Practical Nurse

About the role

The Advanced LPN functions as a member of the healthcare team and demonstrates an exceptional degree of practical nursing knowledge and skills which are necessary to carry out and provide quality nursing care to a culturally diverse veteran population of varying complexity in a variety of settings within the Northeast Wisconsin Ambulatory Care (NEWAC) Division located at the Green Bay Health Care Center.

Major Duties

• Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, Intramuscular, and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures.
• Supports the team in monitoring the practice of unlicensed nursing staff or non-medical staff to ensure safe patient care delivery.
• Manages patient care problems and deviations using self-direction in accordance with VA Nursing Practice and LPN licensure standards.
• Affords assistance with diagnostic procedures that include preparing the patient, setting up sterile field and instrumentation, and monitoring the patient's condition including joint injections, cystoscopy, vasectomy, and prostate needle biopsy.
• Affords coordination of care during and after the transition of a patient from inpatient to outpatient and vice versa.
• Collaborates with team RN to identify and proactively manage high-risk patients through frequent telephone contacts and/or face-to-face visits.
• Responds to telephone calls in a timely manner to address patient care needs, requests from other healthcare facilities, etc, including same-day access requests.
• Serves as a formal and informal preceptor/mentor for all new LPN/HT (and RN when needed) hires in the clinic.

Qualifications

• 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. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED)
• Must possess 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 and includes:

• 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. Appropriately seeks assistance and guidance by informing RN or MD/DO of changes in patient's condition requiring higher-level intervention. At this grade level, the LPN/LVN is expected to participate to a greater degree in prioritizing, and, as appropriate, modifying patient care treatment. They must also possess the ability to observe more subtle physical and emotional changes in patients and demonstrate taking appropriate action based on those observations.
• 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.) Demonstrates the knowledge and ability to readily recognize the more subtle signs and symptoms of potential or actual drug reactions, promptly inform the RN or MD/DO of observed changes in patient's condition and initiate appropriate, prescribed interventions. Employees at this grade level demonstrate broader knowledge and skill with respect to these responsibilities than employees at lower grade levels.
• 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. At this grade level, the LPN/LVN must have a 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. In addition to responsibilities at the lower grade level, the LPN/LVN is responsible for monitoring the practice of non-licensed nursing and medical staff.