Nursing Externships
The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center offers externships for nursing students. Nursing students who have completed their first clinical rotation may apply for Student Nurse Technician opportunities that commence at the start of summer and extend until graduation. Student Nurse Technician opportunities start each year in early June. Please reach out to Michael.Baumgartner1@va.gov for more information before applying.
Are you interested in a tuition scholarship, a monthly stipend, and a book stipend payment? Apply for the VA Health Profession Scholarship Program (HPSP)! In return for the support, VA will require a two-year service obligation in a full-time RN position after graduation, licensure and residency completion. For more information, click here.
Student Nurse Technician (SNT)- attention nursing students
Student Nurse Technicians serve as a first step to gain employment with the VA after graduation and licensure.
Program Description
Student Nurse Technicians learn to develop understanding, confidence and competencies in the care of our nation’s Veterans. When functioning independently, the SNT role is like that of a nursing assistant. An SNT may perform certain nursing skills initially performed in school with a clinical instructor, under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse.
Work Schedule
The goal is for participants to work full time over the summer, and the schedule may be for first-, second- or third-shift tours of duty. If you are not able to work full time, this position may have opportunity to work less than full time. SNTs are eligible for shift, weekend and holiday pay. SNTs may continue on as intermittent employees during the school year until graduation.
Work Areas
SNTs may rotate to the following areas as staffing allows:
- Urgent Care (UC)
- 4E (Medical/Surgical)
- CLC (Community Living Center)
Eligibility Requirements
- U.S. citizens by birth or naturalization (U.S. Veterans are considered first among all equally qualified candidates).
- Current nursing students who have completed their first clinical rotation from a nationally accredited school.
- Willing to undergo a background/suitability investigation.
- Interested in Veteran-centric health care and desires employment at a VA medical center after graduation.
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
- Currently in good academic standing (as defined by the school the student is attending) leading to graduation and NCLEX certification.
Application
If you meet eligibility requirements, please submit the following:
- Cover letter, including why you are interested in this program
- Resume
- School transcript (does not need to be official for application process)
- DD 214 (if Veteran)
- Application for Health Professions Trainees (VA Form 10-2850D)
- Two letters of reference
Apply on USAJobs.gov. If job posting is not currently available, send resume to Nurse Recruiter Michael Baumgartner at Michael.Baumgartner1@va.gov.
Program Contact
Michael Baumgartner, BSN, RN, Nurse Recruiter
Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center
Iron Mountain, MI, Office #5167
Email: Michael.Baumgartner1@va.gov
Phone:
Facility Spotlight
The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center (OGJVAMC) is located at 325 East H Street in Iron Mountain, MI, in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula. The facility oversees eight Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) located in Ironwood, Hancock, Marquette, Gladstone, Sault Ste. Marie, Manistique and Menominee, MI, and Rhinelander, WI.
OGJVAMC and its CBOCs annually serve approximately 20,000 Veterans. OGJVAMC has the largest geographic patient service area east of the Mississippi River, encompassing fifteen Michigan counties and nine counties in northeastern Wisconsin.
OGJVAMC is a primary and secondary level care facility with 17 acute care, general medicine beds. For higher level emergency and critical care cases, OGJVAMC coordinates that care with hospitals in both the local community and at larger VA medical centers that have the capability and expertise to serve our Veterans.
The services provided by OGJVAMC’s 40-bed Community Living Center (CLC) include extended care and short-term rehabilitation, geriatric care, general nursing home care; short term wound care, and hospice/palliative care.
OGJVAMC provides ambulatory and acute health care including audiology, diabetic clinic, dentistry, geriatrics and extended care, general medicine, whole health (chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, wellness, yoga, tai chi, health coaching, aromatherapy, biofeedback) home-based primary care, mental health, oncology, optometry, orthopedics, Hepatitis C clinic, palliative/hospice, physical and occupational therapy, prosthetics, podiatry, psychiatry, radiology, speech therapy, surgery, cardiology, neurology, urology, weight management, and women’s wellness.
OGJVAMC is a leader in rural health care delivery in VHA, and employs state-of-the-art telehealth audio visual technology. Telehealth has greatly improved access to specialty care for rural Veterans by bringing these services closer to the Veterans' homes. OGJVAMC currently supports telehealth for primary medical care and 24 specialty care areas, including many of the services noted above.
Nurse Residency
Near graduation, many student employees apply for the Nurse Residency Program (RN Transition to Practice), which is another excellent program offered by the VA.
- The Nurse Residency program assists the post-graduate RN in the transition from academia to a complex practice environment. It consists of a comprehensive 12-month curriculum built upon standards related to clinical, leadership and professional dimensions. Additionally, Veteran-centric content is reviewed during the Residency. The program contains both didactic and experiential learning components. Each post-graduate RN is assigned a Preceptor who is an experienced RN.
- If interested in the Nurse Residency Program, email Nurse Recruiter Michael Baumgartner at Michael.Baumgartner1@va.gov.