Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Residency (PC-NPR) Program

• 32 hours clinical and 8 hours didactic experiences per 40-hour work week
• Experiential learning will include direct patient care experiences through precepted clinics, clinical rotations, simulations and non-clinical experiences
• Weekly didactic experiences will be drawn from educational sessions and case presentations. These didactic experiences will facilitate the PC-NPRs meeting specific components within the core curriculum domains
• Training domains include:
  • Professional role development and career management
  • Clinical assessment and case formulation
  • Clinical Documentation
  • Patient-Centered Cultural Competency (with emphasis on rural, military and Veteran culture).
  • Clinical Scholarship, Leadership, and Program Development and Evaluation
• Clinical rotations with interprofessional and specialty teams
• Didactic Topics including: Veteran Culture, Military Service, Combat Veterans, Mental Health, Suicide, Tele Health, Women Veterans, Spinal Cord Injuries, Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, Whole Health, Gerontology, Healthcare Leadership, Quality Improvement (QI) and High Reliability (HRO) principles
• Professional Development-with participation in journal clubs, QI project development, presentations.
• Support from the Program Director throughout the program as well as guidance from Clinical Mentors
• Upon successful completion of the residency, the trainees will be given the opportunity to apply for available vacancies within the VA health care system across the country

• Vision: VAMTHCS and MRJCON partner in a shared vision of transforming the care of Veterans and their families by working collaboratively to educate compassionate, highly competent nurse practitioners through the NP residency.
• Mission: The mission of the VAMTHCS and MRJCON NP residency program is to bridge the gap between education and practice, ensuring a smooth transition from novice to competent professionals equipped for Veteran-centric and rural primary care. The program aims to develop highly qualified leaders in an interprofessional environment with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Goals:
  1. Enhance Veteran Access to Quality Care: Increase Veterans' access to high-quality, Veteran-centric primary care within MTVAHCS by developing practice-ready NPs proficient in addressing the complex needs of Veterans
  2. Promote Quality Improvement Leadership: Equip PC-NPR participants to lead continuous quality improvement efforts by examining the VA healthcare system, identifying gaps, and aligning organizational practices with national standards for quality, safety, and efficiency
  3. Strengthen Professional Development: Improve the confidence and practice readiness of PC-NPR trainees through comprehensive clinical experiences, interprofessional collaboration, and ongoing professional development opportunities

• MTVAHCS will continue to set the standard of excellence in health care by providing exemplary, Veteran-centric, evidence-based care
• The program will begin with a two-week orientation
• The program consists of 8 hours of didactic learning and 32 hours of clinical learning, maintaining a 20/80 ratio
• Experiential learning includes direct patient care through precepted clinics, clinical rotations, simulations, and non-clinical experiences
• Program learning outcomes (PLOs) are aligned with the VA mission, values, and the competency domains of OAA and CCNE. Upon completion, PC-NPR graduates will demonstrate:
  1. Veteran-centric person-centered care
  2. Knowledge for advanced nursing practice
  3. Practice-based learning and improvement
  4. Interpersonal and communication skills
  5. Professionalism
  6. An understanding of systems-based practice
  7. The ability to develop Interprofessional partnerships
  8. Personal, professional, and leadership development.
• PC-NPR Trainee Competency Evaluation
  • Utilizes the Nurse Practitioner Residency Competency Assessment (NPRCA) domains
  • Comprised of formative and summative evaluation opportunities with competency ratings from novice thru to clinical leader
  • Completed by Program Director, clinical faculty preceptors

• PC-NPR candidates must:
  1. Be a US citizen
  2. Must be proficient in written and spoken English
  3. Provide proof of recent graduation from an accredited masters, post masters or doctoral nurse practitioner program, accredited by CCNE or ACEN.
  4. Must not have any paid prior NP work experience
  5. Possess a  current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse AND nurse practitioner in a state, commonwealth, or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, prior to the start of the NPR program
  6. Hold current national certification in either Adult Geriatric or Family Nurse Practitioner within 30 days of program start (by AUGUST 1 of current program year)
  7. Possess an active NPI number
  8. Have current Adult BLS or ACLS
  9. Provide proof of current immunizations in accordance with MT VA and CDC immunization recommendations for health care workers, including current TB screening within the past 12 months
  10. Submit to a urine drug screen as well as random urine drug screening while in the program
  11. Pass a background/security investigation

Cohort starting Fall 2026:

• Applications accepted through APRIL
• Interviews conducted thru  MAY
• Selections communicated in late MAY/EARLY JUNE
• Residency program begins 2nd week of SEPTEMBER 

Application packet:

• Cover letter, including personal statement
• Curriculum Vitae
• School transcript (does not need to be official for application process)
• Three letters of reference, including one reference from a senior year nursing faculty member

Please submit application packets to : VHAFHMPCNPR@va.gov

Please do not mail application materials, as mailed documents may not be received in time for review.

• The residents in our program are considered federal full-time trainees with a one-year commitment.
• The salary and benefit package are defined by the VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA).
• Please recognize this is a temporary position.
• Employment after completion of the program is not guaranteed. Time worked does not go towards federal service and union representation is not available for residents participating in this program.
• PC-NPR Trainees are eligible for medical, vision and dental insurance
• 11 paid federal holidays
• Annual Leave & sick leave per pay period
• No call or weekend shifts required
• No commitment to MT VA upon completion of program