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Practical Nurse (Ambulatory Care)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
James A Haley Veterans Hospital
This job announcement has closed

Summary

LPN vacancy exists in the Ambulatory Care Specialty Clinic. This busy service provides clinical support to our outpatients. In Specialty Clinics, the clerks will schedule patients, Registered Nurses, Advance Registered Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants and/or Physicians will evaluate patients,. The treatment plans are initiated and addressed. The LPN is expected to perform/ assist with the following:

Overview

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Open & closing dates
06/30/2021 to 07/20/2021
Salary
$36,445 to - $57,207 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 00
Location
Tampa, FL
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
6
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBTC-11158327-21-DMA
Control number
606091700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This is Open to Current, Permanent employees of Veteran's Healthcare Administration Only!

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Duties

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Duties and responsibilities would include, but not limited to clinical, clerical and administrative duties:

  • assisting the physician during examinations and surgeries
  • taking medical history
  • Performing EKGs
  • Performing pre-planning phone calls
  • working directly with patients
  • following doctor's instructions
  • assist with the preparation of medical instruments to be sterilize
  • Help training and development of new staff
  • Perform clinical tasks to support physicians such as; preparing patients for examination, obtaining history and chief complaint, assisting with biopsies, injections, and select surgical and cosmetic procedures as well as triaging patient phone calls
  • Performing various injections
  • Medication preparation
  • Initiating pathology and lab requisition documents
  • Patient education on treatment plans, procedures and medications
  • Select clinical procedures such as cast removal, suture removal, dressing changes, patch testing

While the position is within Specialty Clinics, management will assign staff based upon the needs of the clinic.

Work Schedule: 0730-1600 (subject to change based upon the needs of the clinics)

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Ideal candidates should possess the following:
  • BCLS
  • Strong med/surg background
  • Minimum 3 years LPN experience (preferred)
  • Strong technical skills
  • Good organizational and problem -solving skills
  • Willingness to take an active role in Quality Improvement activities
  • Excellent interpersonal skills imperative to the role
  • Ability to work collaboratively as patient advocate in an interdisciplinary context
  • Ability to develop and maintain sound relationship with the interdisciplinary health care team
  • Successful completion of a Performance Based Interview by the selection committee
Physical Requirements: Licensed Practical Nurse position in accordance with HRML No. 05-12-02 , Employment of People with Disabilities, Including Under Schedule A, 5 CFR 213.3102(u). Licensed Practical Nurse Functional Requirements: Heavy Lifting (45 lbs and over); Straight Pulling (up to 8 hours); Pushing (8 hours); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 8 hours); Standing (up to 8 hours); Kneeling; Repeated bending (up to 8 hours); Both legs required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Hearing (aid permitted)more complex, specialized tests/procedures.

Requirements

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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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/20/2021.

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.
  • 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; or Health care education in the military service or training in the military which is accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which the individual is licensed as qualifying for full LPN/LVN licensure; or Individuals granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school.
  • Licensure: Candidates must be currently licensed to practice as practical or vocational nurse in a state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia, and must possess current, full active and unrestricted license registration of said license.
  • English Language Proficiency: Applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 USC 7402(d) and 7407 (d). (No person that is not proficient in spoken and written English will be appointed under authority of 38 USC Chapter 73 or 74 to serve in a direct patient-care capacity.
Preferred Experience:
  • A minimum of 3 years of previous Practical Nurse experience
  • Strong med/surg background
  • Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) Highly Preferred

Grade Determinations: Upon Selection a review will be conducted of the selected candidate's education and experience in order to determine the grade and salary at which the candidate qualified for and will be placed in. Qualifications and required KSA's (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities) required to be appointed at each grade level are as follows:

GS-03:
  • None beyond the basic requirements listed above.
GS-04:
  • Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN; 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.
GS-05:
  • Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-04 level or equivalent and Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems.
GS-06: Completion of at least one (1) year of additional qualifying experience at the GS-05 level or equivalent, fully meeting all performance requirements for the LPN AND
  • 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;
  • 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. 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 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 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.
References: VA Handbook 5005/3, Part II, Appendix G6, License Practical Qualification Standards dated April 10, 2003.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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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.

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.

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