Licensed Practical Nurse-Addiction Recovery

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Licensed Practical Nurse

SUPERVISOR'S TITLE: Nursing Coordinator, Nursing Supervisor

PURPOSE

Under moderate supervision of a Registered Nurse, MD, or APRN, attends to and monitors the medical and physical needs of clients, ensuring medication, treatments, and schedules are followed, as well as compliance with all regulatory and licensure standards.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

1. Dispenses and administers prescribed medications per established schedules as ordered.
2. Monitors clients' vital signs and other physical health information, maintains accurate records reflecting the data, including general information relating to treatment results.
3. Monitors and attends to the physical needs of clients.
4. Administers injectable medications, ensuring accurate prescribed dosage and timely delivery, educating clients in management of side effects, and obtaining preauthorization of prescriptions/medications from pharmacy, when needed.
5. Completes and maintains accurate documentation relating to provision of care, medications, other client-related services, and advocacy, including staff notes, case reviews, letters, reports, etc.
6. Maintains client medical record/charts relating to admissions and discharges.
7. Transcribes MD or APRN orders and obtains requested medical information relating to clients.
8. Administers pregnancy tests and drug screens on clients and documents results.
9. Maintains accurate inventory counts of all medicines and medical supplies and ensures adequate replacements are ordered on a timely basis.
10. Schedules outside medical appointments for clients, as ordered by MD or APRN.
11. Monitors medical equipment and testing per CLIA standards.

EDUCATION

• Up to eighteen months of education or training beyond the high school level in nursing or related field of study.
• License for Practical Nursing in Commonwealth of Kentucky

EXPERIENCE

• Up to six months nursing experience.
• Knowledge of mental illness, chemical dependency and established standards, regulations, and procedures for treatment preferred.
• If assigned to addictions treatment, knowledge of detoxification programs and treatment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Position has no unusual physical demands.
• Normal work tasks may involve a high level of frequent and ongoing exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissue.

REQUIRED SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

• Utilizes Nursing Process (assess, diagnose, plan, implement, evaluate) during direct patient care interventions to treat and respond to patient health reports and symptoms
• Consistent review of patients’ allergies
• Knowledge of medication reconciliation processes
• If providing care to clients requiring administered medication, demonstrates ability to administer medication safely and in accordance with policies and procedures
• If serving at site where medication is available, follows medication protocols for tracking, storing, documenting, monitoring and disposing of medication
• If providing care to clients at sites where there is self-administration of medication opportunity, demonstrates ability to assess for client’s competence to administer medication safely and in accordance with policies and procedures
• Obtains and monitors lab results, notifying provider of out of range lab values, and explaining lab procedures to clients
• If SUD is primary, demonstrates knowledge of appropriate screening for psychoactive substance toxicity, intoxication, and withdrawal symptoms

ADDICTIONS / SUBSTANCE ABUSE

• Knowledge about substance use disorder behaviors and treatment protocols
• Understanding and utilizing 12 step recovery in MAT
• Knowledge of signs/symptoms of psychoactive substance toxicity intoxication and withdrawal symptoms