License Practical Nurse

Mountain View Hospital

Job Description

Position Title:             Staff Licensed Practical Nurse

Department:              Child & Adolescent Acute Care Unit, Adult Acute Care Unit, Residential Unit,

Supervised By:          Center Director / House Supervisor

Summary of Responsibilities:  The Staff Nurse is a Licensed Practical Nurse who provides nursing care to child, adolescent, adult, geriatric, and long-term care patients utilizing the nursing process. The Staff Nurse is directly responsible to the RN Supervisor (or the RN in the absence of the Supervisor) for quality patient care given to patients of the unit.

Reporting Responsibilities: Supervised by the RN Charge Nurse, Department/Center Director.  

Supervisory Responsibility, if applicable: Psychiatric Technician and Mental Health Associates

Special qualifications: 

• Graduation from an accredited school of nursing. A diploma graduate and an associate degree in nursing acceptable.
• Current status as a LPN in the State of Alabama. Demonstrates knowledge of normal growth and development of the population served.  

Physical Requirements: 

Due to safety concerns candidates must be able to perform these pre-requisite physical tasks:

Heavy lifting up to (70) pounds, pulling and reaching above shoulder, ability to process and respond to written and verbal instruction and perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

Duties and responsibilities:               

• Dailey documentation reflects nursing process: Nursing assessment, Nursing intervention (reflection back to MTP) and evaluation of interventions (i.e. patient’s response to intervention, progress toward goal). Documents nursing intervention and patient responses to progress notes.
• Utilizes the nursing process in planning, providing, and evaluating each patients care and produces a written nursing assessment.
• Utilizes information from the Nursing Assessment to identify patient problems and identifies appropriate nursing interventions.
• Coordinates completion of master Treatment Plan with others.
• Assists in developing measurable goals on the master Treatment Plan that are Mutually set with the treatment team and patient.
• Modifies nursing component of the Master Treatment Plan as required by changing patient needs as determined by evaluation of care administered and established standards of care.
• Provides a safe, therapeutic environment that protects patients’ rights.
• Provides general nursing care as required.
• Develops a therapeutic relationship with assigned patients.
• Sets limits on patients’ behavior according to program guidelines.
• Encourages independent behavior in patients.
• Serves as a role model for patients and co-workers.
• Establishes contact with the patients’ physician and therapist in order to assist in planning the patients care
• Assist patients’ physical needs.
• LPN must be credentialed to direct physical management of the patient and have current CPR certification.
• Responds appropriately to crisis situations.
• Therapeutically intervenes to decrease panic in disturbed patients.
• Assists in the application of restraints or imposes seclusion in emergency situation, following P&P’s, notifying the patient’s physician for orders within one hour.
• Admits, discharges and transfers patients based on physician orders and per P&P’s under the review of an RN.
• Ensures that patents and families are oriented to the hospital, the unit and to the program.
• Makes discharge plans for each patient in collaboration with the treatment team.
• Collaborates with members of other disciplines.
• Carries out and documents patient / family education and discharge planning per policies and procedures.
• Assists with procedures and physical exams.
• Safely prepares, administers, and monitors results of medications.
• Observes patient behavior for changes in order to intervene therapeutically, guide nonprofessional nursing staff and record changes.
• Interviews patients and family on admission and produces a written nursing assessment and Master Treatment Plan.  
• Assists patient with ADLS completes patient rounds, observes precautions and documents.
• Collects specimens, completes vital signs, obtains height and weight per physician order.
• Supervises nonprofessional staff in, providing quality nursing care.
• Reviews medical records, checks physician orders and records these orders.
• Participates in the development, interpretation, and implementation of the Department’s philosophy, objectives, standards, policies, procedures.
• Incorporates cost containment into nursing plans and their implementation.
• Participates in staff development.
• Attends unit staff meetings.
• Participates in committee activities as required by Director.
• Demonstrates awareness and follows program policies to include contraband and sharps, search policy,
• and understands significance of enforcing these policies to promote a safe, drug free environment.
• Assumes responsibility for personal continuing education and development needs. Provides Director / Assistant director with evidence of attendance to at least 6-8 educational opportunities a year.
• Consistently demonstrates competence in day-to-day scheduling of duties by completing task on time with little assistance form others as required.
• Observes hospital policy concerning smoking regulations, telephone usage, and other related rules governing conduct at work.
• Attends all mandatory employee in services as scheduled.
• Exhibits a positive attitude when dealing with others in day-to-day work situations.
• Abides by the personnel policies and procedures of the Hospital and assures that those under supervision do also.
• Recognizes and preforms duties which need to be preformed although no directly assigned; regularly helps co-workers.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.
• Demonstrates competency in growth and development of the child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patient as well as behavioral and chemical dependency issues throughout the life span.
• Assesses family functioning and educational needs.
• Safely prepares, administers, and monitors results of medication used for all life span patients.
• Demonstrates competency in medication education and administration for all age ranges.