Practical Nurse

Full Job Description

This position is for a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for the Croasdile Clinic and Durham VA Medical Center.

The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) serves as ambulatory care nurse in support of physicians & advanced practice provider.

The clinic provides specialty care services, gender specific care to male and female Veterans.

Duties will include, patient intake, documentation, point of care testing, health screening, assisting with small procedure, Vaccine/Injection administration.

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.

Licensed practical or vocational nurses appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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.

Licensure.

Full, active, current and unrestricted licensure as a licensed practical or vocational nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia.

An LPN/LVN who has or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16 of this part.

Grade Determinations: GS-3. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-4.

Employees may be appointed at or advanced to GS-4 if they meet any of the criteria in paragraphs 3b(2)(a) through (c) below: (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.

(d) LPNs at the GS-4 grade level perform all duties expected of employees at the GS-3 grade level; however, they are expected to exercise greater judgment, require less supervision, and to operate in accordance with all established policies, procedure, and techniques.

GS-5 (a) Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent.

(b) Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems.

Works with the RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately orient/train less experienced LPNs/LVNs and/or Nursing Assistants (NAs)/Health Technicians (HTs) in relation to acceptable standards of practice in promoting optimal patient care delivery.

Provides effective education to patients and/or family members in relation to common disease processes, medication, and /or prescribed treatment regimes.

(c) Demonstrated ability to serve as a responsible member of the nursing team and interact [in an appropriate manner with patients, family members, professional and other supportive personnel involved in the delivery of patient care, incorporating acceptable, established customer service standards into practice.

(d) Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and/or intravenous medications as permitted by approved local facility policies and procedures.

Observation and documentation will include patient's response to medication administered and the reporting of any noted change in patient's condition to RN or MD/DO.

(e) Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures when indicated, promptly seek the assistance of the RN or MD/DO and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardiac and/or pulmonary arrest.

(f) Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies, promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.

(g) Completed work is under the general supervision of an RN or MD/DO. Individuals at this grade level are expected to have a broad working knowledge of practical nursing procedures.

However, completion of more complex practices or procedures may be subject to closer higher-level review.

GS-6 (a) 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.

Preferred Experience: The Durham Outpatient Clinics and surrounding areas maintains the health and manages the care for patients with a variety of medical problems including hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, congestive heart failure and other chronic diseases.

The clinic is designed to provide comprehensive primary care services, including gender specific care to male and female veterans. Limited Dermatology care is provided by Dermatology providers.

The clinic is staffed by providers (attending physicians, mid-level providers), registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and medical support assistants.

The LPN has an encounter with patients on each visit for screening, education, and referrals.

Using protocols, nursing staff can order tests, lab work, enter consult requests and administer immunizations.

PT-INR Clinic; a Pharmacy based clinic is available to provide care and monitoring for stable patients receiving anti-coagulation therapy. Medication management is provided by the clinical Pharmacist.

Nurse visits provide care for patient issues not requiring a provider appointment, for example such as blood pressure checks, blood sugar monitoring, medication administration, immunizations, ear irrigations and education related to disease/self-management and equipment.

The LPN will work under the direction of the RN and report to the Ambulatory Care Nurse Manager.

He or she will perform, report and record assigned nursing care in the Primary Care Clinics, including, but not limited to: Assisting with minor procedures, including obtaining and arranging necessary equipment, positioning patients, ensuring comfort and privacy - monitoring patient during the procedure Provision of direct nursing care to patients with an emphasis on patient teaching, care coordination and interventions such EKGs and phlebotomy Documentation of care activities Perform procedures, treatments and delegated tasks Medication administration and oxygen therapy Clinical reminders with appropriate consults and alerts as indicated Cleaning and reprocessing of reusable medical equipment Preferred Qualifications Minimum of two years of successful clinical practice.

One year recent experience in the outpatient primary care/internal medicine setting Demonstrated ability to be self-directed and require minimal supervision Demonstrated ability to work well with patients/families and with other health care professionals Demonstrated experience in providing patient education and health coaching Demonstrated ability to use computer systems in support of patient care delivery Documented evidence of interdisciplinary collaboration, team work, and excellent interpersonal skills Documented evidence of providing consistent excellent customer service Computer skills and typing proficiency sufficient to permit real-time documentation of patient encounters Preferred Level of Education LPN or LVN Preferred Certification(s) Infection Control (CIC) Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Major Duties:

VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Ae85IP1Oiz4Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Licensed Practical Nurse - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-LPN-Career-Flyer.pdf The Licensed Practical Nurse in the Croasdaile Clinic and Durham VA Medical Center will function as a nurse in support of the Physician/Advanced Practice Provider and Registered Nurse to maintain the health and manages the care for patients with a variety of medical problems including hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, congestive heart failure and other chronic diseases.

The clinic is designed to provide comprehensive primary care services, including gender specific care to male and female veterans. Limited Dermatology care is provided by Dermatology providers.

The clinic is staffed by providers (attending physicians, mid-level providers), registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, social workers and medical support assistants.

The LPN has an encounter with patients on each visit for screening, education and referrals.

Using protocols, nursing staff can order tests, lab work, enter consult requests and administer immunizations.

PT-INR Clinic; a Pharmacy based clinic is available to provide care and monitoring for stable patients receiving anti-coagulation therapy. Medication management is provided by the clinical Pharmacist.

Nurse visits provide care for patient issues not requiring a provider appointment, for example such as blood pressure checks, blood sugar monitoring, medication administration, immunizations, ear irrigations and education related to disease/self-management and equipment The Licensed Practical Nurse provides direct patient care, as well as, works with the Interdisciplinary team to coordinate care for the Veteran.

The Licensed Practical Nurse in the Croasdaile Clinic and Durham VA Medical Center will function as a nurse in support of the Physician/Advanced Practice Provider and Registered Nurse to maintain health and manages the care for patients with a variety of medical problems including hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, congestive heart failure and other chronic diseases.

The clinic is designed to provide comprehensive primary care services, including gender specific care to male and female veterans. Limited Dermatology care is provided by Dermatology providers.

The clinic is staffed by providers (attending physicians, mid-level providers), registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, pharmacists, social workers and medical support assistants.

The LPN has an encounter with patients on each visit for screening, education and referrals.

Using protocols, nursing staff can order tests, lab work, enter consult requests and administer immunizations.

PT-INR Clinic; a Pharmacy based clinic is available to provide care and monitoring for stable patients receiving anti-coagulation therapy. Medication management is provided by the clinical Pharmacist.

Nurse visits provide care for patient issues not requiring a provider appointment, for example such as blood pressure checks, blood sugar monitoring, medication administration, immunizations, ear irrigations and education related to disease/self-management and equipment The LPN will work under the direction of the RN and report to the Ambulatory Care Nurse Manager.

He or she will perform, report and record assigned nursing care in the Primary Care Clinics, including, but not limited to: Assisting with minor procedures, including obtaining and arranging necessary equipment, positioning patients, ensuring comfort and privacy - monitoring patients during the procedure Provision of direct nursing care to patients with an emphasis on patient teaching, care coordination and interventions such EKGs and phlebotomy Documentation of care activities Perform procedures, treatments and delegated tasks Medication administration and oxygen therapy Clinical reminders with appropriate consultations and alerts as indicated Cleaning and reprocessing of reusable medical equipment Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8 hour tours between the hours of 7:00am-6:00pm; occasionally Sat 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).

Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.