Licensed Practical Nurse- Community Living Center

About the Role

The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) performs a wide range of resident care and supportive duties in the Community Living Center (CLC). The LPN GS-7 must demonstrate an exceptional degree of practical nursing knowledge and skills necessary for concentrated effort and self-direction to provide care of the medically complex Veteran population. The employee exhibits independent technical judgment, critical thinking skills, and the use of independent judgment to carry out their assigned duties, which include ability to prioritize and coordinate the care of medically complex Veteran population with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Carry out more specialized patient care duties, including assignments in selected, more complex inpatient and/or outpatient care settings.
• Incorporate current patient care data in actively contributing to the development of the patient's overall health plan and in carrying out assigned nursing interventions.
• Assist RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately prioritize overall patient care needs and adjust plans for care delivery.
• Make astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes, both physical and emotional, in patient's condition, and accurately and thoroughly document care delivered and patient's response to care that could require immediate modification of the patient's care plan.
• Proactively assist the RN or MD/DO in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments, accurately administering prescribed medications/treatments according to established policies/procedures and appropriately recording administration and patient's response to medications/treatments received.
• Promptly recognize potential urgent or emergent patient care situations, seek assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO for appropriate team intervention and effectively intervene, as directed, to assure the continuation of optimal, safe and therapeutic patient care delivery.
• Assist individuals or groups of patients and their families to take an active role in promoting healthy lifestyles for more positive patient outcomes.
• Exercise skill in influencing and communicating with unusually difficult to care for or communicate with patients and/or family members who may exhibit problems with lack of self-control, resistant or abusive behaviors, or impediments in their ability to understand or follow instructions.
• Exhibit skill, creativity and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and/or family satisfaction levels through active participation in committees/task forces, research projects or in developing educational materials/media.
• Actively promote and effectively incorporate established customer service standards in all aspects of their practice.
• Possess comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practices to serve as a resource person for other staff in organizing and implementing more complex/specialized patient care.
• Serve as a role model and mentor to other nursing staff in the application of more complex technology, effectively guiding and directing their continuing practice in these areas.
• Support the RN or MD/DO in monitoring the practice of unlicensed nursing or non-medical staff in patient care delivery.
• Promptly report any deviations from normal practice patterns to the RN or MD/DO.
• Monitor the practice of non-licensed nursing and medical staff.
• Actively seek out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, and provide leadership in assisting other staff improve and advance their nursing practice.

Requirements

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) and 7407(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.
  • Current GS-0620 LPN/LVN employee of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, or who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986.
  • Individual granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school.
• 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.

Grade Determinations (GS-7)

In addition to the basic requirements, the following qualification criteria must be met for the GS-7 grade level. The GS-7 grade level is for select, complex LPN/LVN positions, as established by each health care facility. To be advanced, employees must meet all of the following standards, provided the standard is part of their assignment:

• Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-6 level or equivalent, fully meeting all of the performance requirements for the GS-6 LPN/LVN.
• Knowledge and skills necessary to carry out more specialized patient care duties, including assignments in selected, more complex inpatient and/or outpatient care settings.
• Knowledge base promotes the incorporation of current patient care data in actively contributing to the development of the patient's overall health plan and in carrying out assigned nursing interventions.
• Ability to assist RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately prioritize overall patient care needs and adjust plans for care delivery.
• Makes astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes, both physical and emotional, in patient's condition, and accurately and thoroughly documents care delivered and patient's response to care that could require immediate modification of the patient's care plan.
• Ability to proactively assist the RN or MD/DO in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments, accurately administering prescribed medications/treatments according to established policies/procedures and appropriately recording administration and patient's response to medications/treatments received. (This may include restricted medication locally authorized for administration by employees at this grade level.)
• Knowledge and skill to promptly recognize potential urgent or emergent patient care situations, seek assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO for appropriate team intervention and effectively intervene, as directed, to assure the continuation of optimal, safe and therapeutic patient care delivery.
• Broader knowledge of the patient treatment process and exercise judgment that demonstrates the ability to effectively intervene when appropriate.
• Assists individuals or groups of patients and their families to take an active role in promoting healthy lifestyles for more positive patient outcomes.
• Exercises skill in influencing and communicating with unusually difficult to care for or communicate with patients and/or family members who may exhibit problems with lack of self-control, resistant or abusive behaviors, or impediments in their ability to understand or follow instructions. This includes the ability to effectively deal with the above types of patients under very general supervision.
• Exhibits skill, creativity and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and/or family satisfaction levels through active participation in committees/task forces, research projects or in developing educational materials/media.
• Actively promotes and effectively incorporates established customer service standards in all aspects of their practice.
• Possesses comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practices to serve as a resource person for other staff in organizing and implementing more complex/specialized patient care.
• Serves as a role model and mentor to other nursing staff in the application of more complex technology, effectively guiding and directing their continuing practice in these areas.
• Supports the RN or MD/DO in monitoring the practice of unlicensed nursing or non-medical staff in patient care delivery.
• Promptly reports any deviations from normal practice patterns to the RN or MD/DO.
• Responsible for monitoring the practice of non-licensed nursing and medical staff.
• Expected to exercise independent technical judgments and to possess and apply a comprehensive working knowledge of the principles, art and science of practical nursing.
• Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, and providing leadership in assisting other staff improve and advance their nursing practice.

Schedule

Sunday - Saturday 7:00am - 7:30pm or 7:00am-3:30pm, 3:00pm-11:30am, 11:00pm-07:30am with every other weekend, (1) 8hr tour. Rotating 12 hour shifts to include weekends/holidays subject to change based on facility needs.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions/assistance.
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off 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).