Summary

You will serve as the Licensed Practical Nurse with the VA Puget Sound Healthcare System located in Seattle - Washington.

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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency: Licensed practical or vocational nurses appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - and 7407(d)
• Licensure: Must possess a 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
• EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPTS WITH CONFER DATE REQUIRED): Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) formerly known as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) - at the time the program was completed
• Exceptions include: Health care education obtained in the military service or training in the military service which was accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which you are licensed
• Current GS-0620 LPN/LVN employee of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160 - enacted November 21 - 1983 - or who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576 - enacted October 28 - 1986
• Granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school
• GS-7 Level: At least one year of qualifying experience equivalent to the GS-6 level that has provided you with the following but not limited to: Knowledge and skills necessary to care out more specialized patient care duties - including assignments in more complex inpatient and/or outpatient care settings
• Ability to assist RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately prioritize overall patient care needs and adjust plans for care delivery making astute observations of subtle - less obvious changes (both physical and emotional) in patient's conditions and taking the appropriate action
• Ability to proactively assist the RN or MD/OD in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments - accurately administering prescribed medications/treatments and appropriately recording patient's response to medications/treatments received
• Knowledge and skill to promptly recognize potential urgent or emergent patient care situations
• Assists individuals or groups of patients and their families to take an active role in promoting health lifestyles for more positive outcomes
• Exercises skill in influencing and communicating with unusually difficult to care for or communicate with patients and/or family members who may exhibit problems with lack of self-control - resistant or abusive behaviors - or impediments in their ability to understand or follow instructions
• Exhibits skill - creativity - and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and/or family satisfaction levels
• Possesses comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practices to serve as a resource person for other staff in organizing and implementing more complex/specialized patient care
• Supports the RN or MD/DO in monitoring the practice of unlicensed nursing or non-medical staff in patient care delivery
• Work of considerable difficulty and responsibility is performed under general supervision
• Individuals in these positions are - to a considerable extent - expected to exercise independent technical judgments and to possess and apply a comprehensive working knowledge of the principles - art and science of practical nursing
• The staff mix is such that employees at this grade level are expected to perform practical nursing duties of considerable difficulty and responsibility under very general supervision
• Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills - and providing leadership in assisting other staff improve and advance their nursing practice
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Duties

• Provide nursing expertise in preventative screening - managing clinic flow - and data collection
• Perform simple diagnostic procedures such as bladder scanning - EKGS - prepare patients for dermatologic biopsies
• Assist with minor procedures as needed depending on specialty
• Accept delegation within scope of practice for tasks related to care coordination - procedures - and treatments
• Demonstrate understanding of age - and population - specific characteristics that affect the health care needs of the veteran
• Collect patient data including observations of patient status (i.e
• vital signs - oxygen saturation - medication reconciliation - etc.)
• Administer vaccines - and specialty injections as needed
• Recognize subtle and significant changes in the patient in response to nursing care and communicating changes in condition/response to team
• Recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations - effectively intervene - and seek Registered Nurse (RN)/provider assistance for those requiring higher-level intervention
• Provide care to patients/clients appropriate to their cognitive - physical - emotional and chronological maturation
• Maintain appropriate boundaries in the nurse/ Veteran relationship by not obtaining personal gain at Veterans' expense and refrain from appropriate involvement in the Veterans' personal relationships
• Comply to external reviewer standards - policies - procedures - standards of care - standards of practice - patient centered care guidelines - and cultural transformation
• Document and retrieve patient/clinical information using electronic medical records
• Observe patient for adverse effects from medication and reports to the team Registered Nurse (RN)
• Provide effective education to patients and/or family members in relation to common disease processes - medications - and/or prescribed diagnostic and/or treatment regimes - as directed
• Adhere to standards of practice and safe technique in preparation and administration of medicine - documents administration in EHRM and observing patients for adverse effects from medication and reporting to team RN
• Perform other duties as assigned
• VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse: https://youtube.com/embed/Ae85IP1Oiz4 Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM PDT
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• 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) Telework: This is not a telework position
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
• Physical Requirements: This position includes a level of physicality normally associated with duties performed by nurses such as direct patient care - and potentially long periods of walking - standing - sitting - moderate lifting - repeated bending - or kneeling
• Work Conditions: A Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) works in a primary care Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) setting primarily works in an outpatient - office clinic environment - caring for a range of veterans by performing direct patient care - medication administration - and clinical support for providers
• The environment is typically well-lit and ventilated but can be stressful - requiring multitasking and the ability to handle several tasks at once.