The Licensed Practical/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) is to perform assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, positive customer service and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veteran and performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care. The LPN/LVN is considered a novice and performs within this functional statement under close supervision of the Nurse Manager. Assigned tasks require basic technical competence and skill.
Basic Requirements: a. 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. b. 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. c. Physical Standards. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Grade Determination. 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. (1) GS-3. None beyond the basic requirements. LPNs at this grade level are expected to perform all duties within the scope of their license (e.g., medication administration); however, completed work may require routine or detailed higher level review depending upon the complexity of the duties involved. (2) GS-4. Employees may be appointed at or advanced to GS-4 if they meet any of the criteria in paragraphs 3b(2)(a) through (c) below: (a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; or (b) Graduation from an approved school (which may be waived as provided in paragraph 4 of Section C) 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 (c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration. (d) LPNs at the GS-4 grade level perform all duties expected of employees at the GS-3 grade level; however, they are expected to exercise greater judgment, require less supervision, and to operate in accordance with all established policies, procedure, and techniques. (3) GS-5 (a) Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent. (b) 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. Provides effective education to patients and/or family members in relation to common disease processes, medication, and /or prescribed treatment regimes. (c) Demonstrated ability to serve as a responsible member of the nursing team and 4 interact in an appropriate manner with patients, family members, professional and other supportive personnel involved in the delivery of patient care, incorporating acceptable, established customer service standards into practice. (d) 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. Observation and documentation will include patient's response to medication administered and the reporting of any noted change in patient's condition to RN or MD/DO. (e) 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. (f) Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies, promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action. (g) 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. However, completion of more complex practices or procedures may be subject to closer higher-level review. GS-6 (a) Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent, fully meeting all performance requirements for the GS-5 LPN/LVN. (b) Technically proficient in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations. (c) Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions; to use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments; and to accurately recognize, report and record relevant patient information. Completed work should need only a general review by a registered nurse (RN) or physician (MD/DO) for appropriateness and conformity with established policies/procedures. (d) Ability to observe, identify and respond to the patient's needs for care, including] medication, equipment-assisted care and patient/family education. In organizing and delivering care, the LPN/LVN recognizes and considers emotional, cultural, spiritual, socio-economic, and age-related factors. (e) 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 5 from prescribed medications/treatments, promptly and accurately documenting noted changes, and reporting any deviations from normal to RN or MD/DO. (f) 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. (g) 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. (h) 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. (i) 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. (j) 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: Strong knowledge of sterile procedures and processes in clinical settings. Experience administering Group 1 NIOSH medications in a clinic environment. Familiarity with: Voiding trails and bladder scans. Post-procedure care, including penile pump management and suture removals. Nephrostomy tube management and wound care. At least 2+ years of hands-on experience with Foley catheter exchanges, including both indwelling and suprapubic catheters. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
1. The LPN/LVN demonstrates and understanding in delivering holistic care through collaborative strategies with others in a team environment for patients within the assigned service. 2. Has knowledge of program regulations and is able to carry out objectives of the Nursing program. In doing this, follows the guidelines to meet and maintain program requirements. 3. Provides direct nursing care to patients in a variety of healthcare settings. 4. Completes and documents care provided. 5. Based on assigned area, performs nursing care to meet patient needs; learns appropriate policy and guidelines. 6. Recognizes the patient's autonomy and promotes independence by means of respect, limit setting and individualized treatment. 7. Complies with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pretreatment/cleaning Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) in applicable patient care setting. 8. Administers nursing care to patients, such as baths or showers, enemas, treatments, foley catheter exchange, bladder scan, void trails, and basic wound care, dressing changes, as assigned. 9. Takes and accurately records vital signs, height and weight and records in Electronic Health Record. 10. Prepares patient for diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures. 11. Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, I intramuscular, and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures. 12. Identifies, reports, and documents medication errors/discrepancies, reactions, and side effects immediately, according to policy and procedure. 13. The LPN/LVN observes for physical and/or emotional changes in patient's health condition, which may include prescribed medications/treatments, to promptly and accurately documenting identified changes, and reporting any deviations from normal to RN/HCP. 14. Uses appropriate therapeutic interventions for all patients. Recognizes and appropriately responds to patients who require nursing care, e.g. seriously ill, disturbed, confused, and/or wandering. 15. Monitors patients according to levels of observation, acuity, and assignment sheet. Uses observations for data collection, reporting and recording. 16. Promotes performance improvement initiatives, identifies problems, collects data, and supports change. 17. Identifies, reports, and documents all changes in patient's behavior or condition to the RN and appropriate collaborative treatment team members. 18. Communicates information in a calm, non-judgmental, and non-threatening manner. 19. Participates in structured activities (e.g. groups, orientation, and diversional activities), based on patient care needs. 20. Participates in the interdisciplinary treatment team meeting process. 21. Responsible for participating within unit based and/or organizational level Shared Governance councils, utilizing clinical expertise, evidence-based practice, and knowledge to assist with finding solutions to problems or issues to improve the quality care provided to veterans. 22. Must be able to float to all areas within Nursing Service as directed by Nursing leadership based on facility needs. 23. The LPN/LVN is responsible for entering work orders for malfunctioning equipment, and or safety needs within the unit. 24. The LPN addresses unsafe patient occurrence and enters near misses or incidents in Joint Patient Safety Reporting (JPSR) system. 25. The LPN is responsible for scrubbing/chart review of any preliminary diagnostic work up and or verify completion of pre-scheduled chest x-rays, EKG, and labs prior to clinic appointment. If diagnostic test have not been completed, the LPN will communicate with the RN and or Physician in advance to review and order. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) 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)Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0800-1630 Compressed/Flexible: This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized to highly qualified candidate Functional Statement #: 21885F