we are given to complete the necessary tasks and care for the population of individuals we assist. The comparison is like old fashion roller hand cranked washer and dryer to the most current and efficient washer and dryer on the market today. We make it work, but it would be nice to join this decade with the equipment we use.
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