This position as a Licensed Practical Nurse is aligned under Primary Care at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center. This is a float position covering following locations: Athens, Cambridge, Chillicothe, Lancaster, Marietta, Wilmington, and Portsmouth. The incumbent will maintain acceptable standards of practice with the Primary Care Line (PCL) health care setting under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse or provider. 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. Education: 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), previously known as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) at the time the program was completed by the applicant. Verification can be obtained from the State approving agency or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), previously known as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC), 61 Broadway, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10006. Additional information may also be obtained from the ACEN Website. 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. VHA employees who were converted to appointments under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, and for VHA employees converted to appointments under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986; and for their future personnel actions under this authority. The waiver will not apply to persons appointed under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) or 7405 after these conversions. Individuals 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. An LPN [LVN] who has or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only when it is not possible to recruit qualified individuals. English Language Proficiency: Licensed practical or vocational nurses appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements listed 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. For the GS-7 Level, experience: The GS-7 grade level is for select, complex LPN/LVN positions, as established by each health care facility. To be advanced, employees must meet all of the following standards, provided the standard is part of their assignment. Completion of at least one year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-6 level or equivalent, fully meeting all of the performance requirements for the GS-6 LPN/LVN. Knowledge and skills necessary to carry out more specialized patient care duties, including assignments in selected, more complex inpatient and/or outpatient care settings. Knowledge base promotes the incorporation of current patient care data in actively contributing to the development of the patient's overall health plan and in carrying out assigned nursing interventions. Ability to assist RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately prioritize overall patient care needs and adjust plans for care delivery. Makes astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes, both physical and emotional, in patient's condition, and accurately and thoroughly documents care delivered and patient's response to care that could require immediate modification of the patient's care plan. Appropriately seeks assistance and guidance by informing RN or MD/DO of changes in patient's condition requiring higher-level intervention. Ability to proactively assist the RN or MD/DO in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments, accurately administering prescribed medications/treatments according to established policies/procedures and appropriately recording administration and patient's response to medications/treatments received. Demonstrates the knowledge and ability to readily recognize the more subtle signs and symptoms of potential or actual drug reactions, promptly inform the RN or MD/DO of observed changes in patient's condition and initiate appropriate, prescribed interventions. Knowledge and skill to promptly recognize potential urgent or emergent patient care situations, seek assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO for appropriate team intervention and effectively intervene, as directed, to assure the continuation of optimal, safe and therapeutic patient care delivery. Assists individuals or groups of patients and their families to take an active role in promoting healthy lifestyles for more positive patient outcomes. Exercises skill in influencing and communicating with unusually difficult to care for or communicate with patients and/or family members who may exhibit problems with lack of self-control, resistant or abusive behaviors, or impediments in their ability to understand or follow instructions. Exhibits skill, creativity and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and/or family satisfaction levels through active participation in committees/task forces, research projects or in developing educational materials/media. Possesses comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practices to serve as a resource person for other staff in organizing and implementing more complex/specialized patient care. Supports the RN or MD/DO in monitoring the practice of unlicensed nursing or non-medical staff in patient care delivery. Promptly reports any deviations from normal practice patterns to the RN or MD/DO. In addition to responsibilities at the lower grade level, the LPN/LVN is responsible for monitoring the practice of non-licensed nursing and medical staff. Work of considerable difficulty and responsibility is performed under general supervision. Individuals in these positions are, to a considerable extent, expected to exercise independent technical judgments and to possess and apply a comprehensive working knowledge of the principles, art and science of practical nursing. Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, and providing leadership in assisting other staff improve and advance their nursing practice. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G13, LICENSED PRACTICAL OR VOCATIONAL NURSE QUALIFICATION STANDARD. Physical Requirements: Physical requirements include but are not limited to the incumbent may experience long periods of standing, sitting, walking, bending, pushing, and pulling. Lifting is required though mechanical lifting equipment and/or other approved patient handling aids are used to prevent the manual lifting and handling of patients/residents except when necessary, such as in a medical emergency. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand and walk. The work requires long periods of standing and walking. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50lbs. Patient mental status and physical habitus will require the incumbent to be able to assist patients during transfer that is required of examinations. Specific vision abilities required by this job function include but are not limited are close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. ["Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: The LPN is expected to work in collaboration with the registered nurse and/or providers from the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) within their scope of practice, according to policies, training, and accepted VA practice. Collects and accessions specimens; prepares specimens for various automated urinalysis. Obtains blood samples by venipuncture; assures that proper specimens are obtained, and physiological properties and test requirements are maintained until actual testing procedure; assures proper routing of specimen and requisitions; checks the requisitions for proper patient and specimen data. Informs patients on specimen collection procedures to be performed. Reviews laboratory request orders to ensure all required information is present. Determines types of specimens to be collected and if proper patient preparation has been accomplished Possesses the knowledge and skills necessary to: Communicate and interact appropriately and courteously with internal and external customers; Maintain confidentiality of written, electronic, and verbal patient/employee information; Work and function within a safe manner including infection control and use of equipment; Assure that patient safety is paramount in all aspects of patient care; Integrate and apply pertinent aspects of the Outpatient Clinic performance improvement program into his/her professional practice; Utilize nursing research and literature in practice; Integrate and apply aspects of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations National Patient Safety Goals as applicable to their area of practice. Serves as a preceptor in orienting, educating, and training less experienced LPNs, Nursing Assistants or Health or Medical Technicians related to support duties for these more complex, specialized test/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. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or 7:30 a.m. to 4:00p.m. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 91374-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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