Eileen Grubbs, BS, ADN, RN, MEDSURG-BC

Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

NOVA Chapter 330 

Left to Right: Eileen Grubbs, Cecelia Armstrong, 

Jessi Abraham, Cline, Thomas Gremling, 

and Patrick Johnson

NOVA Chapter 330 members learned much throughout 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic. While our chapter gained members during this time, we also weathered personal losses together as one. 

Our chapter worked with Oklahoma City (OKC) Beautiful and the Parks and Recreation Department to sponsor a park near our VA in honor of Tanya Leasure, LPN, who passed away in April 2019. Tanya was one of the first LPNs to join NOVA Chapter 330. The sign and our care in the park will last for two years. We plan to plant daffodils in the park and enjoy sitting on the benches and pavilion.

During this global pandemic, wearing masks, cappers, gowns, gloves, and shoe covers became routine. We were stretched  as we transitioned  from outpatient to inpatient nursing. Our strengths  were  in patient and staff  education and sharing  our nursing experiences. Leaders in administration were there to assist in many new experiences as well. Chapter membership numbers and methods of staying connected have changed greatly, but our mission  to support NOVA and nursing at our facility continues. 

Bette L. Davis, MSN 

NOVA Past President/Nurse Emeritus

Washington, DC VAMC, Washington, DC

NOVA Chapter 156

Bette L. Davis, NOVA Past President and Nurse Emeritus, was one of the first clinical nurse specialists to be hired at the DC VAMC in the summer of 1971. Bette was also in the first group of 101 nurses in 1978 to be certified by ANA as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in psychiatric and mental health nursing practice. In addition to her specialty in consultation-liaison psychiatry during her years in Washington, DC, she assumed pivotal positions in the movement to forge new legislation and policies to advance nursing and the quality of care in the VA healthcare system.

Her broad background of teaching, clinical nursing, research and writing began when she graduated in the first class of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill School of Nursing and was one of the first women at UNC to receive a four-year degree in nursing.

During the early years of her nursing career, she remained in North Carolina, teaching at the School of Nursing in Chapel Hill, and gaining experience in psychiatric nursing and public health. nursing. In 1964, she moved to Dallas, TX and became a VA nurse, a head nurse on a medical unit for five years. In 1969, she entered Yale University where she obtained a MSN degree and became a clinical nurse specialist in psychiatric nursing in 1971.

In her national leadership role for the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA), first as the legislative director, and later as President, she authored and presented numerous professional nursing testimony to the US Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) to improve health care for US Veterans, accurately addressing critical and timely national concerns, such as the future of the VA healthcare system, the role of the VA and of nurses in national health care reform, women’s health care, nurse pay, and federal funding for nursing education, research and practice.

Throughout her career, Bette has made a significant impact toward raising the status of nursing and improving the quality of working life for those who have focused their careers on caring for men and women who have served our country in the military.

In 1992, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing honored her as the Alumna of the Year for her excellence in psychiatric liaison nursing and as a national spokesperson for the nursing profession and for health care.

In 1997, NOVA presented Bette with the Barbara Chambers Award for her leadership and outstanding contributions to NOVA. Chambers was the founding President of NOVA in 1980. Bette was cited for her work in enhancing the political power of VA professional nursing, making it a visible and interactive force in shaping the Department of Veterans Affairs health care policies and nursing’s role in that health care. 

From 1971 to 2000, Bette practiced as a CNS at the Washington, DC, VA Medical Center. This position kept her at the forefront of direct care. “Nurses before me pursued ways and means to improve nursing education and advanced practice, making it possible for nurses to remain in the clinical area.” 

As a result, Bette forged new legislation and policies that advanced nursing and the quality of care in the VA healthcare system. 

Bette retired in 2000 but continues to keep in touch with alumni and professional nursing organizations.

Bette speaking at the ANA nursing rally on Capitol Hill in 1992.

Partnering with the dedicated men and women of NOVA to award our ‘Continuing Service’ Scholarships this year has been a privilege for FED Benefits Center. Going through the applications we received, the dedication, advocacy, and passion you all bring to your work with our nation’s Veterans every day is evident and inspiring. 2020 was a year of extraordinary circumstances that our nation navigated due to the extraordinary resilience, dedication, and passion of health care professionals and front-line workers. FED Benefits Center would like to recognize  this year’s scholarships recipients, Tiaa Padgette and Anastasia Aryee.

Tiaa Padgette is the Chief of Education at the Columbia VA Health Care System pursuing her PhD in Nursing from Walden University. As part of her work at the Columbia VA, Ms. Padgette initiated the Strategic Tools Empowering Mobility (STEM) program to help her colleagues develop tools and skills to further their careers within the VA. Ms. Padgette describes her view on service as ‘practicing servant leadership, placing the needs of others at the forefront and supporting them in a meaningful way.’

Anastasia Aryee is an Assistant Nurse Manager at the VA Boston Healthcare System. Her commitment and passion are on constant display with her colleagues whether Ms. Aryee is pivoting to cover a need on another unit or assisting residents in the Community Living Center. Ms. Aryee shared that she is passionate about her role in ‘Veterans’ long-term holistic health’ through ‘gentle humility and patience that keeps Veterans’ spirits lifted.’

It is our pleasure to support the service of Ms. Padgette and Ms. Aryee in adding to their considerable skills and talents to serve our Veterans. At FED Benefits Center we cherish the opportunity to serve you as you serve others. Thank you all for your commitment and dedication to our nation’s heroes. 

Take care and stay safe!

National Certified Nurses Day is March 19th

Certified nurses dedicate their entire careers to helping others and often work long, hard hours. Advanced skills require continuing education, re-certification, and continued knowledge of ever-changing technology. Certified nurses balance clinical needs and patient care. Helping patients meet their healthcare goals in complex and challenging times makes a Certified Nurse’s commitment even more valuable. Nurses study and take certification exams to demonstrate their competency, skill, and knowledge in a field. Board certification is available in a variety of specialties.

Did you know that:

• NOVA members are eligible to receive substantial discounts when pursuing a specialty certification or renewal of your certification?

• VA nurses that obtain a specialty certification might be eligible for a cash award/step increase?

NOVA has established a number of partnerships with various nursing organizations to provide NOVA members with discounts on certifications and recertifications. 

Check out our Certification Partners Page to learn more! 

https://www.vanurse.org/page/certificationpartners

Teresa Morris, Director, Advocacy & Government Relations

Greetings NOVA Members –

I hope many of you were able to join Dr. Nancy Claflin and me for our January Webinar “Congress 101 – Who and What you need to know to Advocate for VA Nursing.”  The Webinar  provided an in-depth overview of how congress works, who controls legislation that affects the VA, new members of congress, and tools to help you to be the best advocate for your nursing profession. Click Here

As I write this, the 117th Congress is still organizing the  Committees and chairmanships. The Democrats control the  House, but it gets a bit complicated in the Senate since there  is a 50/50 split between the parties. When there is a 50/50 split Senate leaders often adopt a power-sharing deal – this includes splitting committee memberships evenly and mandating that both leaders seek to attain an equal balance of the two parties’ interests when scheduling and debating legislative and executive business. As a reminder, Vice President Kamala Harris holds the deciding vote as VP of the Senate.

NOVA will continue our legislative advocacy and has finalized the 2021 Legislative Priority Goals. We identified the following areas that need attention to continue providing the best care for our Nation’s Veterans. They include:

Budget

• Provide a strong budget to ensure all VISNs and Medical Facilities can care and deliver services to its Veteran population.

• Recruit and retain a highly qualified nursing workforce with a budget to support modern staffing models. 

• Support appropriate funding for Community Care that does not impede internal medical care accounts.

• Optimize all VA resources to affect and achieve value in models of care.

Staffing/HR/Recruitment & Retention

• Ensure sufficient PPE and resources to promote best practices and support staff safety at all times  especially during the pandemic.

• Review and refine processes used during COVID-19 Pandemic to expedite hiring and on-boarding of essential staff. 

• Revise Pay Caps to end compression between all Grade Levels.

• Provide opportunity for career advancement and professional development at all levels of nursing to retain a highly qualified nursing workforce within VA.

• Ensure HR has necessary staff in order to review and streamline policies and procedures to improve the efficiency and speed of the hiring process.

• Mandate training for HR personnel on use of locality pay, and congressional authorizations to improve and streamline entire hiring processes.

• Review effectiveness of HR Modernization and reposition HR staff back at the Medical Centers.

• Monitor any/all development of professional standards for nurses and other healthcare providers.

• Continue providing ongoing training for VHA staff - to include protected hours for optimal learning - and require training for all community providers to improve the coordination of care, understanding of military culture and health care needs across networks.

The goals are available for your  review on the NOVA website and I encourage all  members to familiarize themselves and to share  them with your Members of Congress (House & Senate).

In the meantime, if you have not taken a look at our activity from 2020 – the Advocacy Year in Review is available on the NOVA website.

I thank and welcome the 2021 Legislative Committee Co-Chairs Ceci McVey and Steven Powell along with the entire Legislative Committee as we advocate for VA nurses and our Nation’s Veterans. We welcome all of you to join us as we educate and mobilize to find the best way to advocate for the VA Nursing community.

Stay Tuned!