Practical Nurse

Summary

The New Mexico VA Health Care System is looking for an LPN to serve as part of the North West Metro Rio Rancho Team.

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Duties

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The primary purpose of the Licensed Practical Nurse is to perform assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, positive customer service and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veteran. The LPN also performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veteran. The LPN performs within this functional statement under guidance of the Nurse Manager or designee. Assigned tasks require basic technical competence and skill.

Duties include but not limited to the following:

• Provides direct patient care to and assists with care coordination of Primary Care patients within the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), supporting services and clinics throughout the health care system.
• Provides direct patient care to Primary Care patients in accordance with Primary Care standards and recommended practices/guidelines.
• Gathers additional data (face to face or via phone) related to patient needs for treatme
• nt determination of PACT.
• Participates in PACT performance measure activities such as, but not limited to, non-complex 2-day post-discharge calls, clinical reminder compliance, aspects of chronic disease management.
• Participates in daily and/or weekly PACT huddles.
• Assists with coordinating care of patients, including patients consulted through Clinical Video Tele-Health visits.
• Assures patients have pre-appointment requirements completed prior to Primary Care Provider (PCP) appointments.
• Alerts providers (physicians/nurse practitioners) of abnormal signs and symptoms and/or abnormal test results to expedite care.
• Assists with patient education related to managing risk factors, medications, procedures, and other medical regimens related to their disease process, within standards of practice.

Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases

Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

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)

Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

Work Schedule: 7 :30 am to 4:00 pm M-F

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

EDRP: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

NOTE: Prior to accepting a final employment offer, all selected applicants will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding deployment responsibilities

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination and maintain CDT physical readiness.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Must be able to meet physical demands which include strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distances over difficult terrain, running, climbing, working long hours in primitive or arduous conditions, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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 Policy.
• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(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 OR granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school AND have at least one year of successful practice as an LPN/ LVN.
  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 Determination : In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade.

GS-04 (a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; or(b) 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 procedures; or (c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

GS-05

• Knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems.
• Ability to serve as a responsible member of a nursing team and interact in an appropriate manner with patients, family members, professional and/or other support personnel involved in the delivery of patient care.
• Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous medications. This includes observing and documenting patient responses to medication and reporting noted changes in the patient's condition.
• Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardia and/or pulmonary arrest.
• Recognize and appropriately respond to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies.

GS-06

• Proficiency in initiating, performing, and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations.
• Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions, using judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments, and accurately recognizing, reporting, and recording relevant patient information.
• Ability to observe, identify, and response to a patient's needs for care including medication, equipment-assisted care, and patient/family education.
• Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures. Observes for, documents, and reports physical and/or emotional changes in the patient's condition from prescribed medications/treatments.
• Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations and initiating appropriate emergency interventions as directed.
• Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations and the ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients, family members and other staff.
• Knowledge and skill in performing support duties for complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized practices or procedures, which includes preparing the patient and 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.

Preferred Experience:

- Some outpatient clinical experience preferred.

- 2-3 years of experience as in LPN/LVN experience related to the area of deployment

- Basic Life Support (BLS) Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

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-4 to GS-6.

Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.