Licensed Practical Nurse

Licensed Practical Nurse

The LPN serves as a member of an interdisciplinary treatment team with an assigned patient load. The incumbent engages in nursing care, which requires the knowledge and skills represented by licensed as an LPN. The LPN maintains acceptable standards of practice under the direction of the nurse manager or designee, and has the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out more specialized patient care duties. These duties include assignments in selected, more complex, inpatient and/or outpatient care settings. Other duties include but are not limited to:

• Promptly recognizing potentially urgent or emergent patient care situations, seeking assistance of the Registered Nurse (RN) and/or Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP)/Physician for appropriate team intervention, and effectively intervenes. Patient population consists of mostly elderly, chronically ill patients requiring astute observation of subtle physical and emotional changes in patients and requires appropriate actions based on these observations.
• Performing procedures such as application of external urinary catheters; routine Foley catheter care; irrigation of Foley catheters, including the set-up and replacing of solutions for continuous Foley catheter irrigations; irrigation of nasogastric tubes and established colostomies; inserting and discontinuing Foley catheters; giving regular and medicated enemas; changing complicated extensive sterile dressings; performing finger sticks
• Carrying out respiratory treatments such as postural drainage, chest physiotherapy; sets up and initiates oxygen therapy, including nebulization treatments; performs oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal and tracheal suctioning, performs routine tracheostomy care, instructs patient in use of incentive spirometer; monitors and records observations of chest tubes and pleurovacs; assembles water-sealed chest drainage systems
• Observing for physical and/or emotional changes in patients' condition from prescribed medications/treatments
• Monitoring and regulating the flow of intravenous fluids manually or via infusion pumps and reporting observations to the registered nurse; observing IV site for infiltration and inflammation and reporting to the Registered Nurse; changes peripheral IV and saline lock dressings; changing IV solution administration sets following established protocols; discontinues peripheral intravenous catheters when authorized by the Registered Nurse; monitoring and adding maintenance IV fluids (as approved) via mini-bags, prepared by pharmacy, through an existing peripheral line/saline lock
• Preparing and administering prescribed medications (oral and intramuscular), including PRN medications orders, after carefully assessing the patient's condition; observing effectiveness and documenting observations in the clinical record. Administers vaccines, administers, reads and records PPD's
• Assisting selected patients with rehabilitation such as range of motion, ambulation, positioning, and self-help activities of daily living; assisting with bowel and bladder training programs. Assists and instructs patients on how to keep lungs clear.
• Entering information about the patient's condition, an assessment of the patient's condition and a plan of action to carry out nursing care
• Measuring and recording vital signs, neurochecks, intake and output, weights; collecting urine, stool, sputum and drainage specimens; measuring and recording PH from nasogastric tubes; measuring and recording urine specific gravity

Shift: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.; 3:30 p.m. - midnight; 11:30 p.m. - 8:00 a.m.- Rotating Shifts (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs)

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

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: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized