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May 5BECKLEY For Mary Ann Vannatter, a nurse recruiter for VA Medical Center in Beckley, it’s personal.
In fact, it’s personal for most nurses at the hospital, she said.
"I wanted to work at the VA hospital because my dad was a Korea Conflict veteran," Vannatter said. "I had always wanted to work for the VA.
"My philosophy has always been that I want to treat my veterans the same way that I would want my dad to be treated.
"If a nurse does that, you’re going to be a great nurse. We all want our family to be treated the best. I think the VA provides the best medical care to the veterans."
There is something very special about caring for the men and women who served the United States.
"We have special patients," Vannatter said. "They’re the best. I love being a VA nurse.
"They’ve given ultimately. Some have lost limbs. But they came back from the wars with diagnosis that were service connected sometimes not. Some of the sweetest patients that I’ve ever taken care of were prisoners of war. They had the most to be upset with, having been treated the way that they were. But I found them to be the most thankful. They were very appreciative. That just tugs at your heart."
Lynn Legg, acting nurse executive at the hospital, echoed those sentiments.
"I’ve been in the nursing profession for over 30 years," said Legg. "So I’ve done a lot of work in the private sector, in hospitals, in home health care agencies, nursing home, a lot of different types of nursing.
"What motivated me to come to VA is that I always had a great respect for the veterans and the military people that defended our country and make our freedom available to us.
"I thought that it would be one way that I could give back. Now that I’ve been here about two years, I can say that it is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done if not the most rewarding thing.
"It makes your heart happy to be able to have the privilege to take care of them," Legg said. "When you make a difference in their life somehow, it makes you feel fulfilled as a nurse."
The staff are not just merely nurses, Legg stated. They’re a notch above in her opinion.
"It takes a special person to be a nurse, period," she said. "But to be a VA nurse, I think it takes that heartfelt compassion on an even higher level. You have to have that internal personal touch. Many of our nurses are also veterans. Many of them have husbands, family members and children who are in the military or are veterans. It’s a way of life that they’ve come to know.
"This is the best job I’ve ever had. This is where I’m meant to be, because I get great fulfillment from what I do every day."
Patients are benefiting from the quality care from caring people, Vannatter added.
"I think if you would ask a veteran, they would tell you that no one knows them like the VA hospital," said Vannatter. "They are sometimes rough around the edges. They’ve seen things that we’ll never see. It takes a very special staff to take care of them."
Recruiting new nurses has kept Vannatter busy. While there are shortages of nurses elsewhere, the VA hospital in Beckley is attracting quality candidates.
"I have about 150 RNs and about 60 LPNs that want to come here," Vannatter said. "It’s an honor. We want the best people here. People are realizing that VA healthcare is really a trendsetter right now. We do give good care. I’m not having trouble recruiting."
There are currently 252 nurses on the 714-person staff at the Beckley VA Hospital.
Vannatter also spends personal time volunteering with the veterans.
"I’ve started doing pet therapy recently with my dog," she said. "Ginny and I come once a month to long term care and visit the patients there. She’s a 10-year old black lab. They love her.
"She goes to the bed and they rub her head. And I get to hear a story about their dog. I get the blessing because I see how Ginny acts and how they brighten up when they see her."
A nursing career with VA is a great way to advance in the profession, Debbie Voloski, public information director stated.
"VA nursing provides the largest clinical training and cooperative education for nursing in the United States," she said. "They give nurses the opportunity to advance."
"When I came, I was very surprised at the many opportunities to grow as a nurse," Legg added. "You can go into various aspects of nursing including research or new program that are coming along. And there’s leadership development for nurses."
VAMC Beckley has served veterans in 11 counties in West Virginia and one county in Virginia since 1950.
E-mail: jworkman@register-herald.com
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