Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Muskogee (OK); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System is recruiting for one Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN). Applicants may be referred while licensure is pending, but may not be hired until all requirements are met. The role requires U.S.

citizenship eligibility and English proficiency for direct patient care, with licensure in the United States or DC. The Education path includes approved practical nursing programs or military nursing education, with several alternative routes for licensure depending on

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship or VA eligibility for appointment.
• Proficiency in English for direct patient care per VA policy.
• Current, full, active LPN/LVN license in U.S. or DC.

Skills

LPN/LVN

Nursing care

Patient safety

Education

Graduate of approved practical nursing program

Military nursing education accepted

Current VHA LPN/LVN employee (GS conversion)

License without approved school graduation

Pending graduation from approved program

Job description

The Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System, Nursing Specialty service line is recruiting for one (1) Licensed Practical Nurse. 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:

To qualify you must meet one of the below education requirements:

• Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) formerly known as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), at the time the program was completed.

OR

• Health care education obtained in the military service or training in the military service which was accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which you are licensed.

OR

• Current GS-0620 LPN/LVN employee of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, or who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986. *

OR

• Granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school.

OR

• Pending graduation from an approved, accredited school of practical or vocational nursing.

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.

Grade Determinations

To qualify for this position you must meet the basic requirements AND one of the following for grade specific required applicable to the grade you are considering.

GS 4 LPN / LVN

• At least 6 months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN. At this level LPN/LVNs are expected to exercise greater judgment, require less supervision, and to operate in accordance with all established policies, procedure, and techniques.

OR

• Graduate of an approved school AND 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

• Graduate from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

GS- 5 LPN / LVN

• 1 year of qualifying experience equivalent to the GS-4 level under the general supervision of an RN or MD/DO.

AND

• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs
  • 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.
  • Demonstrated knowledge and 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 and 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. This includes observing and documenting patient responses to medication and reporting noted changes in the 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.
  • Recognize and appropriately respond 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.

GS-6 LPN / LVN

• Experience:
  • 1 year of qualifying experience equivalent to the GS-5 level that has provided you with the following?

AND

Individuals at this grade level are expected to meet all performance requirements for the previous GS level.

• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs
  • 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, 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.
  • 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, seeking assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO, and initiating appropriate emergency interventions as directed.
  • Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations.
  • 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 Experience:

Procedural and Urology Experience is preferred.

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 3 to 6.