The Licensed Vocation Nurse (LVN), will perform diagnostic examinations / procedures as part of the Pain Clinic diagnosis and treatment of patients referred to the Anesthesia Section. In this position, the LVN will be detailed 100% of their time to the Pain Clinic. The LVN, is responsible to the Registered Nurse/Case Manager/Nurse Manager/Nurse Supervisor, and /or Chief of Section Pain Management, and/or Chief of Anesthesia, and/or Chief of Surgical Nursing.

Duties

The LVN, is involved in frontline patient check-in, clinic flow, patient education and preparedness for optimal acceptance of healthcare delivery by the provider. Assists in the development and implementation of Safe Patient Handling at their clinic. The incumbent assists the Registered Nurse (RN) Case Manager/Nurse Manager/Nurse Supervisor and/or the Chief of Section Pain Management physician as a compass for direction of the clinic team members. The LVN, is able to maintain the daily operation of the Pain Clinic in event of the RN's absence. Serves as a member of the health care team 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 whose age may range from 18 years to 100+ years. The LVN is responsible for scheduling of appointments, patient processing including check in and checks out, obtaining vital signs and patient history, assisting physicians with procedures, and handling all patient phone calls. The LVN coordinates all consult requests. Also manages the equipment and supplies in the including ordering and stocking. The incumbent works in the Anesthesia Section, Surgical Service at Loma Linda VA Healthcare System. The Pain Clinic LVN possesses the practical knowledge of human anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and an understanding of medical data generated by patient/equipment connections, knows common equipment settings and standardized procedures plus knowledge of common errors and corrective measures, can modify patients / positions to obtain the correct results with patients, can provide mentorship or be a preceptor to lower grade LVN and provides in-service training on equipment and related instrumentation. The GS-6 LVN operates at a level of complexity able to manage examinations and modify procedures based on patient need. S/he is able to effectively assist in procedures to yield the best results. The LVN, must have a broad work experience to successfully and consistently demonstrate clinical/technical judgment as well as possess a comprehensive and thorough working knowledge of the most complex or difficult practices and procedures, such as: a. Knowledge and skills to perform more specialized patient care duties, including assignments in selected, more complex patient care settings, and in the operating/procedure room. Knowledge base promotes the incorporation of current patient care data in actively contributing to the development of the patient's overall health plan and in carrying out assigned nursing interventions. b. Knowledge and skills sufficient to understand healthcare 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 care for a variety of acute and chronically ill patients. c. Knowledge and skill in physical observation. Makes astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes, both physical and emotional, in patient's condition, and accurately and thoroughly documents care delivered and patient's response to care that could require immediate modification of the patient's care plan. Appropriately seeks assistance and guidance by informing RN and /or physician of changes in patient's condition requiring higher-level intervention. Participate to a greater degree in prioritizing, and, as appropriate, modifying patient care treatment. d. Knowledge and skill in proper use, assessment and transfer of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME). e. Ability to proactively assist the RN, and /or physician in addressing patient's needs for medication/treatments according to established policies/procedures. f. Actively promotes and effectively incorporates established customer service standards in all aspects of their practice. Exhibits skill, creativity and initiative in contributing to the improvement of overall care delivery and patient and /or family satisfaction levels through active participation in Patient Centered Care trainings. g. Serves as a role model and mentor to other staff in the application of complex technology, effectively guide, and direct their continuing practice in these areas. Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills and provides leadership to other staff members. h. Able to work with minimal supervision under conditions of considerable difficulty and responsibility and exhibit independent clinical/technical judgments. i. Works closely with coordinator of Safe Patient Handling in the Pain Clinic in order to implement in the Pain Clinic. Responsible for overseeing and reporting hand hygiene/hand washing observations in the clinic. Other duties as assigned, not listed above Work Schedule: To be determined 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. 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. Preferred Experience:1 year LVN1 year of outpatient1 year PACT, medical/surgical, or skilled nursing 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 (e.g., medication administration); however, completed work may require routine or detailed higher level review depending upon the complexity of the duties involved. 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 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. 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. 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.

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 Jerry L Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital 11201 Benton Street Loma Linda, CA 92357 US
• Name: Robin Sandoval
• Phone: (909) 583-6138
• Email: [email protected]