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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Licensed Practical Nurse Near Washington, DC

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Physical Requirements. Please see physical requirements in additional information section.
• English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in both spoken and written English.

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:

GS-3: None beyond the basic requirements.

Assignment: 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.

GS-4: Employees may be appointed at or advanced to GS-4, if they meet any of the criteria below:

a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; OR
b) 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
c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

Assignments: 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.

GS-5:

a) Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent.

And

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/L VNs 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 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.

And

(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 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 Qualifications:

Long Term Care: One year of rehab/LTC experience preferred.
Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT): One year of PACT experience preferred.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G13 dated: 4/10/2003.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.

Responsibilities:

The LPN provides direct care to a patient which does not require full professional nurse education, but require skills which have been issued by the licensing authority.

The LPN provides care to patients which includes but is not limited to:
- Administration of medications.
-Ability to perform under limited supervision basic nursing care duties such as taking vital signs, taking samples, and passing instruments.
- Ability to initiate an emergency response appropriate to the situation and provides resuscitation efforts independently.
- Ability to gather and report under limited supervision patient information for nurses and the patient care plan.
- Ability to change patient dressings under limited supervision.
- Ability to provide for activities of daily living (e.g. bathing, oral care, continence care, etc.) under limited supervision.
- Ability to perform some interventions under limited supervision such as catheterization, injections, and suction.
- Ability to provide instructions to patients on health systems improvement and how to prevent illnesses and disease (e.g. deep breathing for a post-operative patient, reduction of carbohydrate consumption for a diabetic patient).
-Ability to participate in basic patient and family education sessions.
-Knowledge of surgical equipment, instruments and supplies and skill sufficient to set up surgical materials and position and drape patients for surgery ranging from hernia to extensive genitourinary surgery.
-Knowledge of and skill sufficient in surgical procedures and terminology and manual dexterity to pass instruments to a surgeon.
- Ability to communicate verbally and in writing to adequately convey the current clinical status of any patient effectively and promptly.
- Knowledge of environmental safety, security and privacy of the patient and privileged information to ensure patient's safety and rights.
-Cleaning and maintaining all equipment in use in his/her area.- Cleans and disinfects the reusable equipment after patient use and inspects the equipment for needed repair.
- Repair or dysfunction of the equipment be identified, the LPN will follow the identified procedures in the Medical Center for repair and/or replacement of the equipment.
- All other duties as assigned, pertaining to this occupation, to meet the needs of the Agency, Department, Facility, and/or Service.


Work Schedule: Various Work Schedules, and tour of duties available.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized, but not guaranteed.
EDRP Authorized (Long Term Care only): Contact VISN5EDRPWashingtonDC@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Job Summary