Practical Nurse

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Identifies emergency situations reports and initiates effective actions immediately.
• Identifies significant changes in the patients physical and mental status.
• Complies with BVAMC Primary Care Nursing and other applicable policy/procedures on administering medications.
• Utilizes concepts and the guidelines of sterile technique.
• Utilizes nursing care procedures when providing patient care.
• Observes IV solutions and patency of IV tubing.
• Meets the patients needs for privacy.
• Identifies patients who require instruction about their care or who need questions answered.
• Maintains personal safety.
• Routinely completed required clinical reminders vital signs weight and height during check-in process.
• Reports accurate data to the team leader/charge nurse.
• Records all medications and procedures provided and records patient responses to these interventions.
• Complies with medical center policy on patient rights.
• Maintains a clean and safe environment and reports all hazards immediately.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information refer to Required Documents below.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm MST
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave 13 days of sick leave 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth adoption or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment full time employees with a total family income below $144000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000

• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• 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.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Basic Requirements: To qualify for appointment to this position all applicants must possess the following:

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. 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).
• Education: Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) at the time the program was completed by the applicant. 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.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade.

• GS-03:
  • None beyond the basic requirements.
• GS-04:
  • Six months of qualifying experience as LPN or LVN. OR
  • Graduation 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
  • Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration.

LPNs at the GS-4 grade level perform all duties expected of employees at the GS-3 grade level; however they are expected to exercise greater judgment require less supervision and to operate in accordance with all established policies procedure and techniques.

• GS-05: Completion of at least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent and fully meeting all performance requirements for the GS-4. AND
  1. Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems. Provides effective education to patients and/or family members in relation to common disease processes medication and /or prescribed treatment regimes.
  2. 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.
  3. Knowledge and skill 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 patients response to medication administered and the reporting of any noted change in patients condition to RN or MD/DO.
  4. 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.
  5. Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment safety hazards and supply deficiencies promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action.

Completed work is under the general supervision of an RN or MD/DO. 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.

• GS-06: Completion of at least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent and fully meeting all performance requirements for the GS-5 LPN/LVN. AND
  1. Technically proficient in initiating performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations.
  2. 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.
  3. Ability to observe identify and respond to the patients needs for care including medication equipment-assisted care and patient/family organizing and delivering care the LPN/LVN recognizes and considers emotional cultural spiritual socio-economic and age-related factors.
  4. 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 patients condition from prescribed medications/treatments promptly and accurately documenting noted changes and reporting any deviations from normal to RN or MD/DO.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to elicit feelings and attitudes and to promote positive relationships communication and socialization skills.
  8. 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 patients condition before during and following the procedure.
  9. Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practice.

The full performance level of this vacancy is actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit