Office of Nursing Services (ONS)
This site provides information and resources for the nursing community and professional colleagues in related fields. Its purpose is to promote awareness of current nursing practices, products, and services within the VA nursing community.
VA Nursing is a dynamic, diverse group of honored, respected, and compassionate professionals. VA is the leader in the creation of an organizational culture where excellence in nursing is valued as essential for quality healthcare for those who served America.
Visit the VA Careers site for more information about Nursing Jobs at the VA.
Office of Nursing Services - 2025 Year in Review
In this review, we highlight a few areas where VA nursing has continued to support and enable the VA Secretary’s focus of effort, “Veterans First.” For 2025, Veterans First has meant a focus on strategic drivers, with enablers – all designed to help VA focus on areas most critically needed to ensure Veterans receive timely, high-quality care. For question, please contact: vhaonsinfo@va.gov.
2025 Year in Review (PDF)
VA Nurses Making Music - Freedom Sings USA
For Nurses Month 2024, and in partnership with Freedom Sings USA, the Office of Nursing Services paired 10 combat-Veteran VA nurses with professional songwriters to help share their military and VA nursing experiences in original music. Once paired with a songwriter, the VA nurses shared their individual stories while the songwriters transitioned these stories into very personal and powerful musical expressions.
The result, “From the Battlefield to the Bedside”
To listen for free, please visit: Freedom Sings USA – VA Nurses
This very emotional process has also been captured in a documentary film, please view at: From the Battlefield to the Bedside: Honoring VA Nurses Who Served in Combat
Healthcare Acquired Pneumonia Prevention by Engaging Nurses (HAPPEN)
Recognized as a Diffusion of Excellence Gold Status Practice and a 2020 Gears of Government President's Award Winner, Healthcare Acquired Pneumonia Prevention by Engaging Nurses (HAPPEN) posits that by simply ensuring adequate oral care, twice a day, nurses can help prevent pneumonia development in hospitalized patients. At present, VA Medical Centers are actively leveraging HAPPEN pneumonia prevention principles. As such, VA nurses are successfully reducing non-device associated pneumonia rates across VA by providing consistent oral care likely saving lives, improving clinical outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Early results are also demonstrating a reduction in community acquired pneumonia rates.
A complete HAPPEN Tool Kit is available upon request at: vhaonsinfo@va.gov.
• HAPPEN Guide (Non-VA)
• NV HAP Calculator (Non-VHA)
• DENTAL IMPLANT CARE
• HAPPEN - ONE PAGER
• HAPPEN - CHAMPION TRAINING
• Oral Care Audit Tracker
• Oral Care Posters
• Oral Care Toolkit
• Patient Oral Care Survey
VA ONS Travel Corps (ONS-TC) Program
The ONS Travel Corps Program (ONS-TC) is a VA operated internal pool of Registered Nurses available for temporary assignments throughout the Veterans Health Administration. The goals of the program are to maintain high standards of patient care quality and safety; reduce the use of outside supplemental staffing; improve recruitment of new nurses into the VA system; improve retention by decreasing turnover of newly recruited nurses; support the delivery of VA health care in rural or underserved areas; provide alternatives for experienced nurses considering leaving the VA system; and to establish a potential pool of Registered Nurses for national emergency preparedness efforts.
For additional information, please visit the ONS Travel Corps page or contact ONSTravelCorps@va.gov.
