• In March 2020, right before the travel ban related to COVID-19, NOVA on the Hill Day and NOVA’s Annual Legislative Roundtable took place. These were terrific opportunities for NOVA members to come together in our nation’s capital to meet face-to-face with their representatives in Congress, as well as representatives from professional nursing organizations, the union, and Veterans Service Organizations.
• NOVA President and Director of Advocacy & Government Relations wrote an article entitled: “Veterans Affairs Nurses: Stories from the Front Lines of a Pandemic” that appeared in Veterans Affairs & Military Medicine OUTLOOK and DefenseMediaNetwork.com during Nurses Week in May 2020.
• NOVA submitted congressional testimony to the House Veterans Affairs’ Committee hearing that took place on June 11, 2020 regarding VA’s progress - 90 days later- on the Pandemic. The results from two surveys NOVA sent to frontline workers were discussed. Committee members were told that that PPE, and communication within facilities has improved, but many are still reporting issues with masks and gowns and testing remains a concern. We joined others in urging VA to continue to employ recent expedited hiring practices used during the Pandemic, and asked Congress and VA to address the complexities of a system that is decades old, which does not allow for  VHA to remain competitive.
• NOVA had a 3% increase in membership in May 2020 with the Membership May Campaign.

   

  Plans for the Future:

   

• As fall and winter approaches, we must be prepared for what lies ahead and ensure that lessons learned the last few months translate into a prepared VA healthcare system. PPE and other medical equipment must be stored at an adequate level. Staff should be trained and informed on protocols for handling any new cases and protecting themselves and patients. NOVA will continue to advocate for adequate access to PPE for frontline staff.
• NOVA had planned to celebrate NOVA’s 40^th Anniversary at our annual meeting in October 2020 in Washington, D.C. However, due to the restrictions related to the pandemic, we are planning a virtual meeting.

   

  Concluding Comments:

   

• As VA nurses on the frontlines, NOVA remains dedicated to providing high quality compassionate care now and in the future to all of our Veterans. Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update.

Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs

1120 Rte. 73, Ste 200

Mt Laurel, NJ 08054

Phone: 703-444-5587

FAX: 856-439-0525

nova@vanurse.org

www.vanurse.org