Licensed Vocational Nurse - Patient Aligned Care Team (Pact)

The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) is a direct-care provider who has the technical proficiency and observation skills necessary for initiating, performing, and completing assigned duties in delivering comprehensive practical nursing care to variable patient populations. The LVN is a member of the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) (Patient, Primary Care Provider, RN Care Manager and Patient Support Technician) and Expanded Team (family/ caregiver, internal and communityQualifications: 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 both spoken and written English.
• Education: Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN, formerly known as NLNAC) at the time the program was completed by the applicant.
  • 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.
  • Individuals granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school.
• 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.
• Grandfathering Provision: 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).

Grade Determinations: 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-3: None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-4: Employees must meet all basic requirements and must possess:

• Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; OR
• Graduated from an approved school 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
• Graduated from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

GS-5: Employees must meet all basic requirements and must possess:

• Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent, AND
• Must have demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities such as:
  • 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.

GS-6: Employee must meet all basic requirements and must possess:

• 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
• Technical proficiency in initiating, performing, and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations, AND
• Must have demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities such as:
  • 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.
  • Ability to observe, identify and respond to the 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, 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 condition before, during, and following the procedure.

Preferred Experience:

• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from the American Heart Association (AHA) or Military Training Network (MTN)
• Experience in an Outpatient or Ambulatory Care setting/clinic

Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Appendix G13
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 GS-6.
Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders.Education: IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.Employment Type: FULL_TIME