By TJ Wilcox-Olson and Teresa Morris

Over the last year NOVA was asked to visit various facilities to help spread the word about the best VA professional nursing organization. We provided in-depth information about NOVA,  membership benefits and activities, all which were well-received by the VA facilities visited this year.

On May 4, NOVA President TJ Wilcox-Olson and Teresa Morris, NOVA’s Director of Advocacy and Government Relations, had the honor of visiting the Long Beach VA (Chapter 126) in Long Beach, California. They met with NOVA Past President, Larry Lemos, who gave them a brief facility tour. Throughout the morning they visited with individual nurses and shared information about NOVA and the benefits of being a member of a professional nursing organization. TJ and Teresa also provided a well-attended presentation which included highlights of the importance of advocacy. Later that evening, the chapter hosted a dinner event, “Understanding the Chronic Wound Continuum: The Nurses Role in Real Wound Healing, Biofilm Based Wound Management, and Organogenesis Portfolio,” presented by Susan Reid, a Senior Medical Science Liaison for Organogenesis.

The next day, TJ and Teresa traveled to the San Diego VA (Chapter 138). They completed 4 presentations throughout the day and met with individual nurses to answer questions about NOVA. Many of the members were interested in the RAISE Act and how it will be implemented at the local level. This was the perfect time to discuss the importance of nurses having a voice to help advocate at every level in the VA.    

They capped off the day celebrating Cinco De Mayo at dinner with chapter members at a beautiful coastal restaurant.

If your chapter is interested in having members from the NOVA Board of Directors visit your site, please reach out at nova@vanurse.org.

Teresa Morris, NOVA Director, Advocacy & Government Relations

Greetings NOVA Members –

I wanted to provide more information and an update on the VA Nurse and Physician Assistant RAISE Act which passed as part of the FY 2022 appropriations package and was signed into law in March.  

The law will increase existing pay limitations for Title 38 RNs, APRNs, PAs, and CRNAs. The new pay cap for APRNs and PAs is Executive Level I which for 2022 is $226,300. For RNs, the new pay cap is Executive Level II which is $203,700. It is worth noting that these occupations – prior to the new law –   were capped at Executive Level IV, which for 2022, is $176,300.  This does not mean that everyone is getting a raise, only those earning the old cap ($176,300) will receive an increase once the Locality Pay Schedules are updated to incorporate the new pay caps.

Medical Center Directors are also required to review locality pay schedules within 10% of the old pay compression and determine if increases are needed to recruit and retain VA nurses.  NOVA has advocated that there is an urgent need to alleviate the compressed pay scales within VHA.

VA Workforce Management Consulting is working on these changes and is expected to have HR and payroll systems updated by late June. They are actively updating and testing systems while reviewing hundreds of pay schedules. Those who are at the cap and who live in high cost of living areas—specifically where the facilities are unable to recruit/retain nurses--will be the first to receive a pay raise. 

I have heard from many LPNs that this does not affect their salaries and want to assure all of you that NOVA continues to advocate for a review of Title 38 Hybrid pay, but we need your help and voices to get this done.  I encourage all of you to speak to your members of Congress on this issue. Tell them that recruiting and retaining this valuable workforce is challenging and affects healthcare provided to our Veterans.  Remind them of what you do everyday and the importance of the care you provide our ill and injured Veterans.

I also encourage you to think about joining NOVA’s Legislative Committee. Review the NOVA website under the Advocacy dropdown and help us continue our work on behalf of All VA nurses. 

Links to the toolkit can be found here: NOVA Advocacy Toolkit (vanurse.org)

I look forward to continuing our advocacy and working with all of you to make sure VA nurse voices are heard. What you do continues to be critical to the health and well-being of our Veterans and the entire VA Healthcare system.

Stay Tuned!

By Carolyn Latta

Chapter 418 held a Membership Recruitment Dinner on April 6, 2022 at the Newport News Marriott at City Center. 

The guest speaker, Susan Reid, MBA, MSN, RN, CWCN, BCMAS is a Senior Medical Science Liaison for Organogenesis. Ms. Reid has extensive experience in providing care and consultation for patients with chronic wounds and has lectured throughout the United States and abroad on the subject of the prevention and management of chronic wounds. Ms. Reid gave an informative  l presentation entitled “Understanding the Chronic Wound Continuum: The Nurses Role in Real Wound Healing, Biofilm Based Wound Management, and Organogenesis Portfolio”.

Nine members and 12 guests attended, including Ruth Holmes, NOVA Secretary/Treasurer and Nurse Emeritus. Ms. Holmes guests were two retired VA nurses. In addition to the educational presentation, there was information provided on NOVA and membership benefits including the Annual Meeting, webinars, tuition discounts, scholarships, mentoring, networking, and legislative updates, and the activities of Chapter 418 i.e. Spirit Day, Nurses Week, and Lunch and Learn sessions. As a result, Chapter 418 gained four new members , Ns. In addition, Organogenesis reps visited the Community Living Center to provide assistance with a challenging wound of a resident.

We plan to continue these events to bring our members and potential members together!

Submitted by Thelma R. Serry, BSN, RN, NE-BC

Chanté Logan, MSN, RN

Chanté Logan, MSN, RN is currently serving as the Operating Room Acting Nurse Manager at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System (CVHCS). She manages 47 registered nurses and 5 scrub technicians. The OR team collaborates with ancillary services, including Environmental Management Services, Engineering, Anesthesia, Biomedical, IT, and the Surgical Team.

Chanté is a proud Air Force Veteran who is, “grateful to serve those with whom I share a bond."

“I like to describe myself as a wife (Tim Logan), mother of two daughters (Julia and Carmen), daughter, sister, and friend to those I come into contact with,” says Chanté. “I want to reach my fullest potential academically and personally. Pursuing higher education was my goal when I enlisted in the United States Air Force in July 1991. I served honorably for twelve years and then left service to pursue my nursing dream.”

She is a lifelong learner who is currently pursuing a DNP at Old Dominion University and completed an Associate Degree in Nursing at Weber State University in 2006. She moved with her active-duty Air Force spouse to San Antonio, Texas where she completed a BSN at the University of the Incarnate Word. After her spouse retired, the family moved to Richmond, Virginia where Chanté completed the MSN Leadership and Administration program at Walden University. While completing the Old Dominion DNP program, she mentioned that she wonders\ed what her next academic pursuit would be.

Chanté has identified many goals for herself. She published an article in the 2022 issue of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN),  “Developing a charge nurse shadowing program to spark the interest of future leaders”. The charge nurse shadowing program was envisioned by Chanté and she brought it to fruition with the help of the OR charge nurses and the full support of the OR nurse manager. She has also presented posters at the AORN Global Surgical Conference three times, winning a process improvement award in 2017! She has also been a presenter for the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Perioperative Nursing conference in 2021 entitled “Total Body Makeover”. Along with colleagues, she highlighted ways nurses can nurture r themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chanté is an accomplished VA nurse and aspires to be a Fulbright Scholar in the future.   If anyone can achieve their goals, Chanté can and will. All the best, Chanté!

By Vivian Cruz-Jones

Vivian is a Registered Nurse with 45 years of nursing experience.  She retired, one year ago, from the McGuire VA Medical Center, after 27 years of dedicated service.  After retirement she and her husband re-located from Virginia to Florida to be closer to their son and his family.  She enjoys volunteering, reading, relaxing, and spending time with her new friends but most of all she delights in the time spent with her grandchildren.  Vivian states, today more than ever, she truly believe in the statement “The meaning of Life is to give Life meaning”.

Retirement: the action or fact of leaving one's job and ceasing to work.

Before I retired, this statement, literally, was the only thought I had about retirement. I had visions of time being my own; I was going to do what I wanted, when I wanted, without obligations to anyone. I was planning to relocate to the Sunshine State to spend lazy days on the beach and live my best life. Over the years, I crafted a sound financial plan so as not to be worried about a strict budget while on a fixed income. With all bases covered (or so I thought), I felt that life would be wonderful - I would be fulfilled and finally able to live my dream. What I am learning is that retirement, for me, has proven to be an unpredictable journey. Retirement has taken me on a deep excursion into self-reflection to determine who I am, and what I want to do with the rest of my life. Without my Nursing Career,  having the “work” routine, and the built-in socialization, I quickly discovered that I needed a balance of both labor and leisure.

As a Registered nurse, I was proud to be included in one of the most respected and trusted fields, as a great portion of my nursing career was spent as an employee of the Department of Veteran Affairs.  Not only was I proud of being a nurse, but my most satisfying work was also as a VA Nurse. I enjoyed working with Veterans, hearing their stories, and making a difference in their lives - going to work every day gave me a purpose. Not only did this work give me a sense of satisfaction, but I also found a sense of camaraderie amongst my peers and managers. There was built-in socialization, support, and encouragement; the people in my workplace easily became not just my friends, but also part of my family. Together we were able to share both pleasant and challenging times. In retirement, both my purpose (work) and security (family/friends) were lost. My time, each and every minute of it, was my own but…how was I going to give my life meaning? 

After the brief period of rest and relaxation ended, I began to feel anxious and listless. One day blurred into the next and I was no longer happy or enjoying my life. I definitely was not excited about being retired - my idea of retirement was no longer my reality. I knew what I had planned my retirement to be but life and circumstance had other ideas. When I first started planning my retirement, there was no COVID-19. I had plans of continuing to use my nursing experience volunteering with the Red Cross, where I would travel, spend lazy days at the beach, continue membership with the American Legion and NOVA (Nurses Organization of Veteran Affairs) as an Emeritus.  With COVID, everything changed - Red Cross was not accepting new volunteers and was even cutting back on some of their programs. There were many precautions and restrictions regarding travel, so I was not eager to go to the beach or be around new people. 

I began soul-searching my retirement goal(s). . I paused, took the time to reflect, and found out a few important things about myself. I didn’t have to fill each day with business and I don’t have to feel guilty about it.  I know that I still have something to give and have found a way that uses my nursing skills without being obligated to the everyday routine of “work”.  By slowing down, I have gained a deeper connection with my spirituality which has calmed me.  I joined a neighborhood walking group not only for socialization but also for exercise. 

This unpredictable journey of Retirement has taken me in many different directions. It has taken me out of my comfort zone, allowing me to experience new adventures and opportunities.  I have learned to embrace this new life and its possibilities. I have learned to relax and enjoy – without guilt.  Most importantly I have learned to appreciate and be grateful for each and every moment.