Licensed Practical Nurse - Primary Care

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Town of Cortlandt (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The VA Hudson Valley Health Care System is hiring a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Montrose Campus to promote high‑quality patient care and exceptional customer service for Veterans.

Applicants pending licensure or certification may be referred and tentatively selected, but all requirements must be met prior to hire. The position emphasizes nursing care, teamwork with RNs/MDs, and adherence to safety standards.

Qualifications

• US citizenship is required for direct patient care positions.
• English language proficiency in spoken and written English is required.
• Graduate of an approved practical/vocational nursing program or equivalent.
• Full, active, current, unrestricted LPN/LVN licensure in the United States or DC.

Responsibilities

• Provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with varying needs.
• Collaborate with RNs and MD/DO staff to orient/train less experienced staff.
• Administer prescribed medications and document patient responses.
• Recognize emergencies and initiate appropriate interventions as directed.
• Maintain patient privacy, dignity, and safety while delivering care.
• Assist in precepting and training other nursing staff.

Skills

Customer service

Nursing care

Emergency response

English proficiency

Education

LPN/LVN education

Job description

The VA Hudson Valley Health Care System is hiring an Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) at its Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Montrose) Campus. This role performs assigned duties to promote quality health care, positive customer service, and an environment committed to serving the Veteran, supporting a patient focused care model with consistent, high quality service delivery.

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 spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• 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. Exception 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 will be accepted as meeting the education requirements OR granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school.
• Licensure: 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.

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).

In addition to the basic requirements, 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.

GS-04 -

Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN OR Graduation from an approved school (which may be waived) 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-05 -

Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent AND;

• 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 cardiac and/or pulmonary arrest.
• 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-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 AND;

• Technically proficient 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; 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.
• 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, 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 Experience:

2-3 years of experience in outpatient clinic, medical-surgical, home-based, or community-based clinic settings.

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-6. 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:

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.