NOVA’s 28th Annual Legislative Roundtable was held Friday, March 10, 2023 at the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) Headquarters in Washington, DC. Participants were welcomed by TJ Wilcox-Olson, MHS, RN, NOVA President. Kelley Saindon, DNP, RN, CHPN, Chair, NOVA Legislative Committee, discussed NOVA’s legislative priority goals, assisted by Co-Chair Michelle Salazar, BSN, RN. This was followed by presentations from staff from the Office of Nursing Services (ONS) in the Department of Veterans Affairs, representatives from Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), national nursing organizations, and Congressional legislative staff members.

The following topics were discussed:

• Reviewing, adjusting pay scales for nursing workforce; reviewing executive pay for nursing staff; raising aggregate pay limits
• Updating qualifications standards for LPNS, and NAs; providing retention and hiring initiatives including continuing education reimbursement for all nursing staff; hiring right and hiring faster; shorten length of time for hiring
• Providing sufficient budget to enable additional nurse residency programs
  and adequate infrastructure to support future nursing workforce
• Supporting retention for academic faculty; increasing partnerships and
  preceptorships
• Ensuring a diverse workforce with opportunities for career advancement
• Reviewing and addressing human resources issues including onboarding
  delays; HR staffing to expedite hiring and onboarding; modernizing training
  for HR staff; requiring salary market analysis (locality pay survey) and
  transparent reporting annual to VHA and Congress
• Providing sufficient funding for VA infrastructure needs, including increase
  in private rooms for female patients and patients with infections
• Providing appropriate funding for Community Care that doesn’t take away
  from internal medical care funding; ensuring veterans receiving community
  care come back to VA care; requiring training for community care providers
  ensuring that veterans receive equivalent care
• Supporting VA CAREERS Act of 2023 to improve recruitment and retention;
  updating salary caps; paying for licensure costs for VA scholarship recipients;
  supporting additional staff training for managing older veterans; expanding
  leave options including longer timeframes to take leave and options for lump
  sum payments
• Looking at providing caregiver needs including increasing telehealth and
  hybrid care models; optimizing nursing practice with telecare; assessing
  changes due to end of COVID emergency regulations for telehealth and
  virtual health modalities
• Full practice authority for all advanced practice nursing roles (CRNAs);
  supporting changes optimizing services in community and home care for
  APRNs
• Reviewing evidence-based practice across VA; supporting lifelong learning
  for all nursing staff
• Supporting prevention of workplace violence
• Supporting funding for National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR)
• Supporting VA Caregivers; continuing to provide appropriate staffing for
  specialty care for patients with spinal cord injuries, ALS, MS, blindness, and
  long term care; supporting palliative and hospice care
• Accelerating Whole Health programs including expansion of dental care; expanding home care; supporting ICAN Act
• Ensuring safe, functioning electronic health record (EHR)
• Ensuring full implementation of PACT Act and RAISE Act; supporting VHA Leadership and Transformation Act with 5-year term for VHA Under Secretary for Health; removing restrictions for Under Secretary positions
• Including NOVA in discussions with VA
• Support veterans’ preference to receive healthcare in VA.
• Ensuring VA ensures staff accountability.
  

NOVA wants to thank all those who attended the roundtable to include our VSO and Union partners, Nursing Community Coalition(NCC) colleagues, Hill Staff and Leadership from the VA Office of Nursing Services.

We could not advocate for VA healthcare, nurses and all those who take care of Veterans without your support and knowledge.