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License Practical Nurse

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The primary purpose of the Licensed Practical/License Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) GS-7 is to perform more complex nursing assignments within their practice setting. Possesses in-depth LPN/LVN nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practices. Work is of considerable difficulty and responsibility is performed under general supervision.




Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/20/2026 to 06/01/2026
Salary
$69,629 - $90,520 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Spokane, WA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
Yes
Announcement number
CBSV-12965280-26-DC
Control number
870034700

Videos

Duties

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VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse: https://youtube.com/embed/Ae85IP1Oiz4

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties include but are not limited to:

Provides specialized nursing care to adult and geriatric Veterans at high risk for limb loss related to diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or neuropathy.
Performs podiatric procedures including foot examinations, wound management, keratosis reduction, and suture removal following established clinical protocols.
Identifies signs of infection, impaired circulation, or neurologic changes in the feet, reporting findings to the provider for further evaluation and management per established clinical protocols.
Assists the Podiatrist with office-based procedures such as matrixectomies, biopsies, verruca removal, casting for offloading, and orthotic applications.
Collaborates in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of individualized care plans, coordinating with providers and specialty services to ensure continuity of care.
Serves as leader or co-leader in a nursing unit or for a specifically identified group of patients, providing direction, coordination, and clinical oversight in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team.
Functions under the general supervision of an RN, MD, or Podiatrist, demonstrating independent technical judgment and broad clinical expertise within the High-Risk Foot Care (HRFC) clinic.
Provides patient education based on established clinical protocols related to foot care, limb preservation, and disease management.
Ensures accurate, timely documentation in the electronic health record (EHR).Contributes to quality improvement activities by tracking and analyzing infection rates, wound healing outcomes, and amputation trends.
Maintains compliance with VA policies for handling, cleaning, and reprocessing Reusable Medical Devices (RMD), ensuring equipment functionality, readiness, and patient safety.
Maintains required certification and specialized training in High-Risk Foot Care (HRFC) per VA/VHA policy to ensure competency and promote optimal limb preservation outcomes.
Rotates across Mann-Grandstaff VA locations, including but not limited to the main facility, Spokane Valley CBOC, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho CBOC, reporting to the assigned site per scheduled rotation.

Work Schedule: 10 hour days variable Monday-Friday
Compressed/Flexible: Yes
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
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 $144,000 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 Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's 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 interest. In 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.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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.
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
GS7-LEVEL Qualifications:
  • Knowledge and skills necessary to care out more specialized patient care duties, including assignments in more complex inpatient and/or outpatient care settings.
  • Ability to assist RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately prioritize overall patient care needs and adjust plans for care delivery making astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes (both physical and emotional) in patient's conditions and taking the appropriate action.
  • Ability to proactively assist the RN or MD/OD in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments, accurately administering prescribed medications/treatments and appropriately recording patient's response to medications/treatments received.
  • Knowledge and skill to promptly recognize potential urgent or emergent patient care situations.
  • Assists individuals or groups of patients and their families to take an active role in promoting health lifestyles for more positive outcomes. Exercises skill in influencing and communicating with unusually difficult to care for or communicate with patients and/or family members who may exhibit problems with lack of self-control, resistant or abusive behaviors, or impediments in their ability to understand or follow instructions.
  • Exhibits skill, creativity, and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and/or family satisfaction levels.
  • Possesses comprehensive practical nursing knowledge and skills in specialized procedures and practices to serve as a resource person for other staff in organizing and implementing more complex/specialized patient care.
  • Supports the RN or MD/DO in monitoring the practice of unlicensed nursing or non-medical staff in patient care delivery.
  • Work of considerable difficulty and responsibility is performed under general supervision. Individuals in these positions are, to a considerable extent, expected to exercise independent technical judgments and to possess and apply a comprehensive working knowledge of the principles, art and science of practical nursing. The staff mix is such that employees at this grade level are expected to perform practical nursing duties of considerable difficulty and responsibility under very general supervision.
  • Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, and providing leadership in assisting other staff improve and advance their nursing practice.

Preferred Experience:
  • Experience working in a podiatry, wound care, or High-Risk Foot Care (HRFC) clinic setting.
  • Experience performing or assisting with podiatric procedures such as wound management, keratosis reduction, matrixectomies, or orthotic applications.
  • Experience providing nursing care to adult and geriatric patient populations, particularly those with diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, or neuropathy.
  • Experience working independently with minimal supervision, demonstrating clinical judgment and decision-making in a specialty care environment.
  • Experience with electronic health record (EHR) documentation, preferably within the VA/VHA system (CPRS/Vista).
  • Experience with Reusable Medical Device (RMD) handling, cleaning, and reprocessing per established protocols.
  • Experience working in a multi-site or CBOC environment.
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

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).Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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.

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, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Resume Reminder Instructions

Your resume must be submitted in English and include the following information for each job listed:

  • Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible)
  • Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
  • Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
  • Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held
  • Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
Recommended:Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications. Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages or encrypted, and digitally signed documents linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

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

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Spokane is a family-oriented city located in beautiful eastern Washington with a regional population of 470,000. Our four season climate and pristine surroundings offer an abundance of exceptional recreation opportunities. Spokane is known for its affordable housing and excellent schools and universities, as well as being the regional arts and cultural center. Set an early tee time at any of the scenic and well-designed golf courses in the area, then walk, bike or canoe along the Centennial Trail. Cool off in one of 76 regional lakes, camp in gorgeous state parks, wrestle with whitewater rapids and ski through fresh powder. Enjoy the vibrant arts and entertainment scene. Take a walk around Riverfront Park and then catch a performance of the Spokane Symphony, see a show at the Opera House or take in a play at the Civic Theater. The indoor and outdoor possibilities are limitless!

Agency contact information

Danielle Callinder
Phone
253-582-8440 X75465
Email
Danielle.Callinder@va.gov
Address
Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
4815 North Assembly Street
Spokane, WA 99205
US

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