Tester: Montana’s VA nurses deserve pay increase

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will increase pay to nurses and nurse practitioners who work within the VA Montana Health Care System:

“Montana’s VA nurses and nurse practitioners go above and beyond to provide the quality medical care that Montana’s veterans earned, and they deserve to be paid accordingly. This pay bump will help Montana VA recruit and retain the highest qualified medical providers, enhancing the quality and availability of care, improving the lives of Montana veterans and making Montana an even better place to live and work.”

According to Montana VA, full- and part-time nurses and nurse practitioners will see a 24 percent pay increase. The increase will be retroactive to January 12, 2014.

Tester recently encouraged VA Secretary Shinseki to increase pay to nurses in the VA Rocky Mountain Network, which includes VA Montana.