Medical Malpractice

Please Social Workers describe what it is like working in VA Hospitals?

I am a LCSW thinking about changing jobs. I noticed some openings in VA hospitals. But I am concerned about (becoming burned out) because of lack of help, mandatory over time,lack of empathy and apathy from co workers etc. Please let me know what your experiences have been?

Public Comments

1. Serving as Workers is by far a rated highly activity
2. I go to the VA hospital in Niagara Falls and Erie, PA and have been to one in Tokyo and California. There is adequate staff, full benefits, high pay, little to no overtime, and I never experienced a lack of empathy or apathy from staff. In the VA hospital you're working with the federal government and they get things done right. They are serving veterans, good people with a lot of heart and soul. Working as a Social Worker for the State is far more demanding, far less pay and benefits, lower standards, more turnover, burnouts that have to continue to work because of the money, which is when you experience apathy and total lack of empathy. They serve low income and welfare supported families with mental health and/or physical disabilities and myriad addictions and other issues, like housing, teen pregnancy, rapists and the raped, violent abusers and the abused. Social workers begin early on to separate themselves from their clients and soon become judgmental and critical that these people have so many services available to them and don't have to work (like they do) and don't have to pay (like they do). Here you will find unhappy, resentful co-workers, mandatory overtime, lack of adequate staff, and less disciplines, less qualified workers.