Licensed Practical Nurse

Overview The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Licensed Practical Nurse. The Licensed Practical Nurse will function in Community Outpatient Services. Qualifications United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy Must be a graduate of a 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. 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: GS-07: Must possess at least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-6 level or equivalent You must fully meet all performance requirements for the GS-6 LPN/LVN or equivalent and your resume must fully support this Examples of experience include: Technically proficient in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations Ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions Use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments Accurately recognize, report and record relevant patient information Completed work only needs a general review by a registered nurse or physician for appropriateness and conformity with established policies/procedures Ability to observe, identify and respond to the patient's needs for care - including medication, equipment-assisted care and patient/family education Considers emotional, cultural, spiritual, socio-economic and age-related factors 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 - seek assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO - and initiate appropriate emergency interventions as directed Knowledge and understanding of human behavior - patient motivations and reactions to situations - and ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients, family members and other staff Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to elicit feelings and attitudes - and 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 established 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 include preparing the patient, 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 Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07 Physical Requirements: Applicant must possess the ability to climb stairs, lift, carry, pull and push up to 25 pounds, frequent walking, standing, kneeling, repeated bending, squatting and driving a car for periods up to 2 hours Duties Assists with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of patients' care with all interdisciplinary teams Functions in complex healthcare activities with minimal supervision and guidance Manages patient care problems and deviations using self-direction in accordance with VA Nursing Practice and LPN licensure standards Maintains knowledge and skills to care for a wide range of patients – including those with chronic and acute illness Provides nursing care for adults with population-specific needs by incorporating pertinent physical, psychosocial, and cultural needs into the patient plan of care Readily identifies patient complications and acts to resolve issues under very general supervision Applies critical thinking skills to solve clinical and administrative issues Able to proactively assist staff to identify Veteran medications/treatment needs – and accurately relay those needs to necessary/present team members involved in the Veteran's care Collaborates with the PACT team and other interdisciplinary services in the development, implementation, and evaluation of patient care Provides indirect nursing care to patients with complex needs as related to consult management, screening of telephone calls – as well as assuming responsibility and accountability for nursing action Demonstrates active listening and excellent interviewing/screening skills during telephone calls to obtain pertinent information from the caller and utilizes computerized medical record as an additional information resource Serves as a preceptor in orienting, educating and training less experienced LPN staff related to support duties for more complex, specialized tests/procedures Determines clinic assignments – timely patient communication – consult management and medical record review/retrieval Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills and provide leadership in assisting other staff to improve and advance their nursing practice Maintains and updates professional certifications as required by policy/procedure Participates in safety inspections and proactively reports unsafe working conditions to supervisory staff members Collaborates with NM and other VA leadership to ensure work area and nursing practice is maintained in accordance with Joint Commission – OIG and other regulatory agency guidelines Demonstrates a leadership role during EOC rounds and assists NM with correction of any identified deficiencies Serves as a resource for other LPN/MT/MSA staff re: Continued Readiness Initiatives Applies infection control measures appropriately in delivering nursing care Demonstrates knowledge of all processes for reusable medical equipment (RME) Demonstrates proper setup (assembling the required items in preparation for a procedure in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and VA protocols) – and maintenance according to facility standard operating procedure (SOP) Serves as a resource for the other staff members and assists with completion of annual competency validation Assists the RN/LPN to prepare patients for transport to appointments – other departments – emergency department – or other unit transfers Performs treatments and procedures within the scope of license and facility policies and procedures Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time 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 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 (up to monthly maximum of $416.66) Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% VA contributions Health 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 Functional Statement #: 94215A; Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr