Licensed Practical Nurse

About the role

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for an Licensed Practical Nurse to function in Community Outpatient Services.

Responsibilities

• Affords assistance with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of patients' care with all interdisciplinary teams.
• Manages patient care problems and deviations using self-direction in accordance with VA Nursing Practice and LPN licensure standards.
• Carefully considers patient complications and acts to resolve issues under very general supervision.
• Applies critical thinking skills to solve clinical and administrative issues.
• Proactively assists staff to identify Veteran medications/treatment needs and accurately relays those needs to necessary/pertinent team members involved in the Veteran's care.
• Collaborates with the PACT team and other interdisciplinary services in the development, implementation, and evaluation of patient care.
• Provides indirect nursing care to patients with complex needs as related to consult management, screening of telephone calls, and assumes responsibility and accountability for nursing actions.
• Identifies and utilizes pertinent physical, psychosocial, and cultural needs into the patient plan of care.
• Utilizes computerized medical records as an additional information resource during telephone calls to obtain pertinent information from the caller.
• Serves as a preceptor in orienting, educating, and training less experienced LPN staff related to support duties for more complex, specialized tests/procedures.
• Determines clinic assignments, timely patient communication, consult management, and medical record review/retrieval.
• Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills and provides leadership in assisting other staff to improve and advance their nursing practice.
• Maintains and updates professional certifications as required by policy/procedure.
• Participates in safety inspections and proactively reports unsafe working conditions to supervisory staff members.
• Collaborates with NM and other VA leadership to ensure work area and nursing practice is maintained in accordance with Joint Commission, OIG and other regulatory agency guidelines.
• Demonstrates a leadership role during EOC rounds and assists NM with correction of any identified deficiencies.
• Serves as a resource for other LPN/MT/MSA staff regarding Continued Readiness Initiatives.
• Applies infection control measures appropriately in delivering nursing care.
• Demonstrates knowledge of all processes for reusable medical equipment (RME).
• Assists the RN/LPN to prepare patients for transport to appointments, other departments, emergency department, or other unit transfers.
• Performs treatments and procedures within the scope of license and facility policies and procedures.

Requirements

Must be a graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing. (Education will be waived for current VHA employees who were converted to appointments under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, and for VHA employees converted to appointments under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986. The waiver will not apply to persons appointed under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) or 7405 after these conversions.)

Must possess a 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.

Must possess at least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-6 level or equivalent, fully meeting all performance requirements for the GS-6 LPN/LVN or equivalent and your resume must fully support this.

Must possess the ability to climb stairs; lift, carry, pull, and push up to 25 pounds; frequent walking, standing, kneeling; repeated bending, squatting; and drive a car for periods up to 2 hours.