Practical Nurse

About the role

The Licensed Practical Nurse provides safe and individualized nursing care to patients in the Ambulatory/Specialty Care setting. He/she interacts and collaborates effectively with patients, families, and other healthcare and supportive staff both internally and externally. He/she initiates appropriate actions based on observations of the patient's condition.

Responsibilities

• Performs all duties within the scope of the license, including medication administration.
• Serves as a responsible member of a nursing team and interacts appropriately with patients, families, and other support personnel.
• Recognizes and responds to the need for and to institute emergency measures and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardiac and/or pulmonary arrest.
• Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies.
• Carries out assigned patient care based on the patient's condition, using judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments, and recognizing, reporting, and documenting relevant patient information.
• Observes and documents patient responses to medication and reports noted changes in the patient's condition.
• Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies and procedures.
• Maintains knowledge and ability to prepare, administer, and document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed medications, as permitted by approved local facility policies and procedures.
• Establishes constructive and positive relationships with patients/families to promote open communication and socialization skills, taking into consideration emotional, socio-economic, and age-related factors.
• Maintains knowledge and skill to perform support duties during complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized practices or procedures.
• Provides support for less experienced LPNs, Nursing Assistants (NAs), Health Technicians (HTs), and participates in the orientation and education of these individuals.
• Acts as a preceptor in orienting, educating, and training less experienced LPNs, NAs, HTs, and provides support for more complex, specialized procedures.
• Seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge/skills and shares knowledge with peers to advance nursing practice.
• Maintains knowledge and skill for preparing, administering, and documenting actions taken specific to commonly prescribed medications, as permitted by approved local facility policies and procedures.
• Recognizes and responds to the need for and to institute emergency measures and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardiac and/or pulmonary arrest.
• Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies.

Requirements

Basic Requirements:

• Graduate of an approved school of practical or vocational nursing.
• Holds a current - full - active and unrestricted licensure as a licensed practical nurse or vocational nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or District of Columbia.

Qualifications

• Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-05 level or equivalent - 2 years total qualifying experience - that has provided you with the following: Technically proficient in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations.
• Knowledge and ability to carry out patient care determined by the patient's condition utilizing judgement in selecting appropriate orders, procedures, and treatments and recognizing, reporting, and documenting relevant patient information to include urgent and emergent situations.
• Knowledge and ability to prepare, administer, and document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed medications, as permitted by approved local facility policies and procedures.
• Knowledge and ability to establish constructive and positive relationships with patients/families to promote open communication and socialization skills, taking into consideration emotional, socio-economic, and age-related factors.
• Knowledge and ability to perform support duties during complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized practices or procedures.
• Knowledge and ability to act as a preceptor in orienting, educating, and training less experienced LPNs, Nursing Assistants (NAs), Health Technicians (HTs), and providing support for more complex, specialized procedures.

Skills

Knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems.

Benefits

Annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience.

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

Schedule

Monday - Friday: 0800 - 1630.

Benefits

• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 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.
• Health/Vision/Dental: Many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Telework: Ad-hoc telework.
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Physical Requirements

The position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. The position requires long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to infected Veterans and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing/equipment in isolation situations or during day-to-day clinic functions and procedures.

References

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Functional Statement

Functional Statement #: 000000.

PCS

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.