Teresa Acosta, DNP, RN
El Paso VA Health Care System, El Paso, TX
NOVA Membership Secretary

Teresa Acosta, DNP, RN, is currently the Occupational Health Nurse for the El Paso VA HCS, overseeing the management of the health and wellness for all employees, staff and volunteers. She coordinates Employee Occupational Health Program efforts to ensure that all areas influence and develop integrated process procedures to improve the overall operation of employee occupational health programs. Teresa presented at Nurse Call on Needle Stick and Sharp Injuries, Employee Influenza Vaccine Acceptance and Employee TB Surveillance Program. She created a tracking system for pre-employment physicals to meet the President's initiative for hiring and recruitment.

Teresa has been a nurse for 28 years. She joined the VA system in 2010 at the El Paso VA HCS – El Paso Texas, and brings diverse nursing experiences comprising public health, community, psychiatric, quality, infection control and ambulatory care nursing. She is active in multiple professional VA activities including the Accident Review Board, Construction Committee, Consultative Ethics Committee, and Infection Control Committee. She is the Co-Chair, Retention and Recruitment Committee and Nurse Professional Standards Board, El Paso VAHCS. Teresa is also a Flu Team Champion at her facility.

Teresa is a post master's graduate of Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program at the Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock. She obtained a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Nursing Administration from Texas Tech University Health Science Center, Lubbock, Texas in 2013. Teresa has a master’s degree in Community Health Nursing and a bachelor’s degree in Nursing and Spanish from University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas. She is a clinical instructor in mental health nursing at the University of Texas at El Paso for the undergraduate nursing program.

Teresa upholds professional standards of practice in the delivery of Veteran- centered care. Since 2012, she has been an active NOVA member and a member of the NOVA Legislative Committee. Teresa joined NOVA’s Board of Directors in 2015. She was appointed as NOVA’s Membership Secretary for a 1-year term which began in January 2020. Teresa is also a member of the American Nurses Association, for which NOVA is a proud Organizational Affiliate. She is a member of the Texas Nurses Association District 1 and Sigma Theta Tau. Teresa is the current President of the Texas Nurses Association District 1 and a member of Texas Nurses Association Governmental Affairs Committee for District 1. Teresa is passionate about nursing and understands the significance of the nurse’s role in advocating for nurses, the nursing profession, and quality health care for all in today’s complex health care system.