Practical Nurse

Job Title Allied Health Professional Duties Maintains knowledge & skill to care for a wide range of patients, including those with chronic & acute illness. Measures, records, & reports vital signs, neurological signs, weight, & blood glucose levels. Appropriately triages & prioritizes patient needs as routine, urgent, or emergent in the clinic setting & modifies patient care/treatment as needed. Checks patients into the clinic, interviews patient and/or significant other, & documents intake data as per policy. Promptly recognizes & effectively intervenes in potentially urgent or emergent situations. Demonstrates the ability to independently adjust or modify care being delivered to meet the changing needs of the patient with notification to the RN or provider for concurrence. Provides high quality nursing care using traditional & non-traditional modalities, including triage prior to provider face-to-face visits, nurse health maintenance visits, telephone triage, secure messaging, etc. Serves as a resource for complex/specialized procedures (i.e. non-complex suture/staple removal, non-complex wound care, blood draws, & clinic specific procedures, such as ear irrigation). Performs venipuncture for blood draws, prepares specimens for transport &processing (centrifuge & serum separation), transcribes orders, accessions labels, & provides patient education about lab tests. Assists with diagnostic procedures that include preparing the patient, setting up sterile field & instrumentation, & monitoring the patient's condition. Provides education to patients/families about preparation for procedures &/or diagnostic tests. Takes an active role in health promotion & disease prevention to improve patient outcomes. Provides one-on-one or group teaching as appropriate. Teaches patients & families principles of health, self-care, & treatments related to wellness & health promotion. Communicates calmly, courteously, & professionally with all patients, personnel, & visitors while maintaining confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA regulations & Medical Center policies. Uses advanced skills to communicate with verbally or physically abusive patients or visitors using Prevention & Management of Disruptive Behavior (PMDB) principles & policy guidelines. Collaborates with the PACT team & other interdisciplinary services in the development, implementation, & evaluation of patient care. Exercises independent technical judgement & possesses a comprehensive working knowledge of the principles & science of practical nursing. Serves in a management role within the PACT team to promote holistic care & optimize clinic efficiency. Assists other staff to improve & advance their practical nursing practice Prepares, administers & documents medications & immunizations as directed without error that may cause hardship to patients. Demonstrates practical & theoretical knowledge about medication side effects, purposes, therapeutic dosage range, & toxic effects with skill sufficient to administer a wide range of medications. Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge & skills. Provides in-services or other learning opportunities for coworkers to share knowledge gained to improve & advance nursing practice. Adheres to all safety procedures to avoid preventable injury or harm to patients, family members, visitors, &/or government property. Work Schedule : To be determined upon hire &based on the needs of the clinic. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized. Pay: Competitive salary with 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) & 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. Functional Statement #: 52470-A / 52471-A / 52472-A / 52473-A