ODVA announces significant pay raises for nursing staff

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KSWO) - In an exciting announcement Tuesday, officials with the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs said nursing staff would soon see the largest pay increase in the history of the agency.

The salary increases are set to go into effect on August 28, in an effort to bridge the gap between the state and private sector pay levels.

Several other new initiatives, such as referral incentives, skill-based pay for advanced training or certifications, and student loan repayment programs, have already seen major success among ODVA nursing staff.

However, Deputy Director Sarah Lane believes more incentives are needed in order to attract and retain the best nurses to care for our veterans.

They also hope raises will help show their appreciation to current team members for their ongoing commitment to serving veterans in Oklahoma.

Funding for the pay increase was sought by ODVA leadership through a legislative funding request, along with special grants through ARPA.

Pay increases will range from 10% to 23%, providing LPNs, RNs, APRNs and PAs an average yearly increase of over $12,000 dollars.

ODBA leadership hopes the raises will help to create uniform pay rates across positions, limiting current variations.

They also hope future phases will address compensation for other caregivers, such as PCAs/CNAs and CMAs.

The announcement was met with excitement at the Clinton Veterans Home, where the Director of Nursing, Melanie Duke, recognized the pay raises as a welcome recognition to nursing staff who have stood by veterans through the last two, difficult years of COVID.