Dear NOVA nurses,

In October NOVA held the 45th Annual Conference in Nashville, TN, which was another great success! While we may have been a small group , we were a mighty group. I would like to recognize and thank the Chairpersons of the NOVA Annual Meeting Planning Committee: Michelle Salazar- Rodriquez and Rockne Jacque as well as all the committee members. Over the past year they worked diligently to ensure that an informative and memorable two-day event took place to educate nurses.

A recent proposal to remove nursing from the list of professional degrees has angered nurses across the U.S. Rightfully so! The potential changes may remove some loans reserved for professional degrees, make it more expensive for nurses to attend educational institutions as well as increase the nursing shortage. These proposed changes also included physician assistants, physical therapists and social workers - all which impact the nursing care that we deliver. I want to take a moment to remind all nurses what it means to be professional. Professionalism in nursing is not just a degree. It is ingrained in our core values such as integrity, compassion and accountability that you demonstrate through your dedication, advocacy for Veterans and commitment to improving care. I ask that you consider attending NOVA Hill Day March 18-19, 2026 and advocate for nursing to remain a professional degree so that we can ensure the next generation of nurses are ready to care for veterans. This is your opportunity to speak up about the impact that this change would have on nursing and patient care!

As the year comes to a close my term as President also comes to an end. It has been my honor to represent VA and NOVA nurses over the past two years. We have faced an ever-changing landscape in how we deliver care to the Veterans. Representing NOVA legislatively has been a fulfilling part of my Presidency. But it does not end there. As the Immediate Past President, I will continue to work diligently to represent NOVA nurses and to ensure that your ability to provide quality care to the Veterans continues.

As the past year has been difficult to say the least and we do not know what the upcoming year has in store for all of us, remember the work you do every day is rewarding and makes a difference in the lives of the Veterans you care for!

Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season

Cathy Giasson

NOVA President