Job Title: Licensed Vocational Nurse (Pediatric Clinic, Food Allergy)

Company: Food Allergy Institute

Location: Long Beach, CA (Willow Location, Food Challenge Clinic)

Hours: Full Time; Non-Exempt; M-F 7:45AM-5PM

Pay Range: $30-32 per hour

Who Are We?

Founded in 2015, the Food Allergy Institute (FAI) is a cutting-edge research and clinical care center revolutionizing food allergy treatment among the pediatric population. Our Tolerance Induction Program™ is the first of its kind, bringing patients to the point where they can eat whatever they want, whenever they want, without having to worry about any kind of reaction. The success of FAI is built on years of development involving proprietary biomarkers, data analytics and modeling systems which allow unique patient specific therapy to be deployed in the clinic setting and at home safely.

Why FAI?

The Food Allergy Institute is home to many innovative thinkers, problem solvers, and passionate leaders. The work we do is truly life-changing for our patients and their families; each member of our team will experience how their role supports our mission! FAI provides a challenging and rewarding environment where employees’ talents are leveraged, ideas are encouraged and growth is always inspired.

FAI currently employs over 170 employees! Our diverse team includes roles such as: Physicians in the specialties of Pediatrics, Pulmonary, Allergy, Emergency Medicine, and Immunology, as well as Nurse Practitioners and Physicians Assistants, and a PhD level research team. In the food allergy world, the growth of FAI is unique in reflecting the effectiveness of its treatment approach and the supportive environment fostered by its team of professionals.

Who Are We Looking For?

We are looking for a dynamic, empathetic and flexible LVN to facilitate and expedite POD workflows to maintain maximum efficiency during our Food Challenge appointments. This will be done by assisting providers with feeding patients, discharge instructions and education. The POD Nurse should be aware of the status of each patient within their POD during food challenge appointments, i.e., new to the room, actively eating, ready to exercise, ready for discharge, and status of rooms (dirty/clean/empty/full).

Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• PTO Days
• Paid Holidays
• 401K Plan (matched)
• Professional Development
• Paid Training

Essential Functions:

• Arrive ahead of the first patient each day (7:45 unless other arrangements are made).Facilitate and or assist in prep of patient rooms.
• Collect and record patient vitals in the EMR.
• Communicate directly with family and answer appropriate questions.
• Exercise children after challenge, or coordinate with the MA team.
• Communicate directly with the provider.
• Promptly clean rooms and prep for the next patient.
• Clean and stock rooms for the next day.
• Request additional doses as needed.
• Prescription requests and refills as needed.
• Ensure accurate dosing in-clinic and take-home.
• Assist feeding patients during food challenges allowing providers to spend time with patients that are of higher risk, are non-compliant, or are having a reaction.
• The LVN should be able to step in and assist to free up the provider so that their other patients are kept on track and complete appointments in a timely manner.
• Provide patient education and assist the patient with inquiries within their knowledge base such as preparation of home treatment foods, tips for food fatigue, reinforcing TIP treatment protocols to ensure at home dosing safety, i.e., 60 min rest period, timing of ingestion of different foods (Whatever question is asked outside of their knowledge base should be directed to a provider and an attempt to answer the question should not be made if uncertain).
• Provide, review and confirm discharge instructions.
• The POD Nurse may need to provide coverage for a medical assistant in the case of multiple ill calls and therefore would be assigned to a provider and normal responsibilities listed above would not apply.
• All Visits:
  • Ensure rooms are clean, stocked, and ready to welcome each patient.
  • Verify patient charts with the Master Dosing List at least 24-hour prior to the visit.
  • Notify Clinic Manager and scheduling provider of any inconsistencies.
• Communication:
  • Communicate effectively to patients, families, visitors, and leadership.
  • Look for areas of opportunity and communicate these to leadership.
  • Communicate with areas that impact clinic operations (Food Lab, Diagnostic Lab, Data Team, etc.).
  • Communicate with the front office team room availability to ensure rooms are turned over promptly.
  • Communicate with all team members to enforce effective workflows and gaps/inefficiencies in workflows or when safety concerns are identified.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills and self-starter mentality.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment that requires strong multi-tasking skills.
• Strong communicator, decision-maker and strategic thinker.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-up, able to work in a team environment.
• Technical Knowledge:
  • Understand the patient lifecycle in totality and how the nursing staff support that mission.
  • PFT and ENO execution and reading.
  • Skin testing execution and reading.
  • Patch placement execution and reading.
  • Prescriptions, to include those requiring prior authorization.
  • Food dosing requests and receipt.
  • HIPAA certification and 100% application compliance.

Qualifications:

• Certified Licensed Vocational Nurse in the State of California.
• Applicable procedure training.
• 3-5 years of Licensed Vocational Nurse experience is required. 
• Experience in Pediatrics is preferred. 
• Current BLS certification.
• MS Office Suite.
• EMR experience.
• Customer service.
• Team mentality and positive working attitude.
• Must be able to lift at least 50lbs.

FAI provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. FAI is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified applicants, and employees with disabilities to ensure they enjoy equal access to all employment opportunities and benefits of employment as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.