The Salem Veterans Medical Center is seeking a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for Acute In-Patient Psychiatry. The LPN works under the direction of the Registered Nurse (RN) or provider and is responsible for observing, recording, and reporting changes in the Veteran's condition as well as assisting in the development and revision of the Veteran-driven holistic care plan for life.

Duties

The responsibilities of the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) are divided among five elements: Veteran Care, Customer Service, Reporting and Documentation, Safety, and Education. The LPN performs, reports, and records assigned nursing care in acute in-patient psychiatry, including, but not limited to: Prepare the Veteran for any appointments off the unit and escort as needed. Checking expiration dates of medicines and supplies. Documenting procedures and treatments. Adhering to standards of practice and safe technique in preparation and administration of medication. Performing complex practical nursing measures with precision and efficiency, consistent with Medical Center policy and procedure within the legal and ethical responsibilities of his/her licensure as a LPN. Performs nonstandard and specialized practical nursing activities requiring broad work experience and demonstrated skill to resolve a range of nursing problems. Promptly recognizes urgent or emergent Veteran situations, seeks assistance, and effectively intervenes as directed when appropriate. Fully participates as a member of the acute in-patient psychiatry team providing Veteran care. Contributes to the interdisciplinary team in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Veteran's treatment plan, and promotes Veteran participation in the therapeutic community by fostering self-reliance and independence. Provides safe and individualized nursing care to Veterans with changing complex physiological and/ or emotional needs. He/she will take into consideration the Veteran's age-related abilities associated with mobility, nutrition, mentation, hygiene, continence, psychosocial status, and cultural needs. Adheres to policies and procedures in response to medical/psychiatric emergencies and initiates action, seeking assistance as necessary. Demonstrates competence utilizing special equipment needed to perform job duties (i.e. EKG, bladder scanner). VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse: https://youtube.com/embed/Ae85IP1Oiz4 Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Licensed Practical Nurse - vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-LPN-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: 7:30am-8:00pm/7:30pm-7:30am Rotating Weekends and Holidays Compressed/Flexible:Not Available 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 existing pay, 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 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education: Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing that was approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing (Accrediting Commission, NLNAC) at the time of completion. Licensure: Holds a current, full, active and unrestricted licensure as a licensed practical nurse or vocational nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or 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-03: None beyond the basic requirements. LPNs at this grade level are expected to perform all duties within the scope of their license. 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: Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent: 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. GS-06: Completion of at least one (1) year of qualifying experience at the GS-05 level or equivalent and fully meet all performance requirements for the GS-05 LPN/LVN 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 response to a patient's needs for care including medication, equipment-assisted care, and patient/family education. 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. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS03 to GS06. Preferred Experience: Mental Health/Psychiatry References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-13 Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse Qualification Standard. Physical Requirements: This position is required to meet the physical standards as outlined on the OF 178 Certificate of Medical Examination. The position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. The position requires long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. The LPN must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on Veteran needs. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to Veterans who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, psychiatric disorders, and/or substance abuse disorders. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as screening or testing, as a condition of employment.

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

Contacts

• Address Salem VA Medical Center 1970 Roanoke Boulevard Salem, VA 24153 US
• Name: Yalanda Edwards
• Phone: 980-401-2562
• Email: [email protected]