Licensed Practical Nurse

The LPN works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model. Primarily responsible for patient and clinic flow efficiency of the clinic customer service and teamwork. Maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient interdisciplinary team VA medical centers and other agencies.

Duties will vary based on grade. At the GS-6 level duties will include but are not limited to:

• Checking vitals processing reminders reviewing and processing alerts appropriately administering medication participating in team huddles and meetings to manage and plan patient care; setting priorities and deadlines; adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; may work with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record; monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; participating and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings; participating in and independently following up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care; evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested; educating providers about shared patients and bringing to the attention of the provider.

• Deliver accurate and timely information to meet the needs of our Veterans and their families.
• CPRS Notes entered and signed within 24 hours. CPRS Alerts addressed and signed within 72 hours.

• Promote patient trust by accurately documenting messages and routing them appropriately. (Systems Thinking). d. Standard - Recognizes the importance of teamwork and cooperation and voluntarily helps other teams during staffing short-falls. Assists with other assignments and tasks to take care of the Veterans.
• Attend monthly meetings as an active participant; Read meeting notes in times of absences.

• With minimal supervision plan and carry out assignments following VHA directives and local Numbered Memoranda.
• Provide appropriate patient and family education regarding disease condition procedures tests and health maintenance.
• Observe and appropriately respond to subtle changes in patients behavior by providing emotional/physical support/intervention to prevent a problem.
• Participate in Medication Review by reviewing with patient/care giver medication list annotate changes on the list for PCPs review enter non-VA meds in CPRS.
• Provide ambulatory nursing care to patients with acute and chronic healthcare needs including responding to triages as appropriate.
• Respond to medical emergencies such as medical urgencies and nursing alerts as appropriate.
• Use the 6 Rights of Medication Administration including the use of two patient identifiers.

• Serve as preceptor or mentor for newly assigned health technicians LPNs and interns.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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 as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d).
• Licensure: Must possess a 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.

• 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 are granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school. See paragraph 4 section C.

• At least six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN. At this level LPN/LVNs are expected to exercise greater judgment require less supervision and to operate in accordance with all established policies procedures and techniques. OR
• Graduate of 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
• Graduate from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

• Individuals at this grade level are expected to have a broad working knowledge of practical nursing procedures; however completion of more complex practices or procedures may be subject to closer higher-level review.
• 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 knowledge and ability to serve as a responsible member of a nursing team and interact in an appropriate manner with patients family members professional and/or other support personnel involved in the delivery of patient care and 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. This includes observing and documenting patient responses to medication and reporting noted changes in the patients condition.
• 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.
• Recognize and appropriately respond to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment safety hazards and supply deficiencies promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.

• Technically proficient in initiating performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations.
• Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients conditions using judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments and accurately recognizing reporting and recording relevant patient information. Completed work should need only a general review by a registered nurse (RN) or physician (MD/DO) for appropriateness and conformity with established policies/procedures.
• Ability to observe identify and respond to a patients needs for care including medication equipment-assisted care and patient/family organizing and delivering care the LPN/LVN recognizes and considers emotional socio-economic and age-related factors.
• Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral topical subcutaneous intramuscular and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures. Observes for documents and reports physical and/or emotional changes in the patients condition from prescribed medications/treatments.
• Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations seeking assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO and initiating appropriate emergency interventions as directed.
• Knowledge and understanding of human behavior patient motivations and reactions to situations and the ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients family members and other staff.
• Knowledge and skill in performing support duties for complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized practices or procedures which includes preparing the patient and assisting in the diagnostic examination preparing and handling specialized instruments or other specialized equipment and monitoring the patients condition before during and following the procedure. Serves as a preceptor in orienting educating and training less experienced LPNs/LVNs or NAs/HTs related to support duties for these more complex specialized tests/procedures.

Additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.