Licensed Vocational Nurse - Education Debt Reduction Program

About the role

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Serves as a responsible member of the nursing team and interacts 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.
• Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies, promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.
• Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures. Observes 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/DO.
• Recognizes and appropriately responds to urgent or emergent patient care situations, seeks assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO, and initiates appropriate emergency interventions as directed.
• Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to elicit feelings and attitudes, and to promote positive relationships, communication, and socialization skills.
• Fosters an environment of respect for individual patient and family rights to privacy and dignity in all aspects of care delivery.
• Incorporates knowledge and understanding of established customer service standards in all interactions with patients, family members, and/or other internal/external customers.
• Performs 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 procedure.
• Serves 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/procedures.
• Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practice.

Requirements

• Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship, Full - active - current & 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, Physical Standards.
• Grade Determinations: GS-3: None beyond the basic requirements, GS-4: (a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN/LVNor(b) Graduation from an approved school 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(c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration, 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, GS-6: (a) Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent(b) Technically proficient in initiating - performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations, (c) Knowledge 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 information, (d) Ability to observe - identify and respond to the patient's needs for care - including medication - equipment-assisted care and patient/family education, (e) Observes 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/DO, (f) 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, (g) Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment - safety hazards - and supply deficiencies - promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship, Full - active - current & 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, Physical Standards.
• Grade Determinations: GS-3: None beyond the basic requirements, GS-4: (a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN/LVNor(b) Graduation from an approved school 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(c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration, 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, GS-6: (a) Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent(b) Technically proficient in initiating - performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations, (c) Knowledge 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 information, (d) Ability to observe - identify and respond to the patient's needs for care - including medication - equipment-assisted care and patient/family education, (e) Observes 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/DO, (f) 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, (g) Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment - safety hazards - and supply deficiencies - promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.

Skills

• Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship, Full - active - current & 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, Physical Standards.
• Grade Determinations: GS-3: None beyond the basic requirements, GS-4: (a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN/LVNor(b) Graduation from an approved school 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(c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration, 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, GS-6: (a) Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent(b) Technically proficient in initiating - performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations, (c) Knowledge 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 information, (d) Ability to observe - identify and respond to the patient's needs for care - including medication - equipment-assisted care and patient/family education, (e) Observes 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/DO, (f) 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, (g) Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment - safety hazards - and supply deficiencies - promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases, 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)

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Schedule

Monday- Friday - 0745 am -1630 pm