OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise - "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans? A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive is not approved. Current, Permanent VA Employee's apply under announcement DN-11565875-22-JS. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements with in 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Must be a Citizen of the United States. Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Education: Must be a 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: 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. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED) Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-3 Level: None beyond the basic requirements. 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 Level: Must have completed six (6) months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN OR 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) 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 Level: Must have completed at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent that includes: 1. 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/LVNs 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. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies, promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action. 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 Level: Must have 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 that includes: 1.Technically proficient in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. 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. 9. Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practice. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/3, PART II, APPENDIX G13. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. 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. Physical Requirements: Requires potentially long periods of continues walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patient and objects may be required. ["The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Telehealth Clinical Technician (TCT), serves in a generalist role to support Telehealth clinical programs from the patient location. The LPN provides a wide range of clinical and technical services to the veteran that demonstrates complex technical judgment under general supervision of a registered nurse or MD. The complexity of duties includes serving as the site imager for Telehealth store and forward applications, facilitator for real time Clinical Video Telehealth encounters, including patient education activities, Primary Care as well as specialty care remote visits, and providing equipment for the Home Telehealth program. Additionally, the TCT provides technical and scheduling support, and other program support duties, as assigned. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Documents patient physical and emotional complaints/conditions accurately and in a timely manner. Performs health history screenings per pre-formatted documentation, e.g. ambulatory care 10-10, prevention notes, and clinical reminders. Performs patient education and documentation for prevention, healthier lifestyle, functionality, and disease management factors. Distinguishes between normal changes that accompany the aging process vs. pathological changes. Delivers patient care in a timely manner and according to approved policies and procedures. Recognizes and intervenes appropriately for urgent and emergency patient needs. Demonstrates ongoing improvement as an experienced LPN in recognizing, assessing, and intervening in both acute and chronic medical conditions, and minor surgical. Functions as a primary care team member, conferring with an RN on issues/procedures outside scope of practice and competency. Participates in Quality Improvement and System Redesign activities. Cover leave and call-ins for co-workers. Will Float to other CBOC locations. Preferred Experience: PACT experience and 2-3 years LPN Experience Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
