Vocational Nurse

Summary

The primary purpose of the LPN/LVN Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurse is to perform assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality healthcare, positive customer service, and the maintenance of the environment, committed to serving the veterans. The LPN/LVN is considered a novice and performs within this functional statement under frequent guidance of the Nurse Manager or designee. Assigned tasks require basic technical competence and skill.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Direct Patient (Critical)

1. Provides quality care to patients with multi-system problems and assists patients with a full range of personal care with attention to preserving dignity, autonomy, religious preferences, and cultural values

2. Has some knowledge and skill in supporting providers with diagnostic tests and procedures, which may include:

• Preparing the patient
• Assisting the provider with diagnostic examination or procedure
• Preparing and handling specialized instruments/equipment
• Monitoring the patient's condition before, during, and after the procedure

3. Prepares, administers, and documents medications and treatments, including the patient's response, under supervision as prescribed

4. Measures and charts vital signs; reports abnormal findings to RN or provider

5. Consistently distinguishes, evaluates, and reports changes in patient status and notifies the preceptor

6. Complies with universal precautions and infection control policies and procedures

7. Communicates with patients, family members, caregivers, and community-based services via different modalities, including but not limited to secure messaging, phone calls, and face-to-face 8. Completes assignments as directed, based on established protocols/accepted medical service practices, San Francisco VA Healthcare system policy and procedures, and VHA Guidelines

9. Recognizes and promptly reports patient abuse

10. Demonstrates knowledge and correct usage of skills in intervening and managing potentially violent and/or suicidal patients

11. Demonstrates knowledge of and correct usage of medical and psychiatric terminology/diagnosis.

12. Monitors and helps with patient traffic to ensure minimal wait times for patients and to keep providers daily schedules on time.

13. Completes PACT scrubbing

14. Attends and participates in huddles, pre-visit planning and team meetings

15. Makes pre-visit calls for PACT

16. Communicates effectively with outside providers and organizations

17. Completes discharge calls when needed

18. Completes nursing care activities and covers other teams' assignments as directed

• Work Schedule : 8:00 am - 4:30pm
• Telework : Not Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement # : 09899F, 09900F, 09901F, 09902F
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : 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)

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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 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), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Education - Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) at the time the program was completed by the applicant. Exceptions include health care education in the military service or training in the military service which is accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which the individual is licensed as qualifying for full LPN/LVN licensure will be accepted as meeting the education requirements for VHA employment OR granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school AND have at least one year of successful practice as an LPN/ LVN.
• Licensure - Active, full, current and unrestricted licensure as a Graduate Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), of the United States or the 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 : In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade.

GS 3: None beyond the basic requirements.

GS 4:

Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN/LVN

OR

Graduation from an approved school and one 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

Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months in duration.

AND

LVN/LPNs at the GS-4 grade level perform all duties expected of employees at the GS-3 grade level.

GS 5: Completion of at least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent.

AND

• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a responsible member of the nursing team and interact with patients, family members, professional and supportive personnel patient care.
• Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and/or intravenous medications as permitted by approved local facility policies and procedures.
• 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.
• Recognizes and appropriately responds 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.

GS 6: Completion of at least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent.

AND

• 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 and to use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments.
• Ability to observe, identify and respond to the patient's needs for 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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:

• Two years of LVN/LPN experience.

Salary for this position ranges dependent upon applicant qualifications

GS-03: $58,187 - $75,650 annually

GS-04: $65,316 - $84,916 annually

GS-05: $73,078 - $95,002 annually

GS-06: $79,522 - $103,377 annually

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is 6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 3 to 6.

Physical Requirements: The population of male and female patients served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. The San Francisco VA Health Care System is a health care facility, providing acute medical, surgical, behavioral health, physical medicine and rehabilitation, geriatric, and primary care services predominately to veterans, but in special cases, includes active duty military and civilian populations. This position requires visual acuity (Correctable to 20/40), hearing clear distinctive speech (correctable to 20db), and manual dexterity to perform prescribed procedures/computer usage. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to wear protective clothing in isolation situations or during patient operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, and is able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

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

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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