Licensed Practical Nurse

Summary

You will serve as the Licensed Practical Nurse with the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System located in Seattle, Washington.

Duties

["Provide nursing expertise in preventative screening, managing clinic flow, and data collection. Perform simple diagnostic procedures such as bladder scanning, EKGS, prepare patients for dermatologic biopsies. Assist with minor procedures as needed depending on specialty. Accept delegation within scope of practice for tasks related to care coordination, procedures, and treatments. Demonstrate understanding of age - and population - specific characteristics that affect the health care needs of the veteran. Collect patient data including observations of patient status (i.e. vital signs, oxygen saturation, medication reconciliation, etc.). Administer vaccines, and specialty injections as needed. Recognize subtle and significant changes in the patient in response to nursing care and communicating changes in condition/response to team. Recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations, effectively intervene, and seek Registered Nurse (RN)/provider assistance for those requiring higher-level intervention. Provide care to patients/clients appropriate to their cognitive, physical, emotional and chronological maturation. Maintain appropriate boundaries in the nurse/ Veteran relationship by not obtaining personal gain at Veterans' expense and refrain from appropriate involvement in the Veterans' personal relationships. Comply to external reviewer standards, policies, procedures, standards of care, standards of practice, patient centered care guidelines, and cultural transformation. Document and retrieve patient/clinical information using electronic medical records. Observe patient for adverse effects from medication and reports to the team Registered Nurse (RN). Provide effective education to patients and/or family members in relation to common disease processes, medications, and/or prescribed diagnostic and/or treatment regimes, as directed. Adhere to standards of practice and safe technique in preparation and administration of medicine, documents administration in EHRM and observing patients for adverse effects from medication and reporting to team RN. Perform other duties as assigned. VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse: https://youtube.com/embed/Ae85IP1Oiz4 Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM PDT. Recruitment Incentive (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: This is not a telework position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Physical Requirements: This position includes a level of physicality normally associated with duties performed by nurses such as direct patient care, and potentially long periods of walking, standing, sitting, moderate lifting, repeated bending, or kneeling. Work Conditions: A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) works in a primary care Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) setting primarily works in an outpatient, office clinic environment, caring for a range of veterans by performing direct patient care, medication administration, and clinical support for providers. The environment is typically well-lit and ventilated but can be stressful, requiring multitasking and the ability to handle several tasks at once."]

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: Licensed practical or vocational nurses appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Licensure: 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. EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPTS WITH CONFER DATE REQUIRED): 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. Exceptions include: 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. 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. Granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school. GS-7 Level: At least one year of qualifying experience equivalent to the GS-6 level that has provided you with the following but not limited to: Knowledge and skills necessary to care out more specialized patient care duties, including assignments in more complex inpatient and/or outpatient care settings. Ability to assist RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately prioritize overall patient care needs and adjust plans for care delivery making astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes (both physical and emotional) in patient's conditions and taking the appropriate action. Ability to proactively assist the RN or MD/OD in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments, accurately administering prescribed medications/treatments and appropriately recording patient's response to medications/treatments received. Knowledge and skill to promptly recognize potential urgent or emergent patient care situations. Assists individuals or groups of patients and their families to take an active role in promoting health lifestyles for more positive outcomes. Exercises skill in influencing and communicating with unusually difficult to care for or communicate with patients and/or family members who may exhibit problems with lack of self-control, resistant or abusive behaviors, or impediments in their ability to understand or follow instructions. Exhibits skill, creativity, and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and/or family satisfaction levels. Possesses comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practices to serve as a resource person for other staff in organizing and implementing more complex/specialized patient care. Supports the RN or MD/DO in monitoring the practice of unlicensed nursing or non-medical staff in patient care delivery. Work of considerable difficulty and responsibility is performed under general supervision. Individuals in these positions are, to a considerable extent, expected to exercise independent technical judgments and to possess and apply a comprehensive working knowledge of the principles, art and science of practical nursing. The staff mix is such that employees at this grade level are expected to perform practical nursing duties of considerable difficulty and responsibility under very general supervision. Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, and providing leadership in assisting other staff improve and advance their nursing practice. . Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.