Geriatrics and Extended Care Nurse Practitioner Residency Program (GEC-NPR)

• Duration: 12 months, full-time
• Structure: 80% clinical practice (~1,664 hours/year), 20% didactic education (~416 hours/year)
• Start Date: Proposed September 2026
• Clinical supervision throughout the program

• Community Living Center (long-term care)
• Geriatric Evaluation and Management (GEM)/Subacute Rehab Unit
• Dementia Special Care Units
• Outpatient Geriatrics Clinic
• Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC)
• Hospice & Palliative Care
• Specialty Consult Teams (psychiatry, neurology, pharmacy, wound care, women’s health)

Didactic Education (20%): Weekly protected time (~8 hours/week) includes lectures, seminars, journal clubs, simulation, and interprofessional workshops.

• Comprehensive geriatric assessment
• Geriatric syndromes and multimorbidity
• Polypharmacy and deprescribing
• Ethics in geriatrics
• Cultural competence and military culture
• Health policy and leadership
• Optional training in battlefield acupuncture and advanced wound care

Scholarly Project: Each resident completes a Veteran-focused quality improvement or system redesign project, culminating in a formal presentation to facility leadership.

• Ethics Consultations Education: Dedicated didactic sessions and committee engagement
• Advanced Wound Care Training: Hands-on consult experience and certification pathway support
• Optional Battlefield Acupuncture Training: Integrated into pain management education
• Dementia Special Care Unit Rotation: Specialized exposure to behavioral complexities
• Integration with Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) and Leadership Curriculum: Access to nationally recognized geriatric education resources

Residents learn from an interdisciplinary team of geriatricians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, psychologists, and wound care specialists. Faculty provide protected teaching time for clinical preceptorship and didactic instruction.

• MSN or DNP NP program graduate (AGPCNP or FNP)
• Board certified or eligible
• U.S. RN and NP licensure
• VA trainee eligibility (citizenship, background check, health screening)

Recruitment Commitment: VA Bedford aims for 70% of graduates hired into VA positions upon completion and 70% retained at one year, with placement support through VISN 1 and national OAA resources.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. All requirements must be met by the time of program start.

• Current curriculum vitae
• Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts (may be unofficial at time of initial application) sealed envelope or sent directly from the school
• Personal statement: Maximum 500 words, double spaced. Include in your statement:
  • Describe a meaningful personal experience with an older adult or veteran that inspired you to pursue geriatric nurse practitioner practice at the VA. Explain what this experience taught you and why it makes the VA GEC NP residency the right fit for your career goals.
    • Tell one story with specific details
    • Explain why it mattered to you
    • Include your short term and long term career goals in geriatric care, and how you hope this residency will help you reach these goals
• Three (3) letters of recommendation (one must be from faculty member of graduate program) in sealed envelopes or emailed directly from the individual writing the letter
• Physical transcripts can be mailed to: Bedford VAMC, C/O Geriatric Office, Attn: Nancy Aucoin, 200 Springs Rd., Bedford, MA 01730

Preferred Experience: RN experience is preferred. Experience in geriatrics and/or with Veteran population is preferred.

• Deadline: Accepting applications now through April 30, 2026
• Applications considered on a rolling admission basis
• RESIDENCY START DATE: Sept. 7, 2026
• Submit Applications to: : Nancy Aucoin, Program Specialist: Nancy.Aucoin@va.gov;  

For questions regarding the program or the application process, please contact:

Brittany Carey MSN, APRN, AGNP-C

• Competitive stipend: As of AY 2026, stipend amount is : $91,452. •
• A comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, federal holidays, and health benefits.
• Hiring preference for open positions at Veterans Health Administration following successful completion of the residency.