Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing and the Atlanta VA Health Care System prepare nurse practitioners to provide specialized holistic and integrated care for the veteran population through the VANAP-GE Scholars Program. The focus of the program is to engage VANAP-GE scholars who want to serve those who have served us. The national VA Health Care System is facing a severe primary care shortage, which will intensify due to a wave of health provider retirements, an aging Veteran population with multiple chronic diseases, and continued expansion of the Veteran-eligible population due to ongoing global military engagements.
Emory is among the few nursing schools nationwide selected for the VANAP-GE program through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. All clinical experiences will be at the Atlanta VA Health Care System.
Visit the MSN programs section of the site for more information about Emory's Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program and the Family Nurse Practitioner Program.
If selected into the cohort, students are entitled to unique benefits and opportunities offered solely for this program, including:
Who is eligible for VANAP-GE?
Full-Time (August 2024-December 2025) students in the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP program (AGPCNP) or Family Nurse Practitioner program are eligible for the VANAP-GE program who are able to reside in proximity to the Atlanta VA Health Care System for the majority of their clinical rotations.
What are the benefits of VANAP-GE?
The majority of your clinical rotations will occur within the Atlanta VA Health System, which offers numerous Primary care opportunities in community based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), and specialty clinics. (FNP students will have pediatric and women’s health rotations outside the VA).
Will all my clinical rotations occur within the Atlanta VA Health System?
Your clinical rotation will be the same as other students in the nurse practitioner program of study, however additional Veteran centric opportunities will be provided.
What does a VANAP-GE Scholar’s clinical rotations look like?
The clinical rotation requirements will be the same as other students in the FNP or AGPCNP programs of study, however additional Veteran centric opportunities will be provided such as integrative behavioral health and environmental exposures.
What are the typical work hours during my clinical rotations?
The clinical rotations hours align with the tour of duty of preceptors and outpatient clinical operations. These rotations occur Monday through Friday, and last for eight hours each day. A typical start time may range from 7 -8:30 a.m. depending on the clinic site. Each clinical week consist of 40 hours. (No clinical rotations on evenings, nights, weekends or holidays).
Will participation in this program require additional work outside of my studies for the Nurse Practitioner Program?
No. All course assignments will be the same for students enrolled in their respective program of study. However, Veteran-centric concepts will be introduced throughout the MSN curriculum. All VANAP-GE Scholars will have expanded opportunities (Grand Rounds, Seminars, Meetings) that will enhance their clinical education.
Does this program guarantee a job working as a Nurse Practitioner with the VA when I complete my MSN?
No. The clinical experiences a VANAP-GE Scholar receives positioned them captively for employment within the VA Health System. One of the main goals of VANAP-GE is to enhance recruitment and retention of VA Nurse Practitioners. However, like many programs, employment is not guaranteed. In addition, VANAP-GE Scholars are well positioned to be considered for the Veterans Administration’s Primary Care and Geriatric Care Residency programs at the Atlanta VA as well as many other VA’s throughout the country.
Does this mean that I must work at the VA when I complete the Nurse Practitioner program?
There is no obligation to seek employment within the VA system unless you are a recipient of VA scholarship that requires an obligation.
For ,ore information about the VA Nursing Academic Partnership Scholars program, please contact:
Weihua Zhang, PhD, APRN, AGACNP-BC, ANP-BC, FCCP, FAAN Clinical Professor
Director, VA Nursing Academic Partnership (VANAP) Program
Email: wzhang3@emory.edu
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