Internships, fellowships, and Training

• Program Overview 

  • VA-STEP is an honors program for students having completed the final semester of their junior year in an accredited BSN program. VA-STEP is designed to increase participants’ clinical skills, clinical judgment, and critical thinking while caring for our nation’s Veterans. This program provides opportunities for learning through classroom experiences and clinical practice with a qualified RN preceptor. You will find a strong commitment to education at the Fargo VA. By offering a specialty area to explore, we help you define your career path and gain the nursing experience you see.
  • Students are paid a straight hourly wage, accrue annual and sick leave, work up to 400 hours during the summer with the opportunity to work PRN until graduation. Not eligible for overtime, holiday pay, or shift differentials. 

• Eligibility

  • U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization (U.S. Veterans are considered first among all equally qualified candidates) 
  • Current nursing student who has completed or are within one semester of completing the junior year of a bachelor’s degree program from a nationally accredited school for nursing sciences with a CCNE or ACEN accreditation 
  • Be willing to undergo a background/suitability investigation 
  • Be willing to come work for the VA after graduation and not be obligated to work somewhere outside the VA after graduation 
  • Be available to work 400 hours prior to graduation from your education program 
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on 4.00 scale 
  • Be in good academic standing (as defined by the school you are attending) leading to graduation and NCLEX certification

Apply to VA-STEP here: https://va-ams.intelliworxit.com/webapp/register/va-step/facility-applicant

The RNTTP Residency Program is for newly licensed RNs or RNs with less than one year of full-time RN experience. The program is aligned with the CCNE accreditation standards for RN Transition-to-Practice Residency Program.  This program will provide you with a supportive network of preceptors and mentors to augment your academic education with professional clinical experiences. It is considered as “Best Practice” for the VA nationwide! The RNTTP Residency Program mission is to bridge nursing academic education and professional nursing practice. It is designed to support RN residents as they transition from an entry-level, advanced beginner nurse to a competent professional nurse.

• RNTTP Goals:

  • Transition from an entry-level beginner nurse to a competent professional nurse, who provides safe, quality care; 
  • Develop effective decision-making skills related to clinical judgement and performance; 
  • Develop strategies to incorporate research-based and other evidence into practice;  
  • Develop clinical leadership skills at the point of patient care; 
  • Practice collaboratively as members of the inter-professional healthcare team; and 
  • Formulate an individual career plan that promotes a life-long commitment to professional nursing. 

• Evidence demonstrates new RN graduates who complete a residency program benefit from: 

  • Increased competence and organizational skills, 
  • Use of evidence-based practice, 
  • Improved communication,
  • Decreased turnover, 
  • Enhanced leadership skills, and
  • Positive “socialization”  with other professionals. 

This is a great opportunity for expert clinicians to develop in their professional nursing practice by becoming an advanced preceptor through the Fargo VA Health Care System’s Preceptor Program. Mosby’s Preceptor 3.0 Course from Elsevier, Inc. is utilized to prepare RNs and LPNs to serve as exceptional preceptors to new nurses, new graduate nurses, and nursing students. The curriculum is evidence-based, standardized, and accredited by ANCC. You will be equipped with the tools, knowledge, and additional support needed to excel in this unique and valuable preceptor role.