NOVA – The Beginning…

During the fall of 1980, the nationwide shortage of registered nurses reached crisis proportions. Nurses were leaving the profession in droves, enrollment in nursing schools was decreasing, and discontent was widespread.  Discontent ranged from disillusionment with nursing as a profession to adversarial relationships with physicians and resulted in pronounced staffing shortages.

This unfortunate situation was no more pronounced than in the VA system.  When PL 96-330 was passed by Congress without direct input from VA nurses, a small group of dedicated nurses at the Hines VA Hospital in Illinois decided that it was time for action.  This decision marked the birth of the Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs.
 
Earlier, in the spring of 1980, a proposal was drafted encompassing the concept of a nationwide professional nursing organization with an educational and legislative emphasis.  Since it was founded, NOVA has grown to include VA nurses from all over the United States. These nurses have pursued their goals resolutely and have been able to influence significantly our nation’s legislators on issues of veterans’ health care.

View the NOVA 1980 - 2022 History