To provide compassionate, highly-trained nurses to serve the health care needs of the nation's veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is establishing new partnerships with 7 nursing schools. The partnerships will bring to 10 the number of collaborations between the VA and nursing schools under the VA Nursing Academy.

The VA Nursing Academy is a virtual organization with central administration in Washington. It expands learning opportunities for nursing students at VA facilities, funds additional faculty positions so competitively selected nursing school partners will accept additional baccalaureate-level students, and increases recruitment and retention of VA nurses. The five-year, $40 million program began in 2007.

Seven nursing schools will form new partnerships with 9 VA medical centers and join the VA Nursing Academy this year. They are the VA medical center in Charleston, South Carolina with the Medical University of South Carolina; VA medical center in Hines, Illinois with Loyola University of Chicago; the VA medical center in the Michigan Consortium with University of Detroit Mercy and Saginaw Valley State University; the VA medical center in Oklahoma City with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; the VA medical center in Providence, Rhode island with Rhode Island College; and the VA medical center in Tampa, Florida with the University of South Florida.

Partnerships already in the VA Nursing Academy include the VA medical center in Gainesville, Fla., with the University of Florida; the VA medical center in San Diego with San Diego State University; the VA medical center in Salt Lake City with the University of Utah; and the VA medical center in West Haven, Conn., with Fairfield University in Connecticut.

The VA expects to add several more nursing-school partnerships. Further information about the pilot program can be obtained from VA's Office of Academic Affiliations web site at http://www.va.gov/oaa.

Source: Press Release, July 31, 2008.