Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse

Summary

The Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System, Nursing Specialty service line is recruiting for one (1) Licensed Practical Nurse.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Administers medications accurately and promptly under the general supervision of a registered nurse.
• Demonstrates understanding of the effects and/or reactions caused by medications, treatments and procedures. Records and reports these observations.
• Performs personal care, diagnostic support duties and treatments according to procedure under the direction of the professional nurse in a timely manner.
• Completes assignments in a timely manner with constructive utilization of remaining time.
• Serves as a member of the interdisciplinary team, interacting with patients, families, professionals and supportive personnel. Organizes patient care assignments to meet the needs of the patients.
• Clearly demonstrates ability to comprehend, interpret, and function within the individual's discipline as a licenses practical/vocational nurse.
• Participates in ongoing activities/education/certification opportunities demonstrating personal accountability for owning one's practice.
• Identifies changes in patient condition, both physical and emotional. Reports these in a timely manner and initiates appropriate action.
• Participates in Health Care Team meetings.
• Instructs patients and family members on principles of health, self-care and protocols for treatments and/or medications.
• Utilizes teaching materials to promote self-reliance and independence including methods to prevent complications and facilitate recovery, reinforces instruction provided by other health care professionals.
• Completes required patient care documentation and records significant observations and actions utilizing the nursing process in a clear and concise manner.
• Maintains a safe, clean, therapeutic environment and adheres to infection control guidelines.
• Prevents injury to self and others by complying with established safety procedures and uses proper body mechanics and transfer techniques.
• Participates in accomplishing unit maintenance tasks which includes checking equipment to ensure that isfunctioning safely.
• Practices proper technique during sterile procedures.
• Demonstrates safe work habits, identifies and immediately reports any unsafe conditions to the registered nurse.
• Identifies any life-threatening environmental hazards immediately, takes appropriate action, and reports findings to the registered nurse.
• Identifies potential risk and takes necessary precautions to ensure the safety of the patient.
• Uses appropriate equipment for appropriate activity.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

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)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

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 Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 53610A, 53611A, 53612A, 53613A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

**Complete all application requirements detailed in the "required documents" section of this announcement.**

• 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 evaluation / examination.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard.

Education: To qualify you must meet one of the below education requirements:

• Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) formerly known as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), at the time the program was completed.

OR

• Health care education obtained in the military service or training in the military service which was accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which you are licensed.

OR

• Current GS-0620 LPN/LVN employee of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, or who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986. *

OR

• Granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school.

OR

• Pending graduation from an approved, accredited school of practical or vocational nursing.

Licensure:

• 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.

Grade Determinations :

To qualify for this position you must meet the basic requirements AND one of the following for grade specific required applicable to the grade you are considering.

GS 4 LPN / LVN

• At least 6 months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN. At this level LPN/LVNs are expected to exercise greater judgment, require less supervision, and to operate in accordance with all established policies, procedure, and techniques.

OR

• Graduate of an approved school AND 1 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

• Graduate from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

GS- 5 LPN / LVN

• 1 year of qualifying experience equivalent to the GS-4 level under the general supervision of an RN or MD/DO.

AND

• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs :
  
  
  • Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems.
  • Works with the RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately orient/train less experienced LPNs/LVNs and/or Nursing Assistants (NAs)/Health Technicians (HTs) in relation to acceptable standards of practice in promoting optimal patient care delivery.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and 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 and incorporating acceptable, established customer service standards into practice.
  • 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 to RN or MD/DO.
  • Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures when indicated, promptly seek the assistance of the RN or MD/DO and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardiac and/or pulmonary arrest.
  • Recognize and appropriately respond to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies, promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.
  • Completed work is under the general supervision of an RN or MD/DO. Individuals at this grade level are expected to have a broad working knowledge of practical nursing procedures.

GS-6 LPN / LVN :

• Experience :
  • 1 year of qualifying experience equivalent to the GS-5 level that has provided you with the following?

AND

Individuals at this grade level are expected to meet all performance requirements for the previous GS level.

• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs
  • Technically proficient 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 respond 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 physical and/or emotional changes in patient's condition from prescribed medications/treatments, promptly and accurately documenting noted changes, and reporting any deviations from normal to RN or MD/DO.
  • Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations, seeking assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO, and initiating appropriate emergency interventions as directed.
  • Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations.
  • Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to elicit feelings and attitudes, to promote positive relationships, communication, and socialization skills. Fosters an environment of respect for individual patient and family rights to privacy and dignity in all aspects of care delivery. Effectively incorporates knowledge and understanding of customer service standards in all interactions with patients, family members, and/or other internal/external customers.
  • 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. Serves as a preceptor in orienting, educating, and training less experienced LPNs/LVNs or NAs/HTs related to support duties for these more complex, specialized tests/procedures.
  • Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practice.

Preferred Experience: Procedural and Urology Experience is preferred.

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 3 to 6.

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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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.