Licensed Practical Nurse- Ambulatory Care (PACT)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is aligned under Ambulatory Care Services and will be assigned to various Primary Acute Care Teams (PACT) and/or Sub‑Specialty Clinics. The official duty station is at the VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Applicants may be referred provisionally if credentials are pending; full selection requires all requirements to be met. The position involves inpatient/outpatient nursing care and requires proficiency in English.

Qualifications

• Must be a graduate of an approved school of practical or vocational nursing.
• Active, full, current, and unrestricted LPN/LVN licensure in the U.S. or DC.
• English language proficiency required for patient-care duties.

Responsibilities

• Provide a full range of practical nursing care to diverse patient populations.
• Administer medications and document actions accurately.
• Recognize and respond to urgent or emergent patient care situations; assist in resuscitation as needed.

Skills

Nursing care

Medication administration

Emergency interventions

Team collaboration

Education

LPN/LVN licensure education

Tools

EMR

Job description

The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is aligned under Ambulatory Care Services and will be assigned to various Primary Acute Care Teams (PACT) and/or Sub‑Specialty Clinics. The official duty station for this position is at the Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

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), 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 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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

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-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

(a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; or(b) Graduation from an approved school (which may be waived as provided in paragraph 4 of Section C) 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 (c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

GS-05

• Knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems.
• Ability to serve as a responsible member of a nursing team and interact in an appropriate manner with patients, family members, professional and/or other support personnel involved in the delivery of patient care.
• Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous medications. This includes observing and documenting patient responses to medication and reporting noted changes in the patient's condition.
• Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardia and/or pulmonary arrest.
• Recognize and appropriately respond to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies.

GS-06

• Proficiency in initiating, performing, and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations.
• Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions, using judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments, and accurately recognizing, reporting, and recording relevant patient information
• Ability to observe, identify, and respond to a 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, socio‑economic, and age‑related factors.
• Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures. Observes for, documents, and reports physical and/or emotional changes in the patient's condition from prescribed medications/treatments.
• Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations and initiating appropriate emergency interventions as directed.
• Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations and the ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients, family members and other staff.
• Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to elicit feelings and attitudes, 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 customer service standards in all interactions with patients, family members, and/or other internal/external customers.
• Knowledge and skill in performing support duties for complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized practices or procedures, which includes preparing the patient and 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.
• Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practice.

Preferred Experiences

Minimum 1-2 year current Primary Care (PACT) experience; Clinical experience in caring for patients in Ambulatory Care; Ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary team; and Ability to document using electronic medical record.

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06.

Physical Requirements:

This position requires significant physical activity, including standing, walking, stooping, bending, reaching, lifting, and turning. Duties involve restraining, repositioning, and transferring patients, using mechanical devices for heavy or difficult lifts, and transporting patients to other areas. The work may require lifting over 50 pounds and climbing stairs. Exposure to infected patients and contaminated materials is possible, necessitating protective clothing in certain situations. Essential skills include visual acuity, good hearing, clear speech, manual dexterity, and the ability to work with arms above shoulder level and control physical situations.