Licensed Practical Nurse

General Expectations

The Licensed Practical Nurse is expected to demonstrate accountability, clinical competence, effective communication, and a commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare services. The LPN will work collaboratively with residential and clinical teams to ensure persons served receive timely, coordinated, and person-centered care in accordance with organizational policies and applicable healthcare regulations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Demonstrates the ability to effectively interact with and provide compassionate, person-centered nursing care to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), mental health diagnoses, and other healthcare needs.

2. Assists in assessing, planning, implementing, and evaluating the healthcare needs of persons served, ensuring appropriate interventions and follow-up care are provided within the LPN scope of practice.

3. Provides health education and guidance to persons served, families, and staff regarding medical conditions, medication management, preventive healthcare, and overall wellness.

4. Administers medications and treatments in accordance with physician or authorized provider orders, organizational policies, applicable nursing standards, and state regulations.

5. Participates in medication distribution, medication administration record (MAR) reviews, and medication reconciliation to ensure accuracy, compliance, and continuity of care.

6. Ensures psychotropic medications have the required informed consent and approvals through Support Solutions Incident Management (IM) processes, as applicable, prior to administration.

7. Obtains and documents vital signs, medical histories, current medications, patient complaints, and health concerns in preparation for appointments with healthcare providers.

8. Supports Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners and other healthcare providers during patient visits, including preparing patients for appointments, coordinating care, and completing assigned clinical tasks under appropriate supervision.

9. Performs nursing procedures within the LPN scope of practice, including administering injections, vaccinations, medications, and appropriate diagnostic testing as ordered and authorized.

10. Provides telephone support to patients under the direction of the Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner or supervising RN, including responding to clinical concerns, communicating provider instructions, and coordinating follow-up care.

11. Assists with answering incoming telephone calls and ensures patient messages are addressed or appropriately routed within 24–48 hours, or sooner when clinically necessary.

12. Schedules, coordinates, confirms, and tracks all medical, psychiatric, and therapy appointments, including referrals, follow-up visits, and specialty consultations.

13. Maintains accurate medical and therapy appointment grids and ensures all appointments, outcomes, and follow-up requirements are documented in the electronic health record or other approved documentation system.

14. Communicates appointment information, transportation needs, and follow-up instructions to persons served, residential staff, families, guardians, and other authorized members of the care team.

15. Receives, reviews, uploads, and maintains medical consultation forms, provider orders, and related healthcare documentation in Therap or other designated electronic record systems.

16. Maintains complete, accurate, timely, and confidential nursing documentation, including progress notes, medication administration records, vital signs, medical consultations, and changes in health status.

17. Communicates regularly with the supervising Registered Nurse (RN), Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, and other healthcare providers regarding changes in persons served physical, behavioral, and mental health conditions.

18. Identifies changes in health status, reports significant findings through appropriate communication channels, and assists in coordinating timely medical interventions.

19. Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings, care conferences, transition meetings, and treatment planning discussions, including Individual Support Plans (ISPs), Person-Centered Support Plans (PCSPs), and other applicable service planning processes.

20. Collaborates with residential staff, clinical providers, case managers, behavioral health professionals, and other team members to promote coordinated, individualized care and continuity of services.

21. Participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of individualized treatment plans and healthcare interventions based on the needs of persons served.

22. Responds appropriately to medical and behavioral health emergencies, provides emergency nursing interventions within the LPN scope of practice, and maintains current CPR certification.

23. Performs increasingly complex nursing procedures and responsibilities as competency, training, authorization, and demonstrated clinical skills permit within the LPN scope of practice.

24. Maintains compliance with federal and state healthcare regulations, organizational policies, nursing practice standards, confidentiality requirements, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

25. Demonstrates professionalism, effective communication, sound judgment, and positive working relationships with persons served, families, coworkers, supervisors, and external healthcare providers.

26. Promotes a safe, supportive, respectful, and therapeutic environment while ensuring the dignity, rights, and well-being of all persons served.

27. Assists with monitoring healthcare documentation, medication compliance, appointment completion, and other quality assurance activities to support organizational standards and regulatory compliance.

28. Performs other duties as assigned by the supervising RN, clinical leadership, or designated supervisor, consistent with licensure and organizational requirements.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Current Tennessee Nursing license, education transcript and proof of degree/diploma and two years of LPN work experience. Preference shall be given to employee with one year of clinical practice experience in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities but shall not limit SS from selecting an employee with demonstrated experience in a non-mental health environment. Must meet state and local requirements regarding criminal background check, sexual offender check, abuse registry, drug and felony offender listings. Must meet all training requirements and keep training current.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Effective verbal and written communication skills
• Effective organizational skills, able to complete heavy workloads within established time frames, and perform with frequent interruptions and/or distractions
• Effective interpersonal skills, able to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others, ability to interact appropriately with others in various contexts and purposes
• Must be able to practice confidentiality in all matters pertaining to clients and employees
• Has effective time management in the office and in the field and adjust priorities quickly as circumstances dictate
• Can perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another, in a job that may require significant differences in technology, techniques, environmental factors, physical demands, or work situations.
• A working knowledge of community resources
• Keeps a professional appearance
• Able to follow instructions and work independently
• Have a thorough knowledge of computer software programs needed to complete job tasks
• Have a general knowledge of office machines. (Fax, Printers, Copiers, etc.)
• Understands protocol when working with individuals with developmental disabilities.
• Thorough knowledge of rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Possess a high degree of leadership and a lead by example mindset, make appropriate job decisions following standard office policies and procedures, recognize an emergency situation and take appropriate action, think through the consequences of a decision prior to making it.

MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Employee must also provide any medical records required to comply with regulations in force through any governing entity related to business operations and to meet policy and procedure requirements of Support Solutions, such as TB Skin tests, HEP B vaccinations, Flu vaccinations, etc.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. This position is full time and may require additional hours over 40 per week. She/he is expected to be available outside of normal office hours for necessary and urgent company matters.

Body Positioning: The employee is regularly required to stand and/or walk for prolonged periods of time. She/he may also be required to sit for short or long periods of time while completing other duties and responsibilities. There is also a requirement to be able to occasionally stoop, kneel, or crouch and to reach with the hands and arms. She/he must be able to drive/travel for short periods of time to attend meetings, trainings, or perform site visits or for longer trips that will require overnight stays to attend meetings and training workshops.

Body Movements: The employee must have a full range of body movements including the use of his/her hands, feet, and limbs to perform CPR compressions, abdominal thrusts, or CPI techniques if needed and to handle computers and other office equipment. The ability to bend the body, to reach for objects, and to crouch when needed are also required.

Body Senses: The employee must have command of all five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distant vision, and depth perception. These vision requirements in each area must be sufficient to shift in focus from reading dossiers and operating office equipment. There is also a requirement to talk and listen for prolonged periods both on the telephone and face to face.

Strength: The employee must have the ability to perform heavy lifting over 50 lbs. to assist total care supported individuals with transferring from or to wheelchair, turning/repositioning a total care person in bed, etc.

LICENSES/CERTIFICATES:

• Valid Tennessee LPN license
• Valid CPR/First Aid certification
• Valid Driver License
• Valid automobile insurance if using personal auto; otherwise company furnishes insurance for corporate vehicles