The New Mexico VA Health Care System is looking for a Licensed Practical Nurse - NW Metro Team! The New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System (NMVAHCS) strives to provide the highest quality primary, secondary and tertiary health care to its beneficiaries through a compassionate, innovative health care system, excellent training and education of health care professionals, and effective use of available resources. As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless.
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. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. 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 OR granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school AND have at least one year of successful practice as an LPN/ LVN. Licensure - Active, full, current and unrestricted licensure as a Graduate Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), of the United States or the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-04 (a) Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN or LVN; or(b) Graduation from an approved school (which may be waived as provided in paragraph 4 of Section C) 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 (c) Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months duration. GS-05 Knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems. Ability to serve as a responsible member of a nursing team and interact in an appropriate manner with patients, family members, professional and/or other support personnel involved in the delivery of patient care. Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous medications. This includes observing and documenting patient responses to medication and reporting noted changes in the patient's condition. Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardia and/or pulmonary arrest. Recognize and appropriately respond to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies. GS-06 Proficiency 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, using judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments, and accurately recognizing, reporting, and recording relevant patient information Ability to observe, identify, and respond to a 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, 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, documents, and reports physical and/or emotional changes in the patient's condition from prescribed medications/treatments. Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations and initiating appropriate emergency interventions as directed. Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations and the 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, 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 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 includes preparing the patient and 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. Preferred Experience and Certifications 2-3 years of experience as in LPN/LVN experience related to the area of deployment Basic Life Support (BLS)
The primary purpose of the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) is to perform assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, positive customer service and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veteran. The LPN/LVN also performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veteran. Duties include but not limited to the following: Serves as a member of the health care team at our Northwest Metro Clinic, and is responsible for assisting in planning and administering quality nursing care in a designated clinical area, as well as providing a therapeutic environment for patients. Knowledge of and skill to perform a variety of treatment procedures specific to outpatient primary care and subspecialty clinics, i.e., General Internal Medicine Primary Care, Women's Health, General Surgery, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Allergy, Rheumatology, Dermatology, Minor Procedure and Continuous Infusion Clinic. Knowledge of and skill sufficient to understand nursing principles, practices and procedures; patient disease entities; ethics; interdisciplinary treatment/care plans; interpersonal and teaching skills; use of medical equipment, medical materials and supplies for the purpose of carrying out complex nursing care for a variety of acute and chronically ill patients whose age may range from 17 years to 100+ years. Knowledge of and skill in basic physical assessment. Knowledge sufficient to understand the patient 's medical record, medical history and interdisciplinary treatment/care plan for the purpose of providing care. Knowledge sufficient to understand the patient 's medical record, medical history and interdisciplinary treatment/care plan for the purpose of providing care. Knowledge and skill sufficient to observe, identify and report the patient's physical, psycho-social and emotional status. Knowledge sufficient to update the interdisciplinary treatment/care plan based on identified needs of the patient. Knowledge and skill in providing palliative care to the terminally ill patient and their family. This requires knowledge of the grieving process and skill in providing emotional support. Ability to prioritize the sequence of assignments based on the patient's condition and needs of the clinic. Knowledge and skill sufficient to initiate appropriate emergency measures. Knowledge and skill sufficient to access computer for patient care information retrieval or to enter messages for purpose of communication, i.e., appointment management and progress notes. Work Schedule: Full Time, Wednesday - Saturday, 7:00 am to 5:30 pm, with telework on Wednesday Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) 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) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory