Licensed Practical Nurse (Acute Care-Vascular Access and Transport)

Summary

The Licensed Practical Nurse position is in Acute Care at the VA Boston Healthcare System located at the West Roxbury, MA location. This position is full time at 40 hours per week.

Duties

The Licensed Practical Nurse performs direct patient care and participates in activities that support safety on the unit and enable the program to meet its general requirements. The Vascular Access Team LPN supports routine peripheral IV insertion, line maintenance, patient education, and high-volume phlebotomy across inpatient units. This role works closely with RNs and interdisciplinary teams to ensure safe and efficient vascular access care. Duties include, but are not limited to: Complete assigned duties/responsibilities, which involve performing standard practical nursing activities. Demonstrate knowledge/skills to resolve a range of nursing problems. Recognize human behavior, motivations, and reactions to situations in the provision of nursing care, provide a safe environment and protect patients' rights, and recognize and respond appropriately to emergency situations. Review reports of a patient's condition and other pertinent data, using judgment in selecting the most appropriate application of procedures and guidelines. Determine when changes in the patients' conditions are significant enough to notify the immediate supervisor for assistance in decision making and/or determining nursing care. Make recommendations for changes in the treatment plan based upon observations, analysis of patients' condition and response to the current plans. Provides assistance with physical care of patients by observing, identifying, and responding to specific patient needs. Prepares patients for off/on unit diagnostic procedures and administers more complex treatments under the close supervision of RN/LPN/MD or other licensed staff. Serves as an active member of the interdisciplinary team and contributes to the development of nursing care plans. Observes, reports, and documents the patients' conditions and changes noted. Conducts an assessment of medication independence prior to admission to and at the time of admission and collects information on other health-related behaviors as part of the admission process and throughout the admission and helps to prepare the patient for discharge. Insert peripheral IVs, access implanted ports, IO insertion, ultrasound guided IV insertion, Daily VAT rounds/line maintenance including dressing changes and flushing & documentation. High-volume phlebotomy. Assist with supply preparation. Provide basic patient education on IV care. Work Schedule: Full Time - Days with rotation to weekends, Holidays evenings and nights. Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized, 8 or 10 hour shifts, can be discussed upon hire. Telework: Not authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation Incentive: May be authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Functional Statement# F05598, F05599, F05600, F5601 Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is in an AFGE Bargaining unit. This position is covered by a special rate. Occasional cross coverage may be required to the Brockton VA campus (Vascular Access Team). Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. No award SF50's will be accepted. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.

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. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. 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. Exceptions include: Health care education in the military service or training in the military service which is accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which the individual is licensed as qualifying for full LPN/LVN licensure will be accepted as meeting the education requirements for VHA employment. OR Individual granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school, AND have at least one year of successful practice as an LPN/ LVN. Licensure - Active, full, current and unrestricted licensure as a Graduate Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), of the United States or the District of Columbia. 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 - 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 - Six 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; OR Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration. GS-5 - Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent. 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. 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. 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. 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 cardi