{"id":7854,"date":"2025-06-27T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7854"},"modified":"2025-06-27T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T14:30:00","slug":"va-nurse-practitioner-serves-other-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7854","title":{"rendered":"VA Nurse Practitioner serves other Veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-06-27T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

TaTonja Jones, a nurse practitioner at the G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center<\/a> in Jackson, Mississippi, is a Veteran whose story is a testament to the power of determination.<\/p>\n

A path of service and leadership<\/h2>\n

Growing up in Mississippi, Jones was eager to see more of the world and do something different. After nursing school, she joined the Navy to travel and do what she loved: caring for people. \u201cI joined the Navy as a nurse because I wanted to see what was out there,\u201d she shared.<\/p>\n

At 21, she found herself at Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia, thrown into a world that demanded quick thinking and confident leadership. \u201cThe military was sink or swim,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom the moment you walked in, you were expected to lead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jones took that challenge as an opportunity to grow. She built bonds with people from different backgrounds, learned how to step up in tough moments and discovered strength she didn\u2019t know she had.<\/p>\n

Jones\u2019s commander in the Navy encouraged her to go back to school. That push set her on a path of continuous learning. \u201cThey told me, \u2018It is free, you are going,\u2019\u201d she said, laughing, remembering how she balanced full-time work with full-time classes. \u201cThat drive to keep learning and growing has stayed with me ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

After five years on active duty, Jones transitioned to the Navy Reserve, then to the Mississippi Army National Guard, and later the Army Reserve, always as a nurse practitioner<\/a>. \u201cI wanted to keep helping people, and the military gave me so many ways to do that,\u201d she said. This summer, she will officially retire from military service.<\/p>\n

A personal connection to healing<\/h2>\n

Jones\u2019s journey in health care took an unexpected turn after her son was born. She developed severe joint pain and swelling and was misdiagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. \u201cI could not walk up the stairs, I could not open a door,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was a terrifying experience.\u201d Though she was later diagnosed with a temporary condition called reactive arthritis, that scare changed her perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When a job in rheumatology\u2014treatment of diseases that affect the joints, muscles, and connective tissues\u2014opened up at VA, Jones saw it as more than a new opportunity. \u201cIt felt like everything was pointing me in that direction,\u201d she said. \u201cI had gone through something similar myself, and I knew I could bring that understanding to the Veterans I cared for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Working at VA gives Jones a way to combine her passion for service with her firsthand experience as a Veteran. \u201cThis place isn\u2019t just a job for me, it\u2019s a mission,\u201d she said. \u201cI see the faces of people who\u2019ve worn the same uniform, who\u2019ve faced the same challenges, and I know I\u2019m right where I\u2019m meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today, Jones brings not just medical knowledge, but compassion and empathy to every Veteran she sees. \u201cWhen my patients talk about their pain and frustration, I can say, \u2018I get it. I\u2019ve felt that too,\u2019\u201d she added. \u201cIt\u2019s an instant connection that helps them feel seen and understood.\u201d<\/p>\n

A legacy of resilience<\/h2>\n

Jones is proud of the path she has taken, especially as a woman in the military. \u201cTraditionally, the military was seen as all male. But now, women are everywhere in every role, every branch. We\u2019re shaping the future. We belong at the table, and we\u2019re helping to make decisions that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

To her fellow women Veterans, Jones\u2019s message is clear: \u201cWe\u2019re already resilient. That\u2019s part of who we are. Just keep being you and bring that strength wherever you go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TaTonja Jones, Veteran and Nurse Practitioner in the Rheumatology Clinic, brings compassion and understanding to every Veteran she serves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":339,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-news"],"yoast_head":"\nVA Nurse Practitioner serves other Veterans - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"TaTonja Jones, Veteran and Nurse Practitioner in the Rheumatology Clinic, brings compassion and understanding to every Veteran she serves.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7854\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"VA Nurse Practitioner serves other Veterans - 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