This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Provides/assists patients in keeping with Department of Nursing standards, to accomplish a full range of personal care with attention to preserving personal dignity, autonomy, religious preferences, cultural values, and age-appropriate needs. Contributes to the patient care plan, taking into consideration physical, emotional, and social factors. Rooms patients, obtains vital signs, documents appropriately Completes clinical reminder screenings as indicated Organizes/prioritizes routine and non-routine nursing care activities. Administers medications according to the "5 Rights." Observes, recognizes, and reports significant or adverse changes in patients' condition in a timely fashion. Responds appropriately to emergency situations Independently assumes additional patient care responsibilities and other measures to prevent complications. Performs wound care and dressing changes as assigned Provides emotional patient and family care Complies with all universal precaution and infection control policies and procedure Maintains a safe/clean work environment and completes assigned environmental duties. Demonstrates appropriate actions in environmental emergency situations Reports unsafe equipment and working conditions to appropriate individuals and intervenes appropriately. Participates in Quality Improvement activities and offers suggestion to improve care Delivers care to Veterans/clients in a respectful, non-judgmental manner Demonstrates and maintains competency as defined by unit and department criteria Adheres to VA Nursing Service, Medical Center policies, procedures, and standards. Always maintains client/Veteran privacy. Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Scheduled varies based on patient care needs) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact EDRP: [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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. 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). Licensure - Full, Active, Current and Unrestricted license as a licensed practical or vocational nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States or District of Columbia English Language Proficiency - Appointment to direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7408(d). Grade Determinations: GS-03 - None beyond the basic requirements. GS-04 - Six months of qualifying experience as LPN or LVN 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 (a) Completion of at least 1 year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent. (b) Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems. [Works with the RN and/or MD/DO to appropriately orient/train less experienced LPNs/LVNs and/or Nursing Assistants (NAs)/Health Technicians (HTs) in relation to acceptable standards of practice in promoting optimal patient care delivery. Provides effective education to patients and/or family members in relation to common disease processes, medication, and /or prescribed treatment regimes. (c) Demonstrated ability to serve as a responsible member of the nursing team and interact [in an appropriate manner] with patients, family members, professional and [other] supportive personnel [involved in the delivery of] patient care, [incorporating acceptable, established customer service standards into practice. (d) Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and/or intravenous medications as permitted by approved local facility policies and procedures. Observation and documentation will include patient's response to medication administered and the reporting of any noted change in patient's condition to RN or MD/DO. (e) Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures when indicated, promptly seek the assistance of the RN or MD/DO, and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardiac and/or pulmonary arrest. (f) Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies, promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action. (g) Completed work is under the general supervision of an RN or MD/DO. Individuals at this grade level are expected to have a broad working knowledge of practical nursing procedures. However, completion of more complex practices or procedures may be subject to closer higher-level review. GS-06 (a) Completion of] at least one (1) year of [additional] qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent , fully meeting all performance requirements for the GS-5 LPN/LVN. (b) Technically proficient in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations. (c) Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions; 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. (d) 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/LVN recognizes and] considers emotional , cultural, spiritual, socio-economic, and age-related] factors. (e) 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. (f) 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. (g) 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. (h) 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. (i) 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/LVNs or NAs/HTs related to support duties for these more complex, specialized tests/procedures. (j) 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: 1-2 years Primary Care experience References: VA Handbook 5005 Appendix G13 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. Physical Requirements: Requires Visual Acuity; keen hearing; clear distinctive speech; Moderate Lifting up to 35 pounds; Walking, Standing intermittently up to 4 hours; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Intermittent typing; Sitting; Bending and stooping; Reaching above shoulder, Fine motor movement of hands/fingers; Hearing acuity to auscultate using stethoscope (i.e. blood pressure, etc.); Corrected Vision to 20/30; ability to exert 20 pounds of pressure to compress adult chest 2 inches for CPR; Frequent hand washing/sanitizing required.

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/.

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

NOTE: Current GS-0620 LPN/LVN employee of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who were converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) in implementation of Public Law 98-160, enacted November 21, 1983, or who was converted to an appointment under 38 U.S.C. 7405 in implementation of Public Law 99-576, enacted October 28, 1986 are considered to have met the Education requirement. The waiver does not apply to persons appointed under 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) or 7405 after these conversions.

Contacts

• Address San Francisco VA Medical Center 4150 Clement Street San Francisco, CA 94121 US
• Name: Lizbeth Torres
• Phone: (415) 221-4810 X24760
• Email: [email protected]