Licensed Vocational Nurse Jail Correctional Medicine Administration 1

General Summary:
The Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) within both Brazos County Detention Center and Brazos County Juvenile Justice Center. This role ensures the delivery of safe compliant and effective patient care to incarcerated individuals while supervising nursing and support staff. The registered nurse collaborates with correctional officers providers and administrative personnel to promote patient well-being manage clinical operations and maintain adherence to state federal and accreditation standards.

Essential Duties:
Care Delivery
oProvide direct nursing care to incarcerated individuals including assessment planning intervention and evaluation.
oAdminister medications and treatments according to physician orders and facility protocols.
oRespond to medical emergencies and perform triage and stabilization as needed.
Assessments
oConduct intake health screenings for new inmates.
oPerform routine and follow-up physical assessments.
oIdentify and monitor chronic health conditions.
Documentation
oAccurately document patient assessments treatments and responses in the electronic medical record (EMR).
oMaintain compliance with legal regulatory and facility documentation standards.
Coordination
oCollaborate with physicians mental health professionals and other healthcare staff to coordinate patient care.
oRefer patients to higher levels of care when necessary.
Control & Health Education
oImplement and follow infection control procedures.
oEducate inmates on health maintenance chronic disease management and medication adherence.
Management
oPrepare dispense and monitor medications safely.
oObserve for and report adverse drug reactions.
& Safety Compliance
oFollow all facility safety security and operational procedures.
oMaintain appropriate boundaries and awareness of safety risks unique to the correctional environment.
and Supervision of Unlicensed Staff
oProvide direction oversight and mentorship to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAPs) including Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) Medical Assistants (MAs) or Correctional Health Aides.
oMonitor performance and provide feedback or corrective action as needed.
oEnsure that unlicensed staff follow infection control safety protocols and documentation standards.
Health Support
oRecognize signs of mental health crises and initiate appropriate interventions.
oCollaborate with mental health staff to support inmates with psychiatric needs.
and Ethical Compliance
oMaintain confidentiality and adhere to HIPAA regulations.
oComply with all state and federal laws relevant to nursing practice in correctional facilities.

Other Duties as assigned.

Supervision
Received:Nurse Manager; Medical Manager and Medical Authority Registered Nurses
Given:Medical Assistants (Correctional) Records Management Medical Clerk

Education
Required:Graduated from a Texas Board of Nursing-approved vocational nursing program and LVN License (active and unencumbered) issued from the Texas Board of Nursing.
Preferred:Graduated from a Texas Board of Nursing-approved vocational nursing program and LVN License (active and unencumbered) issued from the Texas Board of Nursing.

Experience
Required:2-3 Years
Preferred:3 years experience

Certificates Licenses Registrations
Required:Valid Texas Drivers License
Licensed Vocational Nurse Texas Board of Nursing (active and unencumbered)
Basic First Aid / CPR Certificate

Preferred:Valid Texas Drivers License
Licensed Vocational Nurse Texas Board of Nursing (active and unencumbered)
Basic First Aid / CPR Certificate

Physical Demands
Typical:Physical demands for an LVN include long periods of standing sitting and walking as well as frequent bending stooping reaching and pushing/pulling. Specific job duties may require lifting patients or objects (up to 50 pounds though this varies) using fine motor skills for procedures and possessing normal vision and hearing. Some registered nurses have small amounts of travel to clinical sites working extended or on-call hours and the physical demands of handling infectious diseases.

Knowledge Skills & Abilities
Chronic disease management
oHigh prevalence of diabetes hypertension HIV/AIDS Hepatitis C and COPD in incarcerated populations.
Infectious disease control
oKnowledge of TB MRSA STDs and outbreak management in confined populations.
Psychiatric and behavioral health
oCommon conditions include PTSD schizophrenia bipolar disorder depression and substance use disorders.
Addiction medicine and withdrawal protocols
oUnderstanding medication-assisted treatment (MAT) detox protocols and managing withdrawal symptoms safely.
Trauma-informed care
oSensitivity to histories of abuse neglect or trauma common among inmates.
Pharmacology in restricted settings
oKnowledge of drug formulary restrictions controlled substance handling and medication diversion risks.
Legal and ethical aspects of correctional healthcare
oInformed consent confidentiality refusal of care involuntary treatment and legal liability.
Chronic disease management
oHigh prevalence of diabetes hypertension HIV/AIDS Hepatitis C and COPD in incarcerated populations.
Infectious disease control
oKnowledge of TB MRSA STDs and outbreak management in confined populations.
Psychiatric and behavioral health
oCommon conditions include PTSD schizophrenia bipolar disorder depression and substance use disorders.
Addiction medicine and withdrawal protocols
oUnderstanding medication-assisted treatment (MAT) detox protocols and managing withdrawal symptoms safely.
Trauma-informed care
oSensitivity to histories of abuse neglect or trauma common among inmates.
Pharmacology in restricted settings
oKnowledge of drug formulary restrictions controlled substance handling and medication diversion risks.
Legal and ethical aspects of correctional healthcare
oInformed consent confidentiality refusal of care involuntary treatment and legal liability.

Special Skills
These are practical competencies essential for success in a correctional setting:
Assessment and triage
oAccurately identifying urgent vs non-urgent cases in high-demand low-resource environments.
Autonomous clinical decision-making
oComfort making medical decisions independently often with limited access to a physician.
Crisis intervention and de-escalation
oManaging behavioral outbursts psychiatric crises or medical emergencies safely and effectively.
Effective communication with security staff
oCollaborating with correctional officers while maintaining patient confidentiality and safety.
Documentation and legal reporting
oPrecise legally defensible medical recordkeeping incident reports and follow-ups.
Cultural competence and interpersonal skills
oWorking with diverse populations including marginalized and underserved individuals.

Work Environment
Typical:Correctional Facilities:
Juveniles ages 10 years of age to 18 years of age male and female patients.
Adults age 18 male and female patients.