Summary
The Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) delivers practical nursing care to Veterans with diverse physical and behavioral needs, consistently promoting high-quality health care and exceptional customer service. Operating under the guidance of the Nurse Manager or designee, the Nurse demonstrates full technical competence and skill at full performance level. This role ensures an environment dedicated to serving Veterans and supporting their well-being.
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Duties
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VA Careers - Licensed Practical Nurse: https://youtube.com/embed/Ae85IP1Oiz4
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Major duties include but may not be limited to:
- Carry out assigned patient care activities based on patient condition using sound judgment.
- Select and sequence procedures/treatments appropriately for individual patient needs.
- Accurately recognize, report, and document relevant patient information.
- Perform thorough patient observation and respond to care needs, including equipment-assisted care and education.
- Prepare and administer prescribed medications by oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and intravenous routes.
- Perform medical treatments according to established policies and procedures.
- Recognize urgent and emergent patient situations and seek RN/provider assistance as needed.
- Initiate and assist with emergency interventions per direction (e.g., code, resuscitation).
- Understand human behavior, patient motivations, and family dynamics to provide effective care.
- Build constructive relationships with patients and families to support communication and socialization.
- Foster respect for patient and family privacy, dignity, and rights.
- Consistently apply established customer service standards in all interactions.
- Demonstrate skill in assisting with complex diagnostic tests or specialized procedures.
- Prepare, assist, and monitor patients during diagnostic or specialized procedures.
- Handle specialized equipment and instruments as required.
- Monitor and record patient condition before, during, and after procedures.
- Provide education to patients and families about diseases, medications, and treatments.
- Share acquired knowledge with other staff .
- Maintain role-specific and unit-specific competencies.
- Demonstrate technical proficiency in all assigned nursing duties for diverse patient populations.
- Meet all documentation requirements in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) accurately and timely.
- Identify and appropriately prioritize and respond to changes in patient/veteran condition.
- Take actions based on communication, observations, and reports about patient care.
- Contribute observations and suggestions to improve the plan of care and veteran outcomes.
- Complete required and mandatory training/reviews within designated timeframes.
- Proactively address safety hazards, equipment malfunctions, and supply deficiencies.
- Promote a safe, therapeutic environment, considering all age-related/special needs.
- Provide care modalities to patients with complex medical and/or emotional conditions under RN supervision.
- Maintain competency in supporting IV therapy initiation, administration, and monitoring.
- Follow all infection control, patient safety goals, and hospital safety practices.
- Participate in nursing in-services and ongoing staff development opportunities.
- Serve as a role model and assist with orientation of nursing/non-nursing staff, students, and volunteers.
- Independently recognize and respond to emergency and life-threatening situations per policy.
- Respond promptly and effectively to both overt and subtle patient changes, notifying RN/provider appropriately.
- Collaborate with RNs, providers, and other disciplines for comprehensive care.
- Participate in the development, evaluation, and implementation of new/revised policies and procedures.
- Demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in meeting the changing needs of patients and the unit.
Work Schedule: 12-hour tours including weekdays, weekends, and Holidays. Tours determined by Supervisor.
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 Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: #: 517-25358-F
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.
- 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.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- 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. 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-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 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: 
