Licensed Vocational Nurse

MISSION STATEMENT: Leading adolescents to a new legacy.

The mission of CLEARFORK ACADEMY is to offer the highest quality and professional, substance abuse and mental health treatment across a full continuum of care.


We are committed to treating patients and their families with the highest regard and respect as clients work toward reaching their highest growth potential in their recovery process. This is accomplished through the strict adherence to the highest ethical standards of care and policies and procedures set forth by the Texas Department of State of Health Services and the Joint Commission.

• CLEARFORK ACADEMY ensures all clients are treated with compassion, respect, and dignity regardless of race, creed, age, sex, handicaps, or sexual orientation.
• CLEARFORK ACADEMY employees are competent and responsible personnel who adhere to a strict code of professional ethics which include but are not limited to the prohibition of fraternization with patients, exploitation of clients, or any criminal behaviors.
• CLEARFORK ACADEMY provides clients with accurate and complete information regarding the available services including the program rules, regulations, goals, and objectives of the program.
• Appropriate availability of alternative treatment modalities is made at any time before during or after treatment if they are requested or the client's needs are out of the scope of our practice.
• CLEARFORK ACADEMY will ensure that discharge from treatment is conducted in accordance with Texas rule standards.
• CLEARFORK ACADEMY provides both Texas and Joint Commission environment of care standards.
• CLEARFORK ACADEMY will take all necessary and appropriate measures to maintain individual client records and information in a confidential and professional manner.
• CLEARFORK ACADEMY strives to maintain positive relations with the surrounding community and pursues every reasonable action to encourage responsible client behaviors and community safety.

SUMMARY

The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) at CLEARFORK ACADEMY is responsible for assessing clients in an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment program and administering medication according to state, accreditation, and facility policies and procedures. The LVN works directly with Recovery Coaches and other clinical staff and medical staff to ensure nursing components of the organization are appropriately coordinated. The LVN is also responsible for performing advanced indirect and selected direct patient care duties in support of the clinical process in a competent manner and completing any associated clerical functions.

AGE/PATIENT POPULATION(S) SERVED

Age of Patient Population Served: Adolescent and Young Adult Males/Females

Population Served: Persons meeting DSM 5 criteria for substance use disorders with or without co-occurring psychiatric illness.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Delivers appropriate indirect and selected direct patient care at a competent level as directed by the milieu manager and/or director, physician, or registered nurse within the scope of approved LVN skills inventory according to the needs/age of the patient/population served; collaborates with other members of the healthcare team to plan, expedite, and promote quality patient care; employs critical thinking skills when identifying and responding to patient needs.
• Performs, monitors, and documents vital signs. Collects urine drug screens on all admissions and random UDS on all RTC, PHP and IOP patients, as appropriate. Attends facility/community meetings and groups, conducts Program Orientation, searches belongings, collects unauthorized items to be placed in a secured area; conducts patient rounds and perimeter checks to ensure the safety of all patients.
• Ensures safe care to patients adhering to policies, procedures, and standards of care.
• Performs basic housekeeping duties during course of shift, including but not limited to, cleaning rooms and bathrooms, microwaves, utility rooms, assisting with laundry, sweeping, and mopping floors, trash collection, etc.
• Performing, completing, and validating assessments, utilizing proper grammar, spelling, and complete sentences without using unapproved abbreviations.
• Administering and documenting vital signs, CIWAs, COWS, fall assessments/precautions, seizure precautions, suicidal/homicidal assessments, nutritional assessments, pain scales, anxiety scales, craving scales, standard and infection control precautions.
• Observation, documentation, audit functions, education, and record keeping of all observed/inventoried/destroyed/prescribed medications.
• Provides general assistance to the Registered Nurse by ascertaining clinical medication management.
• Administering medications via oral, sublingual, inhalation, auricular, topical, vaginal, and rectal routes and performing scheduled and PRN vitals as appropriate.
• Entering medication orders into the electronic medical record.
• Manages the Medication Administration Record, documenting administration, efficacy, and first response.
• Collaborates with staff in assessing patient, family age-specific nursing needs and assists medical team with creating plans of care for complex high-risk patients.
• Executes teaching programs for patients/families and provides assistance to staff in program implementation.
• Work closely with physicians to provide education and counseling for clients and other organizational health care providers on optimal use of medicines (e.g., proper use, avoidance of over medication).
• Provide nursing care adapted to the individual patient needs based on the nursing process, which includes assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Direct patient care, including the reporting of observed changes in mental status and/or physical condition, response to emergencies, safety risks.
• Documents nursing incidents and medication errors.
• Ensures to use the utmost of care in protecting the confidentiality of client records in accordance with state and federal laws.
• Performs other duties and tasks as required.

AGE SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES (ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT MALES/FEMALES)

• Demonstrates ability to systemically collect, record and analyze data and other relevant interactive social systems, including mental status, special precautions (suicidality, homicidality, elopement); physical problems/medical acuity (withdrawal and nutritional needs); and ethnic concerns (social, religious, or cultural needs).
• Uses assessment data to identify problem list and other interactive social systems.
• Initiates/develops a treatment plan with specific goals and interventions unique to the needs of the patient.
• Intervenes as guided by the treatment plan to implement appropriate interventions that promote, maintain, or restore physical and mental health, prevent illness effect rehabilitation, and restore developmental progression in adulthood.
• Provides health teaching for adult/family through individual and group interactions.
• Recommends special precautions for adults, as needed.
• Evaluates the response of the adult/family to interventions in order to revise the plan, including discharge criteria.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the developmental milestones of adolescents and young adults.
• Identifies trauma, abuse/neglect or exploitation a client may have experienced.

Requirements

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education, Training, and Experience Required:

? Current and unrestricted licensure from the Texas Board of Nursing as an LVN.

? At least one year experience as a staff nurse preferably in the field of chemical dependency and/or behavioral health.

? Current Basic Life Support certification

? Current Handle with Care Physical Holding Certification

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

? Knowledge of industry standards: organization, theory, principles, and research processes, accreditation and regulatory standards, ability to assess clinical care requirements based on nursing principles, scope of practice.

? Understanding of Addiction: Basic knowledge about substance use disorders

? Treatment knowledge: familiarity with behavior change and recovery models

? Application to practice: Methods for applying intervention and recovery knowledge to practice

? Professional readiness: Issues related to self-awareness, diversity, ethics, ad continuing education

? Knowledge of medications, indications, dosage ranges, side effects, and potential toxicity.

? Knowledge of PC software programs, particularly Microsoft Word and Excel is required.

? Written and oral communication skills; must be able to concentrate on work amid distractions such as noise, conversations, and foot traffic

? Must be able to correctly utilize breathalyzer, vital signs machine, EKG, urinalysis collection cups, and process urine drug screens.

? Must maintain self-control in volatile or hostile situations such as when verbally or physically confronted in an aggressive manner

? Must be able to work independently with little supervision in an unstructured environment with multiple demands

? Reading and writing level that can clearly express or understand complex concepts, assessments, directions and processes or sequences of events - level equivalent to at least two years of college.

? Ability to represent the program well in interactions both inside and outside the facility

? Working knowledge of (American Society of Addiction Medicine) ASAM criteria

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS:


The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand or sit for extended periods of time. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

The job requires frequent contact with water (hand washing and cleaning) and working with body fluid and hazardous chemicals. When under these working conditions, OSHA standards and universal precautions must be followed at all times.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with minimal to high volumes of stress.

EEOC STATEMENT:

It is our policy to abide by all Federal and State laws, as well as, the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a), prohibiting discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibiting discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

#clearforkindeed