Licensed Practical Nurse-Surgical and Medical Specialty Care

Full Job Description

The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is responsible for the delivery of care to Veterans in the interventional pain clinic and may be assigned to other specialty clinics such as: cardiology, dermatology, endocrinology, urology, pulmonology, general surgery, podiatry, orthopedics, gynecology, and EKG clinics.

The LPN provides care to patients within the clinic. Functions as a LPN under the guidance of a Nurse Manager while adhering to established policies, protocols, standards of care and practice.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency.

In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.

Education - Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) at the time the program was completed by the applicant.

Exceptions include health care education in the military service or training in the military service which is accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which the individual is licensed as qualifying for full LPN/LVN licensure will be accepted as meeting the education requirements for VHA employment OR granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school AND have at least one year of successful practice as an LPN/ LVN.

Licensure - Active, full, current and unrestricted licensure as a Graduate Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), of the United States or the District of Columbia.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: GS-03: None beyond the basic requirements.

LPNs at this grade level are expected to perform all duties within the scope of their license (e.g., medication administration); however, completed work may require routine or detailed higher level review depending upon the complexity of the duties involved.

GS-04: (a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; or (b) Graduation from an approved school (which may be waived as provided in paragraph 4 of Section C) and one year of experience that involved nursing care work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, or other supervised medical, nursing, or patient care facility that provided a practical knowledge of human body structure and sterile techniques and procedures; or (c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration GS-05: Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent Knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems Ability to serve as a responsible member of a nursing team and interact in an appropriate manner with patients, family members, professional and/or other support personnel involved in the delivery of patient care.

Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous medications.

This includes observing and documenting patient responses to medication and reporting noted changes in the patient's condition.

Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardia and/or pulmonary arrest.

Recognize and appropriately respond to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies.

GS-06: Completion of at least [one (1)] year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent, fully meeting all performance requirements for the GS-5 LPN/LVN Proficiency in initiating, performing, and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions, using judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments, and accurately recognizing, reporting, and recording relevant patient information Ability to observe, identify, and response to a patient's needs for care including medication, equipment-assisted care, and patient/family education Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures.

Observes for, documents, and reports physical and/or emotional changes in the patient's condition from prescribed medications/treatments.

Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations and initiating appropriate emergency interventions as directed Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations and the ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients, family members and other staff.

Knowledge and skill in performing support duties for complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized practices or procedures, which includes preparing the patient and assisting in the diagnostic examination, preparing, and handling specialized instruments or other specialized equipment, and monitoring the patient's condition before, during, and following the procedure.

Preferred Experience: Preferred candidate will have medical-surgical or primary care experience with experience in assisting with outpatient procedures.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work requires physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as assisting patients, manuals, record boxes, or equipment.

The work requires above average agility and dexterity. The incumbent may be required to travel between VA and/or CBOCs and possession of a valid driver's license is required. Major Duties:

Promotes and demonstrates nursing concepts in the Medical Center.

Works in collaboration with the Registered Nurse (RN), and or Health Care Provider (HCP) Documents care provided; observations and responses on appropriate tools or forms, observing changes in patient's condition (e.g., behavior shifts, mood changes, skin coloring, appetite, etc.).

Responds diligently to the veterans changes and deteriorating condition in emergent situations, notifying appropriate personnel in a timely manner.

Based on assigned area, performs nursing care procedures (e.g., sterile techniques, point of care testing, blood glucose monitoring, catheterization, wound care, deep breathing and coughing, and specimen collection) according to policy, guidelines, and oversight from senior nursing staff.

Complies with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pretreatment/cleaning Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) in applicable patient care setting. Participates in the interdisciplinary treatment team.

Accurately reports and records significant veteran information received from other team members and can analyze and implement modifications based on these reports.

Demonstrates the ability to work independently with intermittent need for readily available supervision and communicates effectively with the veterans, families, caregivers, professionals, and other supportive staff.

Responsible for participating within unit based and/or organizational level Shared Governance councils, utilizing clinical expertise, evidence based practice, and knowledge to assist with finding solution to problems or issues to improve the quality care provided to veterans.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Licensed Practical Nurse - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-LPN-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: Variable; Monday-Friday or Tuesday-Saturday; 7-00 am-3:30 pm, or 7:30 am-4:00 pm, or 8:00 am-4:30 pm, or 8:30 am-5:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for well qualified candidates.

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad hoc only Virtual: This is not a virtual position.