VA nurses do an amazing job in caring for veterans every day. This year, NOVA developed and introduced a three year program of webinars on Veteran healthcare topics, the “Caring for Veterans” webinar series to assist VA nurses in providing that care.  These programs are designed to provide specific information about veterans and veterans’ healthcare and were developed specifically for new graduate nurses, nurses who are new to the VA, and nurses who care for veterans.  These programs should be included in Nursing Orientation and Transition to Practice programs.  The three year series includes twelve webinars presented each year.  Each webinar provides 1.0 contact hour of Nursing Continuing Professional Development (NCPD) credit, and completion of each 12 month series and all three series provides a certificate.  Outstanding programs have been presented so far this year.  Kimberlee Bayless DNP FNP-BC presented a webinar on Acute Pain Management.  Mercedes Moore CRNP presented a webinar on COVID-19.  Rebecca Brown MSN MBA RN presented a webinar on Breast and Cervical Screening Updates.  Gretchen Werle RN MSN and Scott J McAllister, Sr. LICSW presented a webinar on Addressing Homelessness and the HUD-VASH Program.  Rosetta M Brown-Greaney MSN ANP presented a webinar on Eligibility for VA Care Compensation, and Pension.  Leigh A. Paz LCSW presented Fundamentals of Military Culture.  In September, Samantha McCandless MSN RN CEPC will be presenting Community Based Interventions for Suicide Prevention:  Community Engagement and Partnership Programs, and Linda R. Droste MSN RN CWOCN CBIS will be presenting Wound Care.  In November, Daniel Hawks RN will present Caregiver Support Program.  In December, Maura Miller PhD APRN GNP-BC will present Hospice and Palliative Care for Veterans, and Karen Justi BSN RN NBC-HWC will present Whole Health.  Viewing these programs will help you and other VA nurses provide the best care to veterans.

As a NOVA member, please register for the current webinars.  You can also schedule a room in your facility to view a webinar.  Communicate with Nursing Education and Education departments about the upcoming webinar, and send an email from your private email address to VA nurses with information about upcoming webinars.  You can also post a flyer in break rooms and/or on educational bulletin boards, etc. with information about the webinar.  During the webinar, have people sign an attendance sheet with name and email address, and send that to nova@vanurse.org after the webinar so people who attend can receive an evaluation and a certificate for nursing continuing professional development credits.  Share information on NOVA’s webinars including the Caring for Veterans series with your colleagues.  The webinars are available on demand on the NOVA website.