Licensed Practical Nurse-Hospice

Summary This position is located within the Nursing Services - Geriatric and Extended Care service line at Lebanon VA Medical Center. Under the supervision of a licensed registered nurse - the licensed practical nurse functions as a member of the nursing team and assists the RN in the care of patients in acute - subacute - or chronic states of illness. The LPN delivers fundamental - knowledge-based care to assigned patients while developing technical competencies. Qualifications 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 PolicyLicensureFull - 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 ColumbiaAn 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 partEnglish Language ProficiencyLicensed 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) Grade Determinations: GS-3: 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-4: Employees may be appointed at or advanced to GS-4 if they meet any of the criteria below: Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVNor 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 proceduresor Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months durationLPNs at the GS-4 grade level perform all duties expected of employees at the GS-3 grade levelhowever - they are expected to exercise greater judgment - require less supervision - and to operate in accordance with all established policies - procedure - and techniquesGS-5: Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalentDemonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problemsWorks 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 deliveryProvides effective education to patients and/or family members in relation to common disease processes - medication - and /or prescribed treatment regimesDemonstrated 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 practiceKnowledge 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 proceduresObservation 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/DOKnowledge 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 arrestRecognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment - safety hazards - and supply deficiencies - promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective actionCompleted work is under the general supervision of an RN or MD/DOIndividuals at this grade level are expected to have a broad working knowledge of practical nursing proceduresHowever - completion of more complex practices or procedures may be subject to closer higher-level reviewGS-6: 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/LVNTechnically proficient in initiating - performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populationsKnowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditionsto use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatmentsand to accurately recognize - report and record relevant] patient informationCompleted work should need only a general review by a registered nurse (RN) or physician (MD/DO) for appropriateness and conformity with established policies/proceduresAbility to observe - identify and respond to the patient's needs for care - including medication - equipment-assisted care and patient/family educationIn organizing and delivering care - the LPN/LVN recognizes and considers emotional - socio-economic - and age-related factorsPrepares and administers prescribed medications (oral - topical - subcutaneous - intramuscular and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/proceduresObserves for physical and/or emotional changes in patient's condition from prescribed medications/treatments - promptly and accurately documenting noted changes - and reporting any deviations from normal to RN or MD/DOKnowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations - seek assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO - and initiate appropriate emergency interventions as directedKnowledge and understanding of human behavior - patient motivations and reactions to situations - and ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients - family members - and other staffEstablishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to elicit feelings and attitudes - and to promote positive relationships - communication and socialization skillsFosters an environment of respect for individual patient and family rights to privacy and dignity in all aspects of care deliveryEffectively incorporates knowledge and understanding of established customer service standards in all interactions with patients - family members - and - or other internal/external customersKnowledge and skill in performing support duties for complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized practices or procedures - which include preparing the patient - 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 procedureServes as a preceptor in orienting - educating - and training less experienced LPNs/LVNs or NAs/HTs related to support duties for these more complex - specialized tests/proceduresActively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills - sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practiceReference: 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this positionQuestions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluationPreferred Experience: 1 year hospice experience. Duties Major duties include - but are not limited to: Performs support duties for diagnostic procedures - which include preparing the Veteran and monitoring the Veteran's conditionAssists with discharge planning of Veterans to more appropriate level of carePromotes Veteran participation in the therapeutic community by fostering self-reliance and independencePromotes the values of cultural transformation and Veteran-centered care to nursing staff in the community living center (CLC)Administers prescribed medications - performs clinical procedures and performs more complex treatments in accordance with hospital policy and procedure and standard operating procedures (SOPs)Verifies physician orders in compliance with hospital policies and procedures and SOPsIdentifies - initiates - and acts as a leader in the area of maintaining and/or improving current functional status through consideration of therapy programs such as Nursing Restorative Therapy - Resistance Therapy - KinesiotherapyPerforms nursing care to the unit's Veterans including all aspects of personal care and grooming - including rounding per facility SOPMonitors bladder and bowel functioning - tracking of I&O and hydration - and initiates intervention when it is indicatedPerforms rehabilitative and restorative nursing care - as applicableSupports and enhances Veteran self-determinationAdvocates for the Veteran in regard to decisions made about the types of treatment provided during the end-stage disease process and at the end-of-lifeServes as a resource for Veterans and staff in addressing ethical issues that arise on the unitTreats the Veteran with dignity and respectConsistently follows policies - SOPS - and procedures applicable to reusable medical equipment (RME) and infection controlMonitors staff compliance with RME procedures/policies- Reports required information for hand-off communication to the oncoming shift and at other times to applicable staff and departmentsCompletes the necessary documentation for these dutiesEducates Veterans on their care needsCommunicates with families and significant others - as appropriateMonitors Veterans for risk behaviors including - but not limited to: - Elopement - Wandering - Suicide - Fall - Behavior - Pressure ulcer Completes all required documentation in timely fashion with accuracyAdditional duties as assigned VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse: https://youtube.com/embed/Ae85IP1Oiz4 Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: six 12-hour shifts of 6:45am-7:15pm and one 8-hour shift of 6:45am-3:15pm or 3:00pm-11:00pm within a two-week periodRecruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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 experienceParental 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 childChild 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 $416.66Retirement: 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized