The USBR’s motto is “Managing Water in the West”. The USBR was established in 1902 and is best known for their dams, power plants, and canals that are dispersed throughout 17 western states. Over 600 dams and reservoirs have been constructed by the USBR since its inception including the iconic Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and the Grand Coulee on the Columbia River. These projects later led to homesteading and promoted economic development in the West.

 

The Bureau is within the Department of Interior. There are 5,107 employed in this agency in a cross section of diverse career fields according to OPM’s FEDSCOPE March 2015 database. Engineers comprise the largest occupational group with a total of 1100 employed.

The largest occupations within the USBR follow:

• Civil Engineering – 561 employees
• Industrial Equipment Mechanic – 249 employees
• Misc Admin and Program Management – 208 employees
• Information Technology Management – 200 employees
• High Voltage Electrician – 172 employees
• General Natural Resources Management – 163 employees
• Electric Power Controlling – 140 employees
• Engineering Technical – 137 employees
• Electrical Engineering – 136 employees

Mission

The USBR’s  mission is to assist in meeting the increasing water demands of the West while protecting the environment and the public’s investment in these structures. We place great emphasis on fulfilling our water delivery obligations, water conservation, water recycling, and reuse, and developing partnerships with our customers, states, and Native American Tribes, and in finding ways to bring together the variety of interests to address the competing needs for our limited water.

Additionally, they are the largest wholesaler of water in the country. Reclamation brings water to more that 31 million people, and provides one out of every five Western famers (140,000) with irrigation water for 10 millions acres of farmland that produces 60% of this nation’s vegetables and 25% of its fruits and nuts.

USBR is also the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States. 53 power plants annually provide more than 40 billion kilowatt hours generating nearly a billion dollars in power revenues and produce enough electricity to serve 3.5 million homes.

History

The Bureau of Reclamation was started due to the need for a stable water supply in the semi-arid American West.

Demand for water increased and settlers wanted to store “wasted” runoff from rains and snows for later use to make water more plentiful in drier seasons. Additionally, this stored runoff would limit damage from flooding that occurred along rivers and streams. Both private and state run water projects were done in earnest but often failed due to limited financial resources.

Congress passed the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902. This Act required that water users repay construction costs from which they received benefits. The United States Reclamation Service began as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The name Reclamation stuck because the purpose was to reclaim arid lands (by irrigation) to make them suitable for settlement. The new Reclamation Service studied potential water development projects in western states and began development-using revenue from sale of Federal lands as the initial source of the funding.

In 1907, the Reclamation Service was separated from the USGS and became an independent bureau within the Department of the Interior. In its inception, reclamation projects were single-purpose projects that were designed to store and deliver irrigation water. Additional benefits included flood control, municipal water, hydropower, and fish and wildlife habitat became secondary to irrigation. The federal government did the construction of these single use projects. Farmers had a repayment agreement at the beginning of each project in a form of an interest-free loan.

There was a constant demand to meet the ever-growing changes in the Great Plains. Thus, reclamation multipurpose projects evolved. Private and state sponsored took over irrigation projects. The more costly and complex projects were now being done by the USBR. Costs were than shared by the federal government being responsible for flood control and electric power generation shared in the repayment by an assessment on the electricity that was passed onto the customers.

Similarly, the Great Plains Region organization has repeatedly adapted to meet the changing needs of the American West. Initially Reclamation projects were administered by local offices managing their construction and settlement. The 17 Reclamation states were then divided into regions for administrative support. The nine state Great Plains area was served by three Reclamation regions: the Southwest, Lower Missouri, and the Upper Missouri regions. The last two regions were merged in 1985 to form the Missouri River Basin Region. This allowed for better planning and administration of projects (especially the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin Program). In 1988, declining Reclamation budgets and fewer demands for construction activities led to the Southwest Region and the Missouri River Basin merging to create the Great Plains Region. Further organizational refinements included the creation of area offices (Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma-Texas, Nebraska-Kansas, Dakotas, and Eastern Colorado) to effectively administer Reclamation Activities.

Interesting USBR Facts

• Manages, develops, and protects water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public.
• Is the nation’s largest wholesale water supplier, operating 337 reservoirs with a total storage capacity of 245 million acre-feet (an acre-foot, 325,851 gallons of water, supplies enough water for a family of four for one year).
• Provides 1 out of 5 (or, 140,000) Western farmers with irrigation water for 10 million farmland acres that produce 60 percent of the nation’s vegetables and one quarter of its fresh fruit and nut crops.
• Is the second largest producer of hydropower in the United States and operates 53 hydroelectric power plants that annually produced, on average, 40 billion kilowatt-hours for the last 10 years.
• Delivers 10 trillion gallons of water to more than 31 million people each year.
• Manages, with partners, 289 recreation sites that have 90 million visits annually.
• Reclamation’s management and recreation activities contribute $46 billion in economic output, and support about 312,000 jobs.

The Bureau of Reclamation priorities are to:

• Ensure the continued delivery of water and power benefits in conformity with contracts, statutes, and agreements.
• Operate and maintain projects in a safe and reliable manner, protecting the health and safety of the public and Reclamation employees and improve financial accountability and transparency to our contractors.
• Honor State water rights, interstate compacts, contracts with Reclamation users, further the Secretary of the Interior’s Indian Trust responsibilities, and comply with all environmental statutes.
• Plan for the future using programs that focus Reclamation’s financial and technical resources on areas in the West where conflict over water either currently exists or is likely to occur in the coming years.
• Enhance the business operations of Reclamation in accord with the Managing for Excellence initiative.
• Provide for the implementation of the newly authorized Loan Guarantee Program that can assist districts with large operation and maintenance/replacement projects on Reclamation facilities and facilities used to deliver Reclamation supplies.

The Bureau of Reclamation is:

• Developing strategies to manage and deliver water more efficiently and effectively to our customers in order to help satisfy the many needs of irrigation, municipalities, power, and the environment and serving as a technical resource for water users and planners.
• Working in partnership with states, Tribes, water and power customers, and others to seek creative and collaborative solutions to Western water issues.
• Ensuring our dams do not create unacceptable risk to the public by monitoring, evaluating, and when appropriate, performing risk reduction modifications.

If you are interested in a career with the Bureau of Reclamation there are opportunities for employment throughout their 6 Western Regions and at their Washington DC Headquarters. Explore employment opportunities at Bureau of Reclamation locations throughout their system.

In this continuing series on the USBR, we will take look at the job occupations of the civil engineer, (GS-0810), and the electrical engineer, GS-0850.

Credits

• Peter Soeth, Public Affairs ,Commissioner’s Office, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO
• Matt Mishkind PhD, SPHR, Team Lead for Training, Systems, and Human Capital Strategy, Human Resources Policy and Programs Division Policy and Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, Denver, CO
• Photos were provided by the Bureau of Reclamation

Other Career Information

• Bureau of Reclamation web site: www.usbr.gov
• Overseas Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

In our continuing VA series we will be exploring the occupation of psychiatry (GP-0602). Psychiatry is a specialized field that helps our veterans who have often served multiple tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Many veterans experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and require the help and care that only a psychiatrist can provide.

We will be interviewing a psychiatrist from a residential treatment center at the Des Moines VA campus.

Veterans Affairs Central Iowa Health Care System

The Veterans Affairs Central Iowa Health Care System is a general medical and surgical hospital in Des Moines, IA with 255 beds. It is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Survey data for the latest year available shows that 11,697 patients visited the hospital’s emergency room. The hospital had a total of 2,895 admissions. Its physicians performed 500 inpatient and 2,100 outpatient surgeries.

Q&A with Dr. Kelly Weiss-Krep

Dr. Kelly Weiss-Kreps is a Doctor of Osteopathy, Psychiatrist at the Des Moines, Iowa Hospital.

 

What is your specialty as a Psychiatrist?

I serve as a domiciliary psychiatrist – providing psychiatric care.  Our team works with Veterans that have PTSD, are homeless, fresh out of prison, substance treatment issues or in some way, life has unraveled.  Many feel like they have hit rock bottom. I get to work with a highly skilled group of professionals to help our Veteran get stabilized. It is really amazing to watch a Veteran blossom and regain their self-confidence with learning cognitive behavior therapy, getting a job and a securing a place to live.

I completed a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry, have trained as a death investigator and have a special interest in family trauma.  I am starting additional training in treating chronic pain.

In residency we did therapy in a one-way mirror setting with a bug in our ear, it was a great opportunity.  My training in therapy has been most useful and tremendously rewarding.

Why did you become a Psychiatrist?

Since very young, I have sought out opportunities to hear the story of people’s lives and to understand behaviors.

Growing up in a rural area population 12 in South Dakota and attending a two-room country school, we rarely went to the doctor, much less encountered psychiatrists.  However, I enjoyed Sherlock Holmes and Marcus Welby, MD and was fascinated by problem solving and learning how the mind works.

When I worked in Japan, two young colleagues had their first psychotic episodes and I got to help out and felt pretty helpless.  Seeing the devastation of untreated mental illness made me want to learn more.

In residency I took extra rotations working with the homeless, prison, Native American, sex offenders, and residential treatment center populations. I got to witness their complicated issues and their resilience. Some of my attendings were absolutely brilliant and would ask what I called golden questions that could draw out incredible insights with precision like a surgeon’s scalpel

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Psychiatrist?

I feel like I won the lottery by having such great patients – Veterans are very appreciative and lots of fun to work with.   They continue to be my best teachers.

What is the most demanding or challenging part of being a Psychiatrist?

The (student loan) debt likely over $250,000 and the toll on the family.

Would you recommend being a Psychiatrist as a good career path?

Absolutely. I love my working with my patients. Competition can be fierce – the path is more of a marathon than a race.  Going to medical school and residency is a long and very expensive experience.

I would highly recommend spending time in all sorts of fields before making a decision. Try to shadow and interview people in all sorts of occupations that you think may interest you. I worked in investment banking, politics and overseas, so no matter what your background is, it can enrich what you bring to your patients.

At the end of the day, it is a tremendous privilege to have patients give you such trust. Psychiatry is an art and a science.  Watching patients get better is a great gift that unfolds sometimes because of a drug and sometimes without a drug.  Often being kind and a good listener is like the balm of Gilead.  I believe the most powerful Walgreen’s is between their ears, my role is to ask good questions, listen, and show them I care.

Psychiatrist (GP-0602)

Education: Must be a U.S. citizen to apply.

Degree: Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy from a school in the United States or Canada approved by a recognized accrediting body in the year of the applicant’s graduation.

Licensure/Certification: Candidates must have a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

Experience Required: The required Psychiatry experience/training includes skills such as, but not limited to, a wide range of extremely difficult and responsible dealings with inpatient service, partial hospitalization service, intensive outpatient services, routine outpatient services, consultation liaison services and must be well versed to transition to any area as required.

DUTIES:

• This specialty examines, diagnoses, treats diseases affecting mental health including the brain, nervous system, substance abuse of drugs or chemicals and personality disturbances.
• Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in treating mental illness using the biomedical approach to mental disorders, including psychotherapies.
• A psychiatrist specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, additive, and emotional disorders such as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance-related disorders, sexual and gender identity disorders, and adjustment disorders.
• A psychiatrist is able to understand the biologic, psychological, and social components of illness, and therefore is uniquely prepared to treat the whole person.
• A psychiatrist is qualified to order diagnostic laboratory tests and to prescribe medications, evaluate, and treat psychological and interpersonal problems, and to intervene with families who are coping with stress, crises, and other problems in living.

In part 9 will we be discussing the psychologist (GS-0180) job occupation and they are instrumental in helping our veterans.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos were provided by the residential treatment center at the Des Moines VA campus.

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• OOH Summary for physicians and surgeons
• Physician Job Listings
• Overseas Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

The physicians featured in this week’s article are from the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center. See part 6 for a further discussion about the physician career path.

Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Martinsburg VA Medical Center is a general medical and surgical hospital in Martinsburg, WV, with 246 beds. It has service area that covers more than 126,000 veterans in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It offers a comprehensive range of services including internal medicine, ambulatory surgery, audiology, and speech pathology, dental, nursing home, nutrition, podiatry, prosthetics, women’s health, mental health, and rehabilitation medicine.

Physician (GS-0602) Career Path

Dr. Deborah Bennett, is a GS-15 physician at Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center specializing in Family Medicine.

 

Q&A With Dr. Deborah Bennett

Why did you become a Physician?

This career path allowed me to utilize my passion for science and desire to help others. It is an honor to be trusted with another human being’s health. It encourages vital communication and trust between two people. It has enabled me to educate my patients, encourage their engagement/ participation in their own health care. It is a way to contribute beyond the family level to the community as a whole. Leaving a small area a little better off because you were there is my goal.

Each day, as I walk through the hallways of Martinsburg VA Hospital I am reminded of the true cost we bear as a nation in sending our service members off to defend our country. Knowing that I have served our veterans, aided in providing them quality care and comforted them and their loved ones during a difficult time is reward enough.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Physician?

I had been welcomed into the world of Academic Medicine and teaching. Working with young physicians as they develop into their chosen profession is rewarding. Being a role model, encouraging the human side of medicine, dealing with families, educating patients and families gives satisfaction and gratification at the end of the day.
Feeling that you have contributed to your community by working with your patients, taking their needs and concepts further up the administrative ladder. Finding that working on committees to advocate for those who may not be able to advocate for themselves is the highest form of satisfaction. Feeling that you have left the world a little better for being here is reward enough.

What is the most demanding or challenging part of being a Physician?

Most physicians go into medicine with a well-defined spirit, enthusiasm and a sense of fairness. Often illnesses or diseases are not “fair”. Seeing patients and families suffer is often difficult to justify. Often you would wish for that magic wand to make our patient’s world a little better right away.

Would you recommend being a Physician as a good career path?

I believe that this is a personal and serious consideration. With this said, anyone choosing to practice in medicine should be able to be flexible, be able to place other’s needs before your own, be able to do without sleep while keeping a good sense of humor and deliver high quality health care. It is an honor bestowed on you by your patients and their families. This combination of requirements is not easily maintained. Often a physician is reflective of their family support. Over the years, my patients became familiar with my family, knew my children and often interviewed me about my personal life. Fair trade off, isn’t it. I knew most of their personal information. After all trust goes both ways.

At Martinsburg VA Hospital we have a “second set of family”. This family works together with bonds formed, sometimes over decades, with hospital staff. We work together, placing our veteran’s needs above all else. A few months ago our nursing staff felt that one of our patients needed to go outside.

He had been confined to his hospital room due to specific needs. They made arrangements to accommodate his needs while outside. This veteran was in tears with his trip. I encountered him in the elevator and asked how he liked it. He responded that he got to see a dog and tears ran down his face with joy. This is the Martinsburg way. Everyone binds together to accomplish both medical and social needs. I cannot think of any other career that allows for this expanse of dedication, delivery of high-level medical care while not minimizing the social effects on our patients.

Physician (GS-0602) Family Medicine Requirements

Basic Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Applicant must possess a current, full and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Candidate must have completed a first-year residency, or its equivalent, approved by the Secretary of VA for the year in which it was completed.

Duties of a Physician of Family Medicine

• Manages chronic conditions, evaluates and treats other medical conditions.
• Performs a variety of disease prevention related activities including gender and age specific screenings (e.g. breast and colo-rectal cancer), mental health screenings (e.g. depression, substance use & abuse, military sexual trauma and PTSD) and health promotion activities including immunizations, weight management and exercise counseling.
• Screens for, evaluates, and treats uncomplicated common mental health disorders, including depression and common addictions, with referrals made to mental health providers for further evaluation and treatment as appropriate.
• Performs common outpatient & office-based procedures.
• Performs preliminary interpretation of common diagnostic tests including EKG and plain x-ray films.

Dr. Elisabeth Sethi is a GS-15 physician at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center and her specialty is Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, Hospice, and Palliative Medicine.

 

Sethi became a physician to contribute to society in a meaningful way and supports patients and their families through illness, disability and at the end of life. Time restraints and working long hours are the most demanding part of her job and she recommends the occupation to anyone interested in the field.

Physician GS-0602 Internal Medicine Requirements

Basic Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Board certification in Internal Medicine/Family Medicine.
• Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.

Duties of a Physician of Internal Medicine

• Manages chronic conditions, evaluates, and treats other medical conditions.
• Performs a variety of disease prevention related activities including gender and age specific screenings (e.g. breast and colo-rectal cancer), mental health screenings (e.g. depression, substance use& abuse, military sexual trauma and PTSD) and health promotion activities including immunizations, weight management, and exercise counseling.
• Performs common outpatient & office-based procedures.
• Performs preliminary interpretation of common diagnostic tests including EKG and plain x-ray films.

Physician (GS-0602) (Geriatrician) Requirements

Basic Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.

Duties of a Geriatrician Physician

• Function as an integral part of a Geriatric Primary Care multi-disciplinary team to coordinate, facilitate, and provide, patient care and services.
• Document health appraisal information, clinical assessment, treatment decisions, plan of care, ongoing management and therapeutic outcomes, order medications, diagnostic tests and referral consultations where needed for every patient encounter.
• Order and evaluate diagnostic tests as appropriate.

Physician (GS-0602) Hospice/Palliative Care Requirement

Basic Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Board Eligible/Board Certified and possess a current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.
• Duties of a Hospice/Palliative Care Physician
• Provide inpatient and outpatient consultation services in palliative care
• Be an active participant and facilitate clarification and the development of patient and family goals of care.
• Facilitate access to appropriate supportive care services.
• Be involved in analysis of data leading to the development of hospital policies and protocols for the improvement of quality of care.

In part 8 of this continuing series, we will explore the Psychiatrist (GP-0602) and Psychologist (GS-0180) occupational series.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos were provided by the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• OOH Summary for physicians and surgeons
• Physician Job Listings

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

 

There are 32,468 medical doctors in all specialties employed throughout the federal government with positions available in many agencies. Physicians are in the (GS-0602) job series. The Veterans Administration and HHS employ the largest numbers in this group however smaller number are employed by the Department of Justice which employs 277 doctors for their prison systems and the Department of Transportation employs 47 while the Department of State employs 27.

 

This series includes all classes of positions the duties of which are to advise on, administer, supervise, or perform professional and scientific work in one or more fields of medicine. Positions are classifiable to this series when the nature of duties and responsibilities is such that the degree of Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy is a fundamental requirement. Most positions in this series require a current license to practice medicine and surgery in a State or territory of the United States or in the District of Columbia.

Although there is overlapping in the subject-matter of certain specializations, the criterion for the establishment of these specializations is based on the differences in the requirements for filling the positions. In the main, the specializations represent those of approved American specialty boards. An approved American specialty board is one which has been approved for the particular specialty by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Association or by the Bureau of Professional Education, Advisory Board for Osteopathic Specialists of the American Osteopathic Association.

VA physicians enjoy being part of a team that is recognized and respected for significant contributions to medicine. Ranging from clinical practice to research and academics, VA physicians provide leadership within the medical profession that extends into the communities where they live. To ensure that VA physicians are able to meet their professional and personal goals, a broad range of practice options are available that include general medicine and primary care, along with specialties and subspecialties such as:

• Anesthesiology
• Ambulatory Care
• Long Term Care
• Cardiology
• Geriatrics
• Internal Medicine
• Neurology
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology
• Pathology
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Orthopedic Surgery
• Plastic Surgery
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
• Physiatry
• Psychiatry
• Radiology (Nuclear Medicine, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic)
• Urology

In addition to the above, the VA offers state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for basic and clinical research to further advance the frontiers of medicine and health care. Time is made available for VA physicians to pursue this critical aspect of their profession within an environment that promotes writing, editing, and publishing.

Physician (GS-0602) Career Path General Requirements

Special pay rates are utilized for this profession and are in a separate pay band. Physicians typically earn 6 figure salaries including supplemental income.

Here are some general requirements of the physician occupation:

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.
• Degree of doctor of medicine or an equivalent degree resulting from a course of education in medicine or osteopathic medicine.
• Background in ongoing outpatient primary care clinics.
• Board certification in Internal Medicine/Family Medicine.

• Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice medicine or surgery in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.

Physical Requirements:

• The physical requirements of this position include occasional lifting, prolonged standing and sitting, frequent bending, walking (distance), climbing, reaching (overhead, extensive/repetitive), repetitive motion, and stooping.
• The mental/sensory requirements include recall, reasoning, problem solving, hearing, speaking clearly, writing legibly, reading, and logical thinking.
• The environment’s pace can vary from steady to a sometimes fast pace requiring handling of multiple priorities, frequent, sometimes intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes noisy environment.
• There may be an occasional need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease, illness, and hazardous materials.

In part 7 of this series, we will be interviewing physicians from specific specialties within the physician occupation.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• OOH Summary for physicians and surgeons
• Physician Job Listings

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

 

The registered nurses featured in this week’s article are from the Washington D.C. Veterans Medical Center. Today’s highly skilled nurses must work under stressful conditions and still remain compassionate and understanding while providing the best care for our veterans. For additional nursing career information, review Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series and visit our GS-0600 Nursing Jobs page.

Washington D.C. Veterans Medical Center

The Washington D.C. Veterans Medical Center is a general medical and surgical hospital with 291 beds. It is also accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). The medical center provides tertiary care in a Complexity Level IB hospital, allowing ours staff to provide comprehensive primary and specialty care in medicine, surgery, neurology and psychiatry. The Medical Center has 175 acute care beds, 30 Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment beds, and a 20-suite Fisher House. In addition, the Medical Center is home to an adjacent 120-bed Community Living Center which provides Veterans with geriatric long-term care, hospice, and palliative care.

Registered Nurse (GS-0610) Career Path

You can get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing here that will qualify you to enter the nursing profession, and the interviews that follow will provide insight on how to get into specific healthcare specialties. You will learn why nurses entered the field and the rewarding aspects of their jobs. The interviewees also address the demands of the position with recommendations for those who would like to follow in their footsteps.

Oncology Outpatient Clinic Nurse

Theresa Pinto, RN BSN OCN-BC, is currently a registered nurse in the oncology outpatient clinic at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center.

 

Q&A with Theresa Pinto

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

My story as a nurse started in India when I was in the eighth grade. I read our prescribed English text book, “Florence Nightingale”. I knew right then that I wanted to be a nurse; but in the India of the 1950’s, nursing was not considered a “respectable” profession, so I was not allowed to be a nurse. However, 50 years later when I immigrated to the US, I was free to become a nurse and I did.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

The most rewarding part of being a RN with Veterans Affairs is the connection I’m able to develop with my patients and their families. As an Oncology nurse, I see my patients on a regular basis and administer their chemotherapy, a process that sometimes takes hours. Unlike a lot of other nursing specialties, I’m able to spend a lot time with my patients, getting to know them and their family members. They invite me to weddings and holiday dinners. I’m honored to be a part of their lives and to help them through some of their difficult times.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of being a nurse is losing a patient.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?

I would recommend nursing as a career to anyone who has a love of helping people.  As a RN you can take your career to where ever you want to go.  You can teach, travel, work in a doctor’s office, hospital, clinic, camp, the options are endless.  Nursing is a very honorable profession that lasts a lifetime.

Oncology Specialty Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Full unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration is required.
• Minimal of 3 years of recent medical and surgical experience.
• Experience in the administration of chemotherapy agents preferred. Must possess a current chemotherapy / biotherapy card is required.
• Experience in Oncology and case management is required.
• Oncology nurse certification is required.
• Assesses patients to identify needs, issues, resources, and care goals, and identifies resources and critical factors for achieving desired outcomes for discharge, post hospitalization recovery and/or health maintenance/improvement.
• Educates patient and/or family on specific needs that will facilitate their participation in the plan of care.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family.

Emergency Room Nurse

Florence Kemathe’s specialty is emergency medicine at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center.

 

Q&A With Florence Kemathe

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I became a nurse in order to help people and to try and make a difference in my every day work.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

I come from Kenya and after seeing the suffering and disparity in health care systems, I want to help and improve the life of others in any way I can. The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the smiles and the gratitude from my patients and families.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of being a nurse is being able to balance between taking care of our families and work. Long working hours sometimes takes a tool on our families and friends.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?

Nursing is wonderful career path. There are so many avenues of nursing and rewarding moments. Without any doubt I would recommend nursing as a career path to the new generation

Emergency Room Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Full unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration is required.
• Core functions include daily assessment of patient care needs to determine the most appropriate use of expertise in clinical coordination, patient and staff education, attention to systems issues that require intervention, and quality and performance measures.
• Provide care in uncontrolled or unpredictable environments; provide basic and emergency patient care, discharge instructional teaching actions, and demonstrate the ability to function as a preceptor to other nurses.
• Will apply nursing processes and care management principles within a collaborative, interdisciplinary practice setting, which will then enable effective implementation of health promotion and prevention practices, management of acute and chronic illnesses, and attainment of appropriate lengths of stay and the effective level of care.
• Work schedule is 12 hour shifts and will have to work occasional overnights and weekends.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family.

General Surgery Nurse

Qiana Brost ‘s specialty is 2D General Surgery and providing pre op and post op care to Veterans at the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center

 

Q&A With Qiana Brost

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

My grandmother was a nurse, and she inspired me along with a good friend to pursue nursing. Once I researched the field I knew it was meant for me, it allowed me to care for others at their most vulnerable time and make a difference every single day.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

The most rewarding part of being an RN is finding meaning every day in the work I do. I find in nursing you always have a reason to go above and beyond even in the most challenging of situations. And every day is different which keeps it interesting!

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of the job can be managing your time, you want to be available for your patient, coworkers and still find time for yourself during the day which can be challenging.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?

I would absolutely recommend nursing as a career path; I cannot imagine myself doing anything else.

General Surgery Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Full unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required
• 3-5 years surgical experience is needed.
• The surgical patient population includes post-operative care for patients with orthopedic, vascular, urological and GU conditions.
• The majority of patients also have secondary chronic medical problems.  The RN is accountable for defined groups of patients for the entire episode of care, including post-discharge and follow-up.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family.

The nursing field will continue and expand as technology changes, as well as, the requirements of care for our veterans, will become more complex in the years to come. A nurse has unique responsibilities, and we hope that these series of interviews have given you insight to how great the nursing occupation can be.

Our next series of interviews, part 6, will about Physicians and their role in serving our veterans.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos provided by the Washington D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), located in the heart of Washington DC.

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
• GS-0600 Nursing Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

In part 4 of this series we continue with the registered nursing positions at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), which is part of the VA Capitol Health Care Network located in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Nursing is primarily assisting the individual, sick or well, in the performance of those activities contributing to health or its recovery (or to a peaceful death) that would be performed unaided if the patient had the necessary strength, will, or knowledge. It is likewise the unique contribution of nursing to help the individual to be independent of such assistance as soon as possible.

The nurse deliberately assesses the client’s health problems, determines his or her role in coping with these problems, sets a plan of action which the nurse is responsible for implementing, and then determines whether the prescribed methods did indeed affect a satisfactory resolution.

The development of a scientific nursing practice necessitates the use of the scientific method. The nurse identifies actual and potential health problems; diagnoses and treats human response to physical and emotional health problems through such services as case finding, management of health problems, health counseling and teaching; provides care supportive to, or restorative of life and well-being; and assists the patient to comply with a medical regimen prescribed by a licensed physician or dentist.

For additional nursing career information, review Part 2 and Part 3 of this series and visit our GS-0600 Nursing Jobs page.

Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center 

Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center is a general medical and surgical hospital in Martinsburg, WV, with 246 beds. It has service area of more than 126,000 veterans in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It offers a comprehensive range of services, including internal medicine, ambulatory surgery, audiology, and speech pathology, dental, nursing home, nutrition, podiatry, prosthetics, women’s health, mental health, and rehabilitation medicine.

Registered Nurse Career Path (GS-0610)

The interviews that follow provide insight into specific healthcare specialties, why they entered the field, and the nurses talk about rewarding aspects of their jobs. They also address the demands of the position with recommendations for those who would like to follow in their footsteps.

Home Based Primary Care Nurse

Charlotte M. Scott, RN currently works with Home Based Primary Care in Stephens City and is a RN with the Caregiver Program at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Her specialty is Primary Care and Public Health with a background in emergency nursing. She has been a nurse since 1998. Scott has a Bachelors of Nursing (BSN) from Carlow University in Pittsburgh, PA and will complete her Master’s of Nursing (MSN) from the University of Virginia in Public Health Leadership in July 2015.

 

Q&A With Charlotte M. Scott

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

Most rewarding part of my job is knowing I make a difference in helping improve the lives of Veterans. Being able to give back to the Veterans who have served for our country and us.

What is the most challenging part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most challenging part of my job is finding the best avenue to help each Veteran because every person has a unique situation.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?

I would absolutely recommend pursuing a RN career. It has been the most rewarding job I have had. My next adventure in nursing will be perusing my Doctorate in Nursing Practice from the University of Virginia. You will not find a better career path with so many exciting and rewarding opportunities.

Registered Nurse (Home Based Primary Care-HBPC) Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification or Registration required.
• A minimum of three (3) years of successful clinical nursing practice in medical/surgical, and experience in home care is preferred.
• It is preferred that candidates possess demonstrated advanced competency and skills in physical assessment with the ability to organize, plan, set priorities and make decisions in the home setting.
• Excellent assessment skills and the ability to work collaboratively are highly desirable.
• Have and maintain a current certification in BLS/CPR.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family.

Emergency Critical Care Nurse

Daniel T. Schiro, RN currently works in the Emergency Department at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center. He served 2 deployments in Iraq as Medic and retired from the Air Force/Air National Guard. Schiro worked as a Pre-Hospital/In-Hospital Emergency and Trauma Nurse since 2008.

 

Q&A With Daniel T. Schiro

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I started as a Medic/EMT in the military, then I became an orderly working nights in a hospital and I wanted more. A few nurses that I worked with convinced me to go back to school and I am happy I did.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

Helping people through some of the most difficult times of injury and illness.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most rewarding part of nursing can also be the most demanding part. Being with a person on their worst day of their lives can be very uplifting when the outcome is a good one. Unfortunately, the same situation can be very emotionally draining when the outcome is poor. Standing next to a patient, holding their hand, with the family in the room as they pass from this world is the hardest part of nursing.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?    

I would if someone wanted to choose nursing for the right reasons. Nursing is a field that demands a lot of emotion, time and energy that money will never compensate. Those who enter the field for monetary reasons are often disappointed. If you want a career that leaves you fulfilled at the end of the day with a sense that you made a difference in at least one person’s life then nursing is worth the consideration.

Registered Nurse (Emergency Department) Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration is required.
• Serve as a staff nurse you will provide prescribed medical treatment and personal care services to ill and injured veterans.
• Duties include documenting observations, assessments, and changes inpatient’s condition; collaborating with health team members to facilitate positive patient care outcomes; providing a full range of nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavior problems.
• Ability to assume leadership in a patient centered program, and the ability to establish effective communication with patients, families, visitors and members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Work schedule will be such that must be able and willing to rotate tours of duty and or work permanent evening or night tour.
• Minimum of 2 years of recent, full time clinical experience as a RN in Emergency Department or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Certification in Emergency Nursing is strongly preferred.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family.

ICU Nurse

Julia B. Houser, RN,specialty is medical surgery and ICU at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center.

 

Q&A With Julie B. Houser

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I wanted to become a nurse after watching my grandmother battle lung cancer, which spread to the brain. I was so amazed and impressed with how the nursing staff took care of my grandmother and our family.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

The most rewarding part of the job is getting the patient back to their baseline      and getting them home with their loved ones.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of the job is the lives we cannot save. The patients and their families become your second family and you really feel their loss and pain.

Would you recommend Registered Nurse as a good career path?    

I would definitely recommend a career in nursing to someone who has      compassion and wants to make a difference in so many Veterans’ lives. It is     truly an amazing and rewarding career choice.

Registered Nurse (Intensive Care Unit) Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration is required.
• Experience in various areas of emergency care.
• The RN is accountable to function as a primary care nurse providing complete nursing care to 1-3 patients each shift while also maintaining a global perspective in order to prioritize work and assist other team members as needed.
• Patients may need advanced life support including mechanical ventilation and/or Continuous Renal Reperfusion Therapy (CRRT).
• Additional assignments include assisting with in-services and staff development.
• Additional duties include maintaining competencies to cross-train as a staff nurse in the Emergency Department, Surgical Post Anesthesia Care Unit, and on the Med/Surg/Psych ward.
• Additional assignments include assisting with staff development, patient education, and applying evidence based practice to unit specific processes.
• In part 5 on registered nurses, we will be interviewing nurses and their specialties from the Washington D.C VA Medical Center.

Visit our Qualification Standards page for detailed information for each pay grade in this job series. Click on the appropriate occupational title under the GS-0600 family

In part 5 we will be interviewing registered nurses in various specialties from the Washington D.C. VA Medical Center.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos provided by Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), which is part of the VA Capitol Health Care Network located in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
• GS-0600 Nursing Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools 

In part 3 of this series we continue with registered nursing positions at the Baltimore VA Medical Center, a division of the VA Maryland Health Care System.

This series includes all positions for which a professional knowledge of nursing and registration to practice as a professional nurse are the basic requirements. These positions were formerly included in the Nurse Anesthetist Series, GS-0605; the Nurse Series, GS-0610; and the Public Health Nurse Series, GS-0615. All positions above the training levels require the application of specialized knowledge gained through advanced education or experience or both. For example, the nurse anesthetist, the community health nurse, and the nurse specialist each must learn and apply specialized knowledge, skills, and abilities. However, all professional nurse positions require the same basic qualifications as a foundation upon which specialized knowledge is built. Thus, since all those classes of positions share the same basic requirement, all are included in this series.

Similarly, the nursing specialties that will be discussed require the same basic education and physical requirements needed for the occupation. Each of the three Baltimore VA Medical Center nurses interviewed here works in a different specialty, with unique requirements. For additional nursing career information, review Part 2 of this series and  visit our GS-0600 Nursing Jobs page.

Registered Nurse Career Path (GS-0610)

The interviews that follow provide insight into specific healthcare specialties, why they entered the field, and the nurses talk about rewarding aspects of their jobs. They also address the demands of the position with recommendations for those who would like to follow in their footsteps.

Brenda I. Ortiz, RN, BSN works at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and is currently a Patient Safety / Risk Manager assisting veterans in a different way. Ortiz states that, “As a Risk Manager, I’m prepared to handle various issues in multiple settings. I work evaluating and identifying risks to reduce patient safety concerns. I have been a Nurse for 24 years, working at the VA Maryland Health Care System since 2004.” She started her Nursing profession in a Pediatric ward where helping children and their families was very rewarding. While working in the Pediatric ward, she requested to be assigned to the Medical/Surgical Unit, where she gained additional medical experience in that field. Ortiz remarks, “I really enjoyed working with the Medical and Surgical population.”

 

Q&A With Brenda Ortiz

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

My inspiration to become a Registered Nurse was my Grandmother Francisca, who was a Nurse as well. I remember that every time she came home from work, she always had a smile on her face. She said that it was a great satisfaction helping others, especially those patients who were very sick. She enjoyed making them feel good without hesitation. At that point I knew I wanted to become a Nurse. While attending Nursing School, I met my current husband. We both graduated from college and he became an Officer in the United State Army.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

After the 9/11 terror attacks, due to military reasons, we moved to Maryland. I knew then that I wanted to serve those who sacrificed their lives to keep the freedom that we enjoy. I started working at the VA Maryland Health Care System in 2004, and working with veterans is the most rewarding part of being a Nurse. I’m able to help/serve those who gave everything for our freedom and for our nation.

As a compassionate Nurse, I love every minute I spend with each veteran/patient, helping them to overcome the difficulties they encounter in the healing process. As a Holistic Nurse, one aims to promote health and wellness in our veterans. Through the years while serving veterans and while working to promote health and caring for them, one learns a lot of history from their point of view, and of course, one gets to cry and laugh with them and their families.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of being a Nurse is the long hours of the job and the last minute tasks that have to be completed, which in most cases are unpredictable. However, once you have worked for a period of time, it doesn’t matter. You’ll get used to it. Nursing is also physically demanding, which helps you to stay healthy and in shape since you are exercising from the time you begin your day until the end of the shift.

Would you recommend the Registered Nurse career path?

I’m passionate about Nursing and that is the reason I’d recommend it as the best career/profession ever. In this field, you meet a lot of people and make friends along the way. You are constantly learning while helping patients and their families, for whom you may be their only support. You work hard, laugh and cry, but at the end of the day, I guarantee it will be the most rewarding experience.

Patient Safety Manager Specialty Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Active, current, full, and unrestricted Registered Nurse License.
• A minimum of 5 years of nursing supervisory and program management experience in a Medical Center setting.
• Provides leadership in educational program development.
• Directs operation improvement and automation of Patient Safety Program.
• Develops data collection tools, monitors, and utilize the latest advances in information management technology.
• Serves as an advocate for Veterans and works with frontline staff to monitor and ensure patient safety developing mechanisms for feedback and for implementation of improvements in a all aspects of Veteran’s health care services.

Pamela Nichols, RN, BSN, CNOR works at the Baltimore VA Medical Center and has been an operating room nurse for over 20 years.

 

Pamela Nichols, RN, BSN, CNOR

Q&A With Pamela Nichols

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I loved assisting with surgery when I worked as a veterinary technician. I provided anesthesia for multiple types of animals for surgeries and later in research, and that led me to want to do the same for people. I always knew I wanted to be in the OR and went there right out of school. Participating in all different kinds of cases and learning new technologies was something that appealed to me. Nursing job security was something also very important to me.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?
I want the patients and their families to feel they are getting the best possible care. I work hard helping patients get better by providing the safest and most efficient operating room experience. As a charge nurse, I work with multiple disciplines (surgeons, anesthesiologist, blood bank, case managers, vendors, biomedical dept., etc.) to make sure the surgery go smoothly.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

An OR nurse must be very flexible. Emergencies come up and your whole day can be changed. Every case is different and every person’s response to a surgery can be different. Technology is constantly changing and you must be willing to learn new things.

Would you recommend the Registered Nurse career path?

If you are an energetic, self-motivated person who is willing to care, teach and advocate for others who are unable care for themselves this job is perfect. There are so many different job opportunities in nursing, and fortunately there are always jobs available anywhere you might want to live.

Operating Room Nurse Specialty Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required.
• Have a Masters in Nursing (MSN) or a Masters in a related along with a Bachelors of Nursing (BSN) in a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of operating room experience.
• Must be able to scrub and circulate in the operating room.
• A minimum of 5 years of successful and progressive acute care nursing practice.
• Demonstrates knowledge of airway management and the ability to use appropriate equipment.
• Focus in on problems and is able to assess cardio-respiratory systems for changes and provide appropriate treatment.
• Specific nursing activities include patient evaluation, creating and maintaining a sterile and safe surgical environment, pre and post operative patient education, monitoring the patients physical and emotional well being, and integrating and coordinating patient.
• This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments, as this is a 24/7 hospital (i.e. On-Call).
• Makes caring for the Veteran his/her priority while in the work setting and demonstrates customer service principles in all aspects of work.

Audrey M. Pinnock is a Nurse Manager of a Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Post Anesthesia Care Unit, and Interventional Radiology Nurses at the Baltimore VA Medical Center, a division of the VA Maryland Health Care System. Her specialty is in critical care with 33 years in nursing and 29 years as a critical care nurse in ICU, ER, PACU, trauma and transplant. Pinnock has a diverse nursing career background.

 

Q&A With Audrey Pinnock

Why did you become a Registered Nurse?

I became a registered nurse because it was my goal from when I was a young girl to have a career in medicine. I chose nursing because I love interacting with people from all walks of life. I simply love the challenge that comes with each patient. I never know what will happen and I loved putting the puzzle together of understanding what is going on with each patient, and also the satisfaction it brings when I make a difference in the health and life of others. I enjoy teaching patients and helping them to understand what is happening to their bodies and the disease process they are experiencing.

What is the most rewarding part of your job as a Registered Nurse?

The most rewarding part of the job of being a nurse is knowing that the skills and knowledge I have obtained over the years can actually save someone’s life. To see a patient return after a major illness to say words of thanks, and knowing that I had a part in helping that person recover is worth all the sacrifice it took to obtain my nursing degree and knowledge.

What is the most demanding part of being a Registered Nurse?

The most demanding part of being a nurse is delivering the best care possible when we are shorted staffed, and sometimes working long hours over a regular tour of duty to care for our patients and doing it with a smile.

Would you recommend the Registered Nurse career path?

I would recommend nursing as a good career path. A good nurse is never out of a job and there are so many career paths one can take as a nurse that allow you to re-invent your career and gain a broader knowledge base over the years. I have enjoyed caring for our veterans, and in fact I chose to work for the VA because of the veteran patients I cared for in the private sector and the satisfaction I felt caring for them. They made me appreciate the freedoms I took for granted and renewed my dedication to my nursing career.

Critical Care Specialty Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen is required.
• Full-unrestricted Licensure, Certification, or Registration required.
• RN with a minimum of 2 years of critical care experience preferred.
• Oversee the delivery of quality and timely emergency nursing care to a culturally diverse veteran population.
• Assesses, monitors, and treats patient responses to life-threatening health problems, including functioning effectively in an emergency.
• Possess the knowledge and skills in the following areas: ventilator support, acute respiratory failure, post-cardiac catheterization with interventions, medically critical patients with diagnosis such as acute substance abuse withdrawal, acute CVA, multi-system failure, post-operative care of all surgeries, care of spinal cord injury patients with acute surgical or medical interventions Critical Care Unit (CCU) staff also are members of the Code Blue Team and Rapid Response Team.

In part 4 of 6 on registered nurses, we will be interviewing nurses and their specialties fromMartinsburg VA Medical Center.

Credits

• Michele Hammonds, Communications Specialist, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Office of Public Communications (10B2B)
• Photos provided by Baltimore VA Medical Center, a division of the VA Maryland Health Care System.

Other career information

• VA Web Site: www.va.gov
• http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm
• GS-0600 Nursing Jobs

Helpful Career Planning Tools