This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. 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). 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. Verification can be obtained from the State approving agency or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, 61 Broadway, 33rd Floor, New York, NY 10006. Additional information may also be obtained from the NLNAC Website. TRANSCRIPTS WITH CONFER DATE REQUIRED 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. See paragraph 4, section C. 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. An LPN[/LVN] who has or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16 of this part. COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED 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: GS-6: Experience: 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 Fully demonstrating the following KSAs: 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; to use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments; and to accurately recognize, report and record 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 the patient's needs for care, including medication, equipment-assisted care and patient/family education. In organizing and delivering care, the LPN/LVN recognizes and] considers emotional, cultural, spiritual, 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 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 patient's 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. Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practice. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. Physical Requirements: heavy lifting (45lbs and over), straight pulling, pushing (2 hrs), walking (6 hrs), standing (2 hrs), repeated bending (2 hrs), operation of a motor vehicle, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted), visual acuity 20/30 corrected. ["vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-LPN-Career-Flyer.pdf Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf The Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) assigned to the VAPSHCS General Medicine Service Line (GMS) functions as the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Clinical Associate team member under the guidance of the Registered Nurse. The incumbent is responsible for providing clinical assistive care and administrative support. The incumbent must demonstrate the ability to observe, identify and respond to the Veteran's needs for nursing, medication, point-of-care testing, and equipment-assisted care and to recognize deviations from normal. Duties will include: Responsible for: Ongoing, continuous care of assigned panel(s) of Veterans; Using all available tools, such as registries, to enable effective and efficient identification and intervention of individual Veterans and cohorts; Functioning at the full extent of the LPN's relevant clinical privileges, credentials, scopes of practice, elements of practice, certification, and other VHA or local facility documentation of competency; Participating in team performance improvements and sustainment activities to optimize team efficiency care delivery with Veterans; Implementing primary care operations management processes, as appropriate; Managing communications and facilitating safe transitions of Veterans between the PACT's site of care and other health care settings, using informal and formal communication methods, as appropriate; Providing health education and health coaching on wellness, disease prevention, chronic disease management, and self-management skills with Veterans, Family and Caregivers, Engaging Veterans in using health care, encouraging Veterans to engage family and caregivers, receiving input from Veterans and caregivers regarding VA care; Using formal and informal communications that are respectful, effective, timely, and bidirectional with all team members, including the Veteran and Family/Caregivers, to convey significant, clinically relevant information for the care of the Veteran; Managing clinic workflow; ensuring Veterans are placed in examination rooms in a timely manner, and providing direction with Veterans as they move through the clinic environment. Provide VA Video Connect (VVC), Clinical Video Technology (CVT), or Telemedicine, the LPN is responsible for maintaining knowledge of and skill in applying an intensive body of rules, procedures, and operations in telehealth- related technologies and a variety of computer hardware/ software used in technology, data entry ,retrieval, record maintenance, document, and report generation; Preparing the clinical environment, which may include telecommunications equipment to be used for clinical examination and treatment Serve ,within their of scope of practice, as a tele presenter for VVC or Telemedicine in task such as establishing and maintaining video connection, making introductions between patients and providers and following the instructions of the clinician to facilitate an effective clinical encounter; Taking measures to ensure patient care is delivered safely by following appropriate procedures for cleaning of clinical equipment and care of environment by following all safety guidelines, protocols, and procedures: Completing standardized clinical questionnaires and templates within scope of training and applicable guidelines; Arranging and completing test video calls with veterans in preparation of video calls; Ensuring information and resources are maintained for local and remote telehealth providers so they can effectively execute contingency and emergency plans. S/he may be required to perform specimen collection of (urine, sputum, blood, or stool) ensuring to utilize proper labeling, packaging, and transport instructions from the Primary Care Community Based Clinics or assigned areas to the main facility laboratory. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Telework: Available, Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
