Practical Nurse- Surgical Clinics

Company: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location: Saint Louis
Posted on: June 13, 2021

Job Description:

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Summary

The VA St. Louis Health Care System is recruiting for a full time, LPN for Specialty Outpatient Service, Surgical Clinics Section.

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Responsibilities

The duties of the LPN include but are not limited to:

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Knowledge and ability to carry out patient care duties, including assignments in selected outpatient care settings. Technically proficient in performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations. Completed work should need only a general review by the Registered Nurse for appropriateness and conformity with established policy and procedures.

2. Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' condition; to use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments; and to accurately recognize, report and record relevant patient information. Complete procedures and diagnostic examinations including measuring and recording height and weight, monitoring vital signs, recording fluid intake and output, preparing and positioning patients, applying hot and cold packs, changing sterile dressings, administering EKG's, respiratory therapy, wound irrigations, oral and tracheal aspirations, cleaning tracheotomy tubes, changing tracheal dressings, monitoring IV fluids, administering tube feedings, minor surgical procedures, inserting straight or indwelling catheters, clamping and unclamping catheters as directed.

3. Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intra-muscular and/or intravenous) and other routes 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.

4. Obtains and labels specimens to include clean catch urine specimens or sterile specimens.

5. Ability to observe, identify and response to patient's needs for care including medication, equipment-assisted care and patient/family education. In planning, organizing and delivering care, the LPN recognizes and considers emotional, cultural, spiritual, socio-economic, and age-related factors.

6. Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations, seek assistance from the Registered Nurse and/or physician provider, and initiate appropriate emergency interventions. 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.

8. Knowledge and skill in performing support duties for complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized 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.

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.

Work Schedule: Rotating- Full Time

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

6

• Job family (Series)

0620 Practical Nurse

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

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:

1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

2. Must be a graduate of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State accrediting agency and/or the National League for Nursing at the time the program was completed by the applicant. No education exceptions will be applied.

3. Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d).

4. Must have a full, current, active and unrestricted license as a graduate licensed practical or vocational nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States or District of Columbia.

Grade Determinations:

• GS-03 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-04 Six (6) months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; OR Graduation from an approved school and one (1) 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. 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-05 Completion of at least one (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.
• GS-06 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. Technically proficient in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations.

References: VA Handbook 5005/3, Part II, Appendix G13. Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse Qualification Standard. 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: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear and distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required: mechanical lifts are provided. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolations situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Keywords: Department of Veterans Affairs, St. Louis , Practical Nurse- Surgical Clinics, Other , Saint Louis, Missouri