Licensed Practical Nurse

Summary

The Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System Community Outpatient Service is currently recruiting for a Licensed Practical Nurse position at the Akron Outpatient Clinic in either Primary Care or Specialty Care. The LPN is a direct care provider whose scope of practice includes providing comprehensive Nursing care for the assigned care service unit or program. The LPN functions under the guidance of the Registered Nurse, Physician, and/or Licensed Independent Provider.

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Duties

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Total Rewards - LPN

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provides Nursing care for adults with population specific needs by incorporating pertinent physical, psychosocial, and cultural needs into the patient plan of care.
• Accurately prepares and administers medications.
• Properly performs treatments and procedures.
• Provides direct Nursing care to patients based on individualized plan of care, reinforces teaching and written instructions initiated by the RN or Provider.
• Collaborates with the RN to establish priorities for patient care within the specialty care clinics.
• Functions with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrates the ability to vary the order of and sequence of assigned procedures based on the patients' condition. Seeks direction from the RN or Provider to confirm plan of care.
• Recognizes signs and symptoms of medical and behavioral emergencies and responds appropriately.
• Responds promptly to patient requests for assistance.
• Knowledge of accrediting bodies and national patient safety goals.
• Knowledgeable about life safety, fire, and occupational regulations. Responds to environmental, medical, and psychiatric emergencies appropriately.
• Knowledgeable of infection control policy and procedures.
• Knowledgeable in safe body mechanics, patient safety measures, and personal protective equipment (PPE). Proficient in safe patient transfers and assist devices.
• Competent in using medical equipment and technical procedures in assigned services: glucometers, respiratory equipment, hyfrecators, and other medical surgical specialty equipment.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Telework : Not eligible

Virtual/Remote: This is not a virtual/remote position.

Functional Statement # : 94215A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Fi nancial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.
• Physical Requirements: Applicants must possess the ability to do the following: heavy lifting and carrying, 45 pounds and over; pulling, pushing and reaching above the shoulder; walking, standing, kneeling and repeated bending.
• English Language Proficiency. Licensed practical or vocational nurses appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in [both] spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• Education. Must be a graduate of school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing. (Education will be waived for current VHA employees who were converted to appointments under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, and for VHA employees converted to appointments under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986. The waiver will not apply to persons appointed under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) or 7405 after these conversions.)
• Licensure. 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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations : In addition to the basic requirements, the following qualification criteria must be met:

GS-7. Completion of 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/LVN.

Knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position:

1. Knowledge and skills necessary to carry out more specialized patient care duties, including assignments in selected, more complex inpatient and/or outpatient care settings.
2. Knowledge base promotes the incorporation of current patient care data in actively contributing to the development of the patient's overall health plan and in carrying out assigned nursing interventions.
3. Ability to assist RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately prioritize overall patient care needs and adjust plans for care delivery.
4. Ability to make astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes, both physical and emotional, in patient's condition, and accurately and thoroughly documents care delivered
5. Ability to appropriately seeks assistance and guidance by informing RN or MD/DO of changes in patient's condition requiring higher-level intervention.
6. Ability to proactively assist the RN or MD/DO in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments, accurately administering prescribed medications/treatments and appropriately recording
7. Demonstrates the knowledge and ability to readily recognize the more subtle signs and symptoms of potential or actual drug reactions,
8. Demonstrates the ability to assists individuals or groups of patients and their families to take an active role in promoting healthy lifestyles for more positive patient outcomes.
9. Demonstrates skill, creativity and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and/or family satisfaction
10. Demonstrates comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practice

Preferred Experience:

• Primary Care experience

References: VA Qualification Standards in VA Handbook 5005/3, Part II, Appendix G13.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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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