Clarification from the agency

Current, permanent federal employees and U. S Citizens

The duties of the Licensed Practical Nurse include:

• Interacting with patients and families.
• Providing basic personal care, including oral hygiene, denture care, shaving and grooming, cleaning and clipping fingernails, bathing (shower, bed or tub), according to nursing procedures and guidelines.
• Providing a safe, comfortable, pleasant environment, including clean bed, bedside stand, over-bed table, and a safe ward in general.
• Identifying hazards that relate to patient care management and reports condition that needs correction to appropriate persons.
• Positioning patients and over-bed table and assisting patients with meals and nourishments.
• Feeding patients as indicated, and encourages fluids.
• Setting up and administering oxygen.
• Performing catheterization when assigned.
• Initiating foley catheter care, according to procedure, and applying external catheter.
• Participating in the disposition of the patient and providing care of the body after death.
• Carrying out complex nursing activities for patients with physical and/or behavioral problems
• Identifying and taking appropriate actions in crisis situations with high-risk patients.
• Applying and removing non-sterile bandages, slings, elastic bandages and stockings.
• Taking and recording vital signs and measurements, which include temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure, height, and weight.
• Assisting with the instruction of patients regarding self-care activities and patient education assigned by the RN for reinforcement.
• Recognizing medical emergency situations and initiating appropriate action.
• Administering medications
• Facilitating and participation in group programming

• Assisting in teaching the patient ADL and rehabilitation principles, motivating him/her toward independence.
• Utilizing educational resources to maintain clinical competency in IV therapy, EKG, and phlebotomy.
• Demonstrating competency in the use, pre-cleaning and/or reprocessing of reusable medical equipment.

Work Schedule: Various shifts available. All tours are 8 hours. Must be willing to work rotating weekends and holidays.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

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.
• Must be a graduate of school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing.
• 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.

Preferred Experience:

• For the Inpatient position, psychiatric nursing experience is preferred.
• For the Domiciliary position, mental health experience is preferred.

Grade Determinations:
GS-3: None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-4: Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN -OR- Graduation from an approved school (which may be waived by appointing official) 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.
GS-5: Completion of at least one (1) year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent. Applicants must possess the following:

• Ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems.
• 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.
• 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.

GS-6: 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. Applicants must meet the following:

• Technical proficiency in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations.
• Ability 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.
• Ability to prepare and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures.
• Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations.
• Knowledge of handling specialized instruments or other specialized equipment, and monitoring the patient's condition before, during, and following the procedure.

References: VA Qualification Standards in VA Handbook 5005/3, Part II, Appendix G13.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06.

Physical Requirements: The population of male and female veterans served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. The VA Medical Center is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility, serving medical, surgical, and neurological inpatients and outpatients. There is a large outpatient psychiatric population, with admissions for medical co-morbidities. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing (4 hours or more), 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 patient who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Incumbent must complete all levels of the Preventive Management of Disruptive Behavior (PMDB) training as appropriate to the role.

This announcement establishes an open continuous announcement of eligible applicants to be considered for this position. The Next Steps area of the announcement provides additional information on the referral process for this type of announcement.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate's education and experience and recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.