Practical Nurse ( Intermittent)

Licensed Practical Nurse

The Licensed Practical Nurse performs direct patient care and participates in activities that support safety on the unit and enable the program to meet its general requirements. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Complete assigned duties/responsibilities, which involve performing standard practical nursing activities.
• Demonstrate knowledge/skills to resolve a range of nursing problems.
• Recognize human behavior, motivations, and reactions to situations in the provision of nursing care, provide a safe environment and protect patients' rights, and recognize and respond appropriately to emergency situations.
• Be aware of program policies, procedures, and directives that are in place for all VA employees as well as those that are unique to the specific program(s), and practice in a manner consistent with these policies.
• Review reports of a patient's condition and other pertinent data, using judgment in selecting the most appropriate application of procedures and guidelines.
• Determine when changes in the patients' conditions are significant enough to notify the immediate supervisor for assistance in decision making and/or determining nursing care.
• Make recommendations for changes in the treatment plan based upon observations, analysis of patients' condition and response to the current plans.
• Provides assistance with physical care of patients by observing, identifying, and responding to specific patient needs.
• Prepares patients for off/on unit diagnostic procedures and administers more complex treatments under the close supervision of RN/LPN/MD or other licensed staff.
• Serves as an active member of the interdisciplinary team and contributes to the development of nursing care plans.
• Contribute to the development and update of the overall treatment plan, providing important information through assessment and observation of the patient.
• Observes, reports, and documents the patients' conditions and changes noted.
• Conducts an assessment of medication independence prior to admission to and at the time of admission and collects information on other health-related behaviors as part of the admission process and throughout the admission and helps to prepare the patient for discharge.