Marquette University College of Nursing and The Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee Wisconsin, have joined forces to create and sustain a Veteran Affairs Nursing Academic Partnership (VANAP) Program. The mission of this partnership is to prepare innovative and transformational nurse leaders to promote health, healing, and social justice for Veterans and their families through culturally situated and spiritually reflective clinical practice.

As one of six sites nationally to participate in the original $5 million award, the VANAP program incorporates veteran-centric care into the College of Nursing’s pre-licensure curriculum.

Each student in the VANAP Program is enrolled in the traditional College of Nursing curriculum; however, students complete all of their adult clinicals at the VA Hospital in Milwaukee and enjoy participation in a number of veteran-centric community-based events. Nursing students who successfully complete the VANAP Program graduate with the distinguished VA Nurse Scholar recognition. VANAP students are also given hiring priority for the VA Learning Opportunities Residency (VALOR) and Post-Baccalaureate Nurse Residency (PBNR) programs, and recruitment guidance and hiring priority when applying for RN positions throughout the VA system.