LPN HOME HEALTH

Independence Health System; Greensburg (Westmoreland County); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Independence Health System seeks a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for hospice and home care support in Greensburg, PA. This role requires valid LPN licensure, leadership, and effective communication with diverse patients and teams.

Responsibilities include ensuring quality care, adhering to infection control, charting, and supporting end-of-life care planning while traveling between system locations as needed.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an accredited school of Practical Nursing.
• Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
• Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.

Responsibilities

• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, review professional publications, establish personal networks, and participate in professional societies.
• Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
• Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
• Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients, and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
• Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Organizational skills

Critical thinking

Legal aspects

Education

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Job description

• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending education workshops, review professional publications, establish personal networks, and participate in professional societies.
• Assure quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards, measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards, making or recommending necessary adjustments, and following system/hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
• Protect patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
• Document patient care services by charting in patient and department records.
• Maintain continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs using Nurse Knowledge Exchange techniques.
• Maintain patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
• Identify patient care requirements by establishing personal rapport with potential and actual patients, and other persons in a position to understand care requirements.
• Establish a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
• Promote patient's independence by establishing patient care goals, teaching patient/family to understand condition, medications, and self-care skills, and answering questions.
• Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
• Resolve patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
• Maintain a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information, responding to requests, building rapport, and participating in team continuous quality improvement and problem-solving methods.
• Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
• Ensure operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements by following manufacturer's instructions, troubleshooting malfunctions, calling for repairs, maintaining equipment inventories, and evaluating new equipment and techniques.
• Maintain nursing supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level, anticipating needed supplies, placing and expediting orders for supplies, verifying receipt of supplies, and using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results.
• Cognitive ability to function and concentrate on the essential and specialty functions of the job at a high level.
• Achieves thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing an essential or specialty function of the job.
• Ability to think and concentrate for an entire shift.
• Hospice LPN will maintain and demonstrate an understanding of the Hospice benefit and comply with regulatory conditions of participation.
• Hospice LPN will function as a support nurse and core member of the Interdisciplinary Group.
• Hospice LPN will assist with the development of the plan of care that addresses the physical, psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual needs of the terminally ill patient and their family.
• Hospice LPN will follow established guidelines for pain and symptom management to enhance quality of life.
• Hospice LPN will educate patients/families regarding the care needs at the end-of-life, including palliative care measures.
• Hospice LPN will under the direction of the RN, provide Continuous care services when appropriate.
• Home Care LPN will maintain and demonstrate an understanding of Home Care requirements including homebound status of the patient.
• Home Care LPN will report status of all patients to the primary RN Case Manager.
• Home Care LPN will utilize sound problem solving techniques when confronted with unusual and unexpected situations.
• Other duties as assigned.

Competency and Experience [Knowledge, Skills and Abilities]

Required Qualifications/Experience

• Graduate of an accredited school of Practical Nursing.
• Strong leadership ability, good organizational skills, independent and critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and knowledge of legal aspects and liability of nursing practice.
• Strong ability to communicate complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience.

Preferred Qualifications/Experience

• Home Care/Hospice experience preferred one (1) year experience.
• Experience in Healthcare setting.

License, Certification & Clearances

• Current licensure to practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania required.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) approved curriculum of the American Heart Association (CPR and AED) program required.
• Act 33 with renewal
• Act 34 with renewal
• Act 73 FBI Clearance
• Valid Driver’s License (if out of state hire, the record report from applicable state driver’s license department is required)

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Incumbent will be scheduled based on operational need (rotate shifts, standby, on-call, etc.).
• Travel may be expected locally between System locations.

Independence Health and its affiliated companies are Equal Opportunity Employers. It is their policy to prohibit discrimination of any type and to afford equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or genetic information, or any other classification protected by law. Independence Health and its affiliated companies will comply with all applicable laws and regulations.

Disclaimer

This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Moreover, duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Effective March 2020 or during pandemic: goggles, face shield and mask are required according to CDC guidelines

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.

Essential – Absolute Necessity.

Marginal – Minimal Necessity.

Constantly – 5.5 to 8 hours or more or 200 reps/shift.

Frequently – 2.5 to 5.5 hours or more or 32-200 reps/shift.

Occasionally – 0.25 to 2.5 hours or 2-32 reps/shift.

Rarely – Less than 0.25 hours or less than 2 reps/shift.

Physical Condition

Marginal

Constantly

Frequently

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

Extreme Heat

X

Extreme Cold

X

Heights

X

Confined Spaces

X

X

Mechanical Hazards

X

Use of Vibrating Tools

X

Operates Vehicle (company)

X

X

Use of Lifting/Transfer Devices

X

X

Rotates All Shifts

X

X

X

X

X

X

On-Call

X

X

Overtime(+8/hrs/shift; 40/hr/wk)

X

X

X

X

X

Respirator Protective Equipment

X

X

Eye Protection

X

X

X

Hearing Protection

X

Hand Protection

X

X

Feet, Toe Protection

X

Body Protection

X

X

Latex Exposure

X

X

Solvent Exposure

X

Paint (direct use) Exposure

X

Dust (sanding) Exposure

X

X

Cytotoxic (Chemo) Exposure

X

X

X

X

X

Mist Exposure

X

X

X

X

Laser Exposure

X

Physical Demands

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.

Essential – Absolute Necessity.

Marginal – Minimal Necessity.

Constantly – 5.5 to 8 hours or more or 200 reps/shift.

Frequently – 2.5 to 5.5 hours or more or 32-200 reps/shift.

Occasionally – 0.25 to 2.5 hours or 2-32 reps/shift.

Rarely – Less than 0.25 hours or less than 2 reps/shift.

Physical Condition

Marginal

Constantly

Frequently

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

X

X

X

X

Walking

X

X

X

X

Climbing Ladders

X

Standing

X

X

Kneeling

X

X

Squatting (Crouching)

X

X

Twisting/Turning

X

X

Keyboard/Computer Operation

X

X

Gross Grasp

X

X

X

X

Hand/Arm Coordination

X

X

Pushing/Pulling(lbs. of force)

X

10#

50#

Carry

X

25#

Transfer/Push/Pull Patients

X

X

Seeing Near w/Acuity

X

X

Feeling (Sensation)

X

X

X

X

Hearing Clearly

X

X

Pulling/Pushing Objects Overhead

X

X

Reaching Above Shoulder Level

X

X

Reaching Forward

X

X

Lifting Floor to Knuckle

X

10#

Lifting Seat Pan to Knuckle

X

50#

Lifting Knuckle to Shoulder

X

20#

Lifting Shoulder to Overhead

X

10#

When lift requirement is in excess of 50#, lift assistance (2 person) and/or transfer device is required.

Qualifications

Education

Required

Licensed Pract Nurse or better in LPN-LICENSED PRACTICAL NU.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.