Four students from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) School of Nursing have been selected to participate in the Veterans Affairs Learning Opportunity Residency (VALOR) program at the Marion VA Hospital. The students will rotate through each hospital unit as techs with registered nurse preceptors, receiving the same starting salary as an RN, eventually completing 400 hours.
The four students selected for the competitive and revered program are:
- Melanie Lowe who will work in the medical/surgical unit
- Denetta Magruder who will work in the Community Living Center
- Kelsey O’Brien who will work in the medicine clinics (hematology, cardiac catheterization lab, and oncology)
- Kaitlyn Spirk who will work in the emergency department
To be considered for the program, students must submit a recommendation letter from their nursing program, an application, and an essay on why they want to participate in the VALOR program. Students must also have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
SIUE is always in competition with other area schools, usually having two students selected for the VALOR program. However, with SIUE students being selected for all four available positions this year, it is an exemplary accomplishment which highlights the exceptional students and instructors of the university. SIUE has had nursing students selected to participate in the program every year since it started. It is a great program for students and the university, helping to strengthen their relationship with the VALOR agency.
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