VA-Student Trainee Experience Program
The purpose of VA-STEP is to provide an opportunity for outstanding college students to develop clinical competencies at an approved VA medical facility and serves as a recruitment tool to encounter students before they enter the VA workforce.
Welcome to the Veterans Affairs of Southern Nevada Healthcare System (VASNHS) VA- Student Trainee Experience Program. We are excited you are interested in a first step to gain employment as a trainee.
Purpose of the VA-STEP:
The purpose of VA-STEP is to provide an opportunity for outstanding college students to develop clinical competencies at an approved VA medical facility and serves as a recruitment tool to encounter students before they enter the VA workforce.
Program Vision:
The vision of the VA-STEP program is to hire, train, and retain highly qualified registered nurse graduates into the program who synergistically contribute with their colleagues to providing excellent care to Veterans and their families in a high reliable organization.
Program Mission:
A primary mission of the training program is to introduce students the VA way so they can provide the best service to our Veterans without interruptions in their learning. VA-STEP develops both clinical competence and confidence in Veteran-centric care and serves as a path to employment with VA after graduation and licensure.
Expected Outcomes:
- Develop novice to advance-beginner nursing competency knowledge and skills prior to graduation.
- Retain 90% of VA-STEP participants in VA employment post graduation in either the PB-RNR or RN-TTP programs.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be a U.S. Citizen
- English language
- 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
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Be willing to undergo a background check/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
- Be in good academic standing (as defined by the school
- Be interested in Veteran-centric health care and in employment at the VA medical center after graduation
Program Benefits:
- VA-STEP students are paid as hourly, intermittent employees. VA-STEP students are not eligible for overtime pay, holiday pay, or shift differentials. The rate of pay changes each year.
VA-STEP Program Coordinator Contact Information
Accreditation Status:
The employee-based locally funded nurse resident program RN-TTP at VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System is seeking accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, http://www.ccneaccreditation.org.
Updated: Feb 17, 2026